It is the end of a long and warm summer, kids are going back to school, folk are returning from holidays and sun dresses are being packed away. While it is the end of the traditional holiday season that most of us love, it is also the beginning of a new semester and the upcoming season for ‘Think Tanks’. This is a time of great positivity, motivation, decision making, putting new plans in place, innovation and lots more.
For me the break over the summer with family and friends spent exploring new places, eating different food, speaking different languages and letting go in general really energises me. I feel I can now make bold decisions which might just result in monumental shifts in the right direction in work and at home. Some of my biggest decisions have been made in the month of September, that can’t be a coincidence can it? Does this sound familiar?
Over the next few months businesses will get their Leadership Teams together for their annual Think Tanks. These are a great opportunity for the Leadership Team to review the business on micro and macro level and make big decisions to help the business grow, indeed flourish, in the next year and longer.
Experts in Economics, Collaboration, Innovation, Culture, Organisational Psychology and so on are brought in deliver keynotes, facilitate round table discussions and workshops to help inform, inspire and help the leaders in their task to build road maps that meet their business goals.
Some factors really help to get the most from Think Tanks.
Here are some of my observations:
- Make sure you put the date in all participants’ diaries at least 6 months in advance.
- Pick a good location; for me the following are important: outdoor space, natural light, tasty & healthy food, creative spaces, activity, fresh air, & excellent event customer service.
- Engage a facilitator – so everyone gets to make their point and people are encouraged to listen· (Current hot favourites include Margaret Heffernan, Yves Morieux, Dambisa Moyo, Costas Markides, Dr. Pippa Malmgren, Terence Mauri, Nigel Barlow, Viktor Mayer Schönberger, Stephane Garelli and David McWilliams)
- Get feedback as the event progresses, if something is not working don’t be afraid to change course.
- Make sure topics that are not relevant to a Think Tank are parked for another time.
- And don’t forget to have a bit of fun! Play is good – build in at least one activity or/and fun thing to do together, this is about a team working together as much as anything else.
Contact us today to discuss what speaker may suit your audience, budget and goals.
