{"title":"Creative Thinking","description":"\u003cp\u003eExperiential tools designed to unlock creativity, challenge assumptions, and help teams generate and develop better ideas.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"signlines","title":"Signlines","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSignlines is a compact and challenging Business Mirror, addressing group management and communication.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNumber of Participants: \u003cstrong\u003e6 - 30\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRunning Time: \u003cstrong\u003e30 - 40 Minutes (plus review)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Benefits\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTeam-work exercise\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMirrors team based project work in real life working environments\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDevelops variety of skills\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePortable \u0026amp; easy to use\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain Concept\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSignlines is a lively, energetic team exercise which explores communication, the management of information and the planning and implementation of a strategy. It is a challenging activity which encourages a group to use well-organised communication systems and processes to sort and remember the information needed to complete team and project based work from individual components.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSignlines, within group dynamics, raises questions such as: \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\"How do we learn to see the bigger picture?\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\"How do I know where I fit into this whole system?\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\"How do I identify and build relationships with the people who are most significant to me?\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\"How do new organisations establish shared and agreed operating procedures- and then implement them quickly and effectively?\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\nThe element of competitiveness that inevitably develops raises energy, which does not detract from the team work behaviour which is sought due to the inbuilt review process. On completion Signlines acts as an ideal metaphor highlighting the importance of communication, problem-solving, organisation and leadership within a team environment.\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSignlines increases awareness of\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e• Information seeking and explanation \u003cbr\u003e• Working under time pressure \u003cbr\u003e• The relevance of effective planning \u003cbr\u003e• The effectiveness of process reviews in team activity\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSignlines develops\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e• Communication of a common meaning, through emphasis upon both providing and receiving feedback, as well as active and reflective listening to ensure understanding. \u003cbr\u003e• The management of information flow between individuals, sub-groups and the entire team by building upon existing sorting, and structuring of, information skills. \u003cbr\u003e• Problem solving skills, specifically: eliciting and evaluating possible courses of action, the capacity to complete simultaneous activities, and the illustrating of the need for rehearsal of processes before they ‘go live’ \u003cbr\u003e• Understanding of team organisation and effective group management. \u003cbr\u003e• Awareness of individual needs, contributions and input within a pressured team environment\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Portable and easy to use \u003cbr\u003e• Ideal for workshops, teamworking events and induction programmes \u003cbr\u003e• A fast route to powerful and transferable learning \u003cbr\u003e• Attractive, absorbing and challenging \u003cbr\u003e• Versatile enough to meet a wide range of learning objectives \u003cbr\u003e• Supplied with clear instructions \u003cbr\u003e• Mirrors real life environments in a miniature time scale. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e“\u003cem\u003eFrom the facilitator’s point of view Signlines is a gift: easy to set up and explain, and provides a rich ‘hands-on’ learning exercise. I applaud its versatility, creativity and sheer good fun – hurray for future factory learning\u003c\/em\u003e!”\n\u003cp\u003eKirsty Leishman, \u003cbr\u003eAssociate Director of The Change Partnership Scotland\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Future Factory Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43956841840940,"sku":"SIGN","price":397.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0678\/4978\/1548\/products\/signlines-02.jpg?v=1668274191"},{"product_id":"taking-stock","title":"Taking Stock","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTaking Stock is a Business Mirror of project management, where the objective is to keep projects in profit by effective utilisation of limited resources.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNumber of Participants: \u003cstrong\u003e6 - 10\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRunning Time: \u003cstrong\u003e90 mins plus review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey points:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEncourages teamwork and high-quality project management\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApplicable to a variety of situations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePortable and easy to use\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain Concept:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaking Stock is a tabletop board game involving simulation of project management, with two main themes. Firstly, as individuals, participants must comprehend that utilising resources to their full potential and maximising returns is essential to project management. Secondly, whilst not contradicting the first theme, awareness of the ‘bigger picture’ is developed, particularly understanding in interdependence and the contribution they could make to the organisation as a whole. Taking Stock, through the aid of metaphorical learning and ‘learning by experience’, develops dialogue between individual managers and a wider organisation, underlining the reciprocal nature of a working environment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaking Stock also explores the need for strategic thinking and commercial judgement by promoting interaction between an organisation’s constituent parts. Additionally, Taking Stock:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Enables participants to improve negotiation skills, key to project management \u003cbr\u003e• Is applicable to differing management styles \u003cbr\u003e• Leads to a development of skills in versatile environments\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndividual Project Managers have responsibility for the success of their own project but must also be aware of the contribution it makes to the larger organisation. 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The main aim is for participants to seek creative problem-solving techniques; giving a telling indication of the creative thinking abilities of individuals and groups involved. By stretching the existing abilities and attributes of participants, the exercise develops a greater awareness of a multitude of creative thinking skills. The combination of fun activity and the numerical score derived from each use of Creative Connections makes this Experiential Learning Tool ideal to return to again and again in order to indicate and stimulate the development of creative thinking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUsing stimuli to invoke wide-ranging thinking and cross-referencing, Creative Connections leads to an innovative exploration of thinking that accurately reflects modern working practices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCreative Connections\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEncourages participants to ‘think out of the box’ by promoting lateral thinking and creativity\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChallenges existing thought processes and techniques by energising individual styles of brainstorming and cross-referencing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDevelops existing skills in problem-solving and team working\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncreases awareness of differentiation between and within customer transactions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIs a mirror of real-life working environments and quickly establishes transferable skills among participants\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits\u003c\/strong\u003e \n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEasy to use and fun for all participants\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHighly flexible for all types of team events\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdeal to use again and again (repeatable even with the same participants)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReady to use, needing no additional facilities\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAppropriate for groups of 4 – 8\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Future Factory Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43956842103084,"sku":"CCON","price":97.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0678\/4978\/1548\/products\/creative-connections-03.jpg?v=1668274222"},{"product_id":"road-mapping","title":"Road Mapping","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRoad Mapping is a Business Mirror which can help participants work through discussions relating to their individual, team or organisational experience.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNumber of Participants: \u003cstrong\u003e6-8\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRunning Time: \u003cstrong\u003e90 minute\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Benefits\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStrategic planning \u0026amp; problem solving exercise\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEncourages innovation and creative thinking\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInvolves negotiating and influencing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain Concept\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRoad Mapping is a process tool which can be applied to help participants to work through any discussions relating to their individual, team or organisational experience of the past or expectations of the future.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this context, we use the Road Mapping process to enable participants to consider the shared journey which lies ahead of them as they move towards the achievement of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) business targets or previously agreed organisational goals. 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