Olivier Coulon, Innovation Leader & Facilitator
Humour is a warm-up for creativity.
What specific factors do you take into account when designing a workshop with creative teams?
Maturation. In creativity, the best answers rarely come during workshops. Workshops trigger ideas but not necessarily solutions at the time – these may emerge after the workshop, and the final response will mature over time.
Diversity. You have to understand that there are as many creative profiles as there are participants. Our job as facilitators is to identify what will open the way and enable the creative teams to think in the right direction as quickly as possible.
How are agency creative teams different from other work teams other work teams?
Different jobs don’t always move at the same speed. Getting highly creative ideas and concepts to emerge with people whose main job isn’t to come up with them is quite challenging, especially when you get the designers/writers to work in a workshop with the project managers, for example. It can be a source of frustration, even if the results are always richer, thanks to the diversity.
What are the risks or points to watch out for when facilitating with a specific focus on creativity?
You have to take care of the atmosphere. If the working environment is too « conventional », there’s a risk that you’ll end up with solutions that aren’t satisfactory.
If I don’t know the participants, for example, I’ll double the workshop time. You have to leave time to create a dynamic where the participants get out of their natural ways of being and bounce ideas off each other without judgment This creates an environment where the group adopts a particular type of empathy.
What tools are needed for a stimulating workshop?
I often want to use tools like photo imagery or wording, to help people’s brains take off more quickly by forcing analogy. But I’ve discovered that it’s hit or miss. The most “instinctive” creative minds, or those not very receptive to visual stimulation, will sometimes be blocked rather than stimulated. It’s an important lesson: what stimulates me personally is not necessarily a driving force for others.
What are your tips for designing a workshop that stimulates innovation and creativity?
Clearly establish the rules of the game: This is advice that applies in general, but which is essential in this type of workshop. You need to make it clear to the participants that, in a creative workshop, the aim is to generate ideas, but that no decisions are taken at the time, so they can let themselves go. They shouldn’t be afraid to say what’s on their minds. This precision reduces pressure and increases the effectiveness of teamwork.
Be bold: The facilitator is the first vector of creativity. By adopting an original posture and attire from the outset, in an unusual setting, you are already showing how it is possible to surpass yourself creatively. I also recommend a bit of humour as a warm-up for creativity.
Give examples: This helps to illustrate what creativity is all about. It’s through the power of examples that you can trigger ideas. If you start from nothing, the teams are in a weak position and therefore in an infertile dynamic.
Favour a short format: Quick workshops keep participants enthusiastic and prevent their brains from becoming too « wise ».