NYHSA: Facilitating Creative Thinking

facilitating creative thinking John Colรณn DMGT 732 Fall 2018

figure 01

figure 02

01.

02.

03.

04.

05.

06.

research

lateral/creative thinking small non-profits & historic preservation problem statement opportunity statement

entity selection

nyhsa individuals location

activity plan

overview methodology break-downs

warm-up

schedule progress end result perspectives

visual storytelling

schedule progress end result perspectives

appendices

informed consent references figures

Page 01 01 01 03 04 Page 05 05 06 08

Page 09 09 10 11

Page 14 14 15 16 17 Page 22 22 23 30 32 Page 37 37 38 49

01.

creative/lateral thinking:

research

According to Edward de Bono in his book Lateral Thinking, lateral thinking “is concerned with the generation of new ideas ... and breaking out of the concept presence of old ideas. This leads to changes in attitude and approach; to looking differently at things ... Liberation from old ideas and the stimulation of new ones are twin aspects of lateral thinking.” Often, reliability is so sought after that creative thinking is rarely embraced, especially the larger the company is. But according to Roger Martin in his book, The Design of Business, reliability-focused companies grow stagnant and fall prey to new competitors. How does creative thinking inside a company solve problems outside of it?

small non-profits:

Non-profits must change to survive through volatile economic conditions. For small community-based organizations -- particularly those that rely on government funding -- adaptation is critical for long-term viability. Some will reconfigure just to maintain their current services; others will expand their impact in response to rising demand. Investing in the enterprise is difficult for small nonprofits, which often run lean. What are the core issues small non-profits face? And what can funders and non-profits do to manage or solve these challenges?

historic preservation:

Page 01

“Historic preservation is complex and constantly evolving, so leaders in the field need comprehensive, professionallevel analysis of the most pressing issues in order to stay informed and hone their expertise. Up-to-date, high-level information on current issues is a critical complement to both local- and national-level preservation work ..Today preservationists are re-evaluating the role of house museums, applying new interpretive frameworks to historic sites, rethinking how best to manage collections, representing a broader range of stories—and developing tools to encompass this evolution” (NTHP). How well are preservationists adapting to change?

figure 03

01. research Page 03

subject of study:

figure 04-a

Small, non-profit organizations in the historic preservation communities

problem statement:

From the perceptions of non-profit organizational members including NYHSA Vice-President, Ethan Dickerman, ‘laissezfaire leaders’1 exist throughout historic preservation communities, hindering their own innovative growth. As his organization continues to add individuals to the team and community, Ethan worries that not enough creativity can be encouraged, influenced by external factors unrelated to historic preservation.

Moreover, the majority of the NYHSA’s audience is aging and traditional. This means less millennials are interested in local history, especially due to these organizations’ tightened budgets, increased competition, and lack of innovation. There needs to be new communication methods that reach all ages and give local history a fresh, new perception.

1: Lutz Allen, S., Smith, J. E., & Da Silva, N. (2013). Leadership Style in Relation to Organizational Change and Organizational Creativity: Perceptions from Nonprofit Organizational Members.

Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 24(1), 23-42. doi:10.1002/nml.21078

‘laissez-faire leaders’ outside of the NYHSA

non-profits are stuck & competing for the same donations

We can do this by educating individuals of ‘transformational leadership’ through a collaborative workshop that reshapes how a group of people from a local organization acquires knowledge. Creative exercises “apply lateral thinking strategies and transform material learning of facts and information into long-term memory through unique and powerful verbal-visual associations that bring text, images, and numbers to life” (Project Brief). The goal, stated by Ethan Dickerman, is to “inspire our allies and competitors to use lateral thinking for solving complex problems.”

‘transformational leaders’ inside of the NYHSA

research

There is an opportunity to activate potential leaders in the NYHSA. ‘Transformational leaders’ inspire the ‘laissez-faire,’ acknowledging the transformation of both the organization and the individuals within it and influencing their team members to transcend their own self-interests for the good of the group. They raise the team’s commitment to the importance of the organization’s vision by binding its members around a common purpose, creating an environment and culture that foster change and growth (Allen, Smith, Da Silva 2013).

01.

opportunity statement:

a wider, younger, & more creative audience & community is generated figure 04-b

Page 04

02. entity selection

mission:

“The New York Historic Sites Alliance,

Inc. seeks to unify the area’s heritage sites into a more influential and successful institution. The New York Historic Sites Alliance is a membership-based umbrella 501(c)(3) organization in which every member-site retains its autonomy while having the benefits of a large collective entity.

On this shared journey, the New York Historic Sites Alliance and its member-sites tell their interconnected story, highlighting the sites that have been both preserved and destroyed. In addition, the New York Historic Sites Alliance honors the hardworking individuals who have and continue to protect, educate about, and integrate people with their heritage sites.�

Page 05 figure 05

New York’s Hudson Valley possesses a rich and diverse history dating back

or visit, its nearly impossible to not come into contact with the legacy left behind by its indigenous people, the colonial and post colonial periods, the American Revolution,

Richard Recchia

Ethan Dickerman

Age: 21-25 Location: Fishkill, NY Occupation: Student, Student Aid - Admissions Office

Age: 21-25 Location: Fishkill, NY Occupation: Student, Archaeology Lab Assistant

Elliana Ramirez

Cheyenne Cutter

Age: 21-25 Location: Newburgh, NY Occupation: Graphic Designer, Screen Printer

Age: 21-25 Location: Fishkill, NY Occupation: Student, Cheese Packer

President

Vice President

and beyond. The NYHSA seeks to develop beneficial programs and activities for both its communities, students, and visitors to the area. Furthermore, they seek to engage in collective advocacy, innovative activities, and adaptive reuse projects to ensue the preservation of its heritage sites. Lastly, the NYHSA pushes the teaching of local history, with the goal of elevating how the community,

Merchandise Manager

Director of Educational Outreach

entity selection

thousands of years. Whether you live there

members:

02.

overview:

at large, values their own historic sites. With the help of its member-sites and passionate individuals, they believe the NYHSA will write the next chapter in the history of the Hudson Valley and New York.

Page 06

figure 06

Trinity Episcopal Church in Fishkill is located in the Mid-Hudson Valley, about 65 miles from New York City, and inland about 5 miles from the Hudson River at Beacon. Fishkill is in the southwest part of Dutchess County, noted for its historic landmarks, restaurants, lively events, festivals and natural scenic beauty.

We’ve reserved the Second Floor of the Trinity Church Parish House Library. It is bordered by Rt. 9, and its entrance is from the parking lot at 5 Elm Street, next to Taco Bell. The church is accessible from the Parish House and parking lot.

Address: 1200 Main St Fishkill, NY 12524

entity selection

A subscription by over 100 families was taken in 1756 to erect an English church in Fishkill, New York and money began to be raised. With the help of The Rev. John Beardsley, an agreement was reached with the SPG in 1766. The Trinity Episcopal Church was incorporated under New York State religious law in 1784 as “The Rector and Inhabitants of the Town of Fishkill in communion of the Protestant Episcopal Church.”

02.

location:

figure 07

Page 08

03.

overview:

activity plan

Successful design managers need to be able to create the conditions for creative thinking and innovation within an organization composed of a wide variety of professionals, some of whom are not familiar with design thinking. I have prepared to lead the team in the envisioning of new ideas and solutions by developing skills in framing, imaging and group interaction and applying the process of design conceptualization outside of the familiar domain of studio skills. In a series of simulations and group exercises, I will acquire experience in idea facilitation through working successfully with the staff of the NYHSA in a creative mode.

The warm-up activity will be a short icebreaker activity, of 15 minutes or less, that will help me determine the dynamics of the group and how they work together. The visual storytelling activity will be longer, from 30 minutes to 1 hour, and will be a hands-on activity in which the group works together to visually explore and develop possible solutions for unchanging organizations.

warm-up

Page 09

session 1: warm-up activity completed: october 12, 2018

problem definition (individual)

problem statement worksheet completed: october 12 through october 25, 2018

problem definition (group)

visual storytelling

solution ideation

session 2: problem definition & storytelling exercise completed: october 25, 2018

final thoughts

Red Hat: Emotions – Intuitive or instinctive gut reactions or statements of emotional feeling (but not any justification).

• Think how others could reach emotionally • Understand responses of people

Black Hat: Discernment – Logic applied to identifying reasons to be cautious and conservative. Practical, realistic.

• Look at decision’s negative outcomes • Highlight the weak points in a plan • Prepare contingency plans • Make plans tougher and more resilient

Yellow Hat: Optimism – Logic applied to identifying benefits, seeking harmony. Sees the brighter, sunny side of situations.

• Think positively • Keep going when everything looks difficult

Green Hat: Creativity – Statements of provocation and investigation, seeing where a thought goes. Thinks creatively, outside the box.

• Develop creative solutions to a problem • Freewheeling way of thinking • Little criticism of ideas

• Focus on the available data • Analyze past trends • Look for and fill in gaps in knowledge

activity plan

Six Thinking Hats is a system designed by Edward de Bono which describes a tool for group discussion and individual thinking involving six colored hats. “Six Thinking Hats” and the associated idea of lateral thinking provide a means for groups to plan thinking processes in a detailed and cohesive way, and in doing so to think together more effectively.

White Hat: Information – Considering purely what information is available, what are the facts?

03.

methodology:

Blue Hat: Managing – What is the subject?

What are we thinking about? What is the goal? Can look at the big picture.

• Represent process control • Worn by people chairing meetings • Direct activity into Green Hat thinking • Ask for Black Hat thinking in contingency

Page 10 de Bono, Edward (1985). Six Thinking Hats: An Essential Approach to Business Management. Little, Brown, & Company.

03.

warm-up:

Goals & Expected Outcomes • To introduce the group members to each other

activity plan

• To loosen them up a little and get them to have fun with the process • To begin the process of lateral thinking and breaking up old patterns of thinking • To begin addressing the issue of developing communication methods • To give the group a sense of the activities planned for the next session • To introduce them to de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats methodology

Activity The group members are introduced to each other and begin the conversation about communication and the NYHSA’s audience. Each participant molded an item out of clay. Then one by one, they created a story about the ‘experience of communicating,’ incorporating each item molded — one sentence per participant. Clay is a nonthreatening material that encourages participant creativity.

Cool Down De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats are introduced as each participant reads a description aloud. Next, they draw symbols to represent a hat. These symbols and modes of thinking will be used in the next session.

Debriefing The participants take turns reflecting on the session, sharing their experiences.

Closure The participants draw a symbol representing how they feel at the end of the session.

Page 11

Goals & Expected Outcomes

• To reacquaint the group with de Bono’s Six • To explore the main issue of developing communication methods • To increase the participants’ ability to think laterally

Main Activity This activity uses de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats methodology. The symbols drawn at the earlier session are printed on color-coded playing cards. Participants write thoughts about the defined problem on corresponding colored cards. The black cards are collected and affixed to a game board to serve as ‘obstacles.’ Collaboratively, the group moves along the path, playing cards on each color. The participants create a visual story, are encouraged to build on each others’ thoughts, and tackle each obstacle as a team.

Cool Down The group completes an Idea Capture Grid where they use post-it notes to place comments, critiques, ideas, and questions into the corresponding quadrant on a large piece of paper.

Debriefing A ball is tossed around and each participant answers questions. The debrief is a critical component of the Visual Storytelling Activity. It is necessary to ensure the group understands the progress made during the session. This is collected through informal interviews on camera.

activity plan

Thinking Hats methodology

Warm-Up This activity demonstrates the human tendency to use familiar patterns of thinking, then challenges the participants to break that pattern and see how it affects the result. This is done with a shape-sorting activity ─ the sequence of arrival of information (de Bono, 1990). The challenge statement is also refined and a direct reflection of the identified obstacles and negative feelings of the team.

03.

visual storytelling:

Closure Each participant assembles a kit containing a summary of the Six Thinking Hats methodology. The kit provides tangible materials to remember the experience, and encourages them to use this technique with other groups in the future.

Page 12

figure 08

markers/pens, cards, problem worksheet

time

description

Welcome

Before the session begins, as participants arrive

• Photograph each participant.

• Complete consent forms.

Introductions/ Icebreaker

08 mins.

• Participants receive clay, mold items, and explain their object.

Warm-Up Activity

10 mins.

• As a group, they invent a story about the ‘experience of communicating’. The story involves each item. The items can be used in any order -- the group decides that as part of the activity -- but every item must be included.

• The story is written on a large piece of paper so everyone can see the finished product.

Cool-Down

05 mins.

• Introduce de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats by having them read the descriptions. Each person has a different hat.

• Participants draw a symbol for the hat on his/her card.

Debriefing

05 mins.

• Each participant pulls out a question and answers it. The questions address how they feel about the experience and what they learned.

Closure

02 mins.

• Participants draw something which represents how they feel at the end of the session and take home the Problem Statement Worksheet.

Total: 30 mins.

warm-up

stage

04.

schedule:

resources: consent forms, clay, large paper,

Page 14

04.

progress:

warm-up

Introductions/Icebreaker

The activity was chosen for the participants because it would challenge the group to use creative thinking. Clay and markers were the mediums of choice that evoked ideas about what both lateral thinking and communication meant together. This put the participants in the mindset of divergence, that anything was a possibility and could be used into something meaningful. The room was filled with productive chatter, often laughter, and great enthusiasm for the process.

Cheyenne C.

Page 15

Richard R.

Elliana R.

Ethan D.

figure 09

figure 10

warm-up

Activity

The outcome exceeded expectations. The participants engaged in an open and friendly manner and did their best to create a sequence that met the criteria. They understood that the exercise meant working together and utilizing everyone’s individual talents. Moreover, they found humor in the end product.

04.

end result:

figure 11

The Experience of Communicating “The man attached his message to the arrow and let it fly. Frosty tried to catch the message but the arrow took his arm off. While his arm laid on the ground, he found a beautiful flower so full of life. As he attempted to eat the flower, he tripped and fell, eating the psychedelic mushroom next to it.”

Page 16

04. warm-up Page 17

perspectives: Cool Down

After the main activity, the participants invited creative dialogue as they reflected upon their experiences. Introducing them to the different roles they will be playing during the Visual Storytelling Activity served as a positive transition.

The following drawings are on the back of Hat cards, each their own representation of the corresponding Hat.

Blue Hat: Managing

White Hat: Information

Red Hat: Emotions

Black Hat: Discernment

Yellow Hat: Optimism

Green Hat: Creativity

What was the point of making up a story?

Cheyenne C.: It’s to bring the various different ideas that could be proposed by different people into a cohesive plan. We all basically made very different, strange, objects that had absolutely nothing to do with one another -- but yet we were still able to create something that kind of makes sense.

How do the Six Thinking Hats relate to the Warm-Up Activity?

Ethan D.: I have to say that these Six Hats, giving us different perspectives and methods to taking a whole variety of situations that we’ll be facing as individuals and members of the NYHSA, are useful tools to overcome such issues. Mine for example -- optimism and logic, identifying benefits and seeking harmony -- is to hopefully quell whatever concerns there might be amongst various people involved in this -- member-sites, schools, students. Managing, what Lisa had, will be the tool to keep this going and to grow. Cheyenne’s Hat questions everything. That gets everything started. Richard’s Hats -- emotions and information -- well, we’re humans and we have a lot of emotions. We have to deal with that. Information -we’re going to get a hell of a lot of it.

warm-up

What would you like to see the NYHSA achieve?

Richard R.: Easy -- world domination. Seriously though, I would really like to see the NYHSA not only support the historic sites that are members of our community, but really serve as a way to bring people together from across all walks of life and to engender that shared community identity. I want to get in touch with that identity and to build something which will help everybody who interacts with the NYHSA.

04.

Debriefing How was your first group meeting as a volunteer of the NYHSA? Elliana R.: My first meeting here as a volunteer was nice already knowing everyone and just saying what we wanted. It went well -- I didn’t think it would be like this though. I thought it would be harder and I was going to be tested or quizzed.

Page 18

04.

perspectives:

warm-up

Closure

The feeling in the room at the end of the session was light-hearted. The consensus was that getting this group to do this type of workshop was extremely beneficial. We all stayed after the session to talk to each other and tour the Trinity Church, a newly acquired member-site of the NYHSA.

figure 12-a

The original group was six members, allowing the Introduction/Icebreaker to be completed in pairs.

Page 19

figure 12-b

04. warm-up

Improvements

It’s safe to say that the participants bonded successfully as a group, the clay had the intended effect of bringing out a playful side of the participants, de Bono’s (1990) Six Thinking Hats methodology was successfully introduced, and the experience laid the groundwork for the Visual Storytelling Activity. However, if the activity were used again for another group, it would work best with six people (one per hat), food and beverages, in their own workspace, more documentation, and with a more experienced facilitator. Otherwise, the experience was great for my first time facilitating a workshop.

Experienced facilitators and design managers are key to successful and transformational ideas.

Qualitative research through image, audio, and video data helps our understanding of methodlogies being used.

People need to have energy and fuel to make sure their brains are functioning at their best.

A dedicated space for working together, with shared artifacts, and reminders of who each participant is at work Page 20

figure 13

game board/cards & piece, tape, ball, large paper, markers/pens, paper, post-its, take-home kit

time

description

Welcome

As participants arrive

• Snacks, drinks, conversation, and getting reacquainted.

Warm-Up

20 mins.

• Participants are led through a shape sorting exercise dealing with the sequence of arrival of information.

• They are given pieces one at a time, and the order they are given affects how they are organized.

• Craft a final Problem Statement together based on worksheet.

Main Activity

40 mins.

• Color-coded cards are dealt, corresponding to the hats.

• Participants write thoughts about the problem, one thought per card, using as many cards as they need; the thought should correspond with the thought’s color.

• People play appropriate cards, add new ones, or pass as the group progresses along the path.

Cool-Down

10 mins.

• Participants reflect on the purpose of the activity and complete an Idea Capture Grid exercise.

Debriefing

05 mins.

• A ball is passed around so that each person has an opportunity his/her reactions and answer questions about the activity and the Six Thinking Hats.

• Participant feedback is collected through recorded interviews.

Closure

05 mins.

• Participants assemble a take-home kit with reference and reminder materials.

Total: 90 mins.

visual storytelling

stage

05.

schedule:

resources:

Page 22

05. visual storytelling Page 23

progress: Warm-up

One-by-one, each participant received two shapes and was instructed to combine them and create one shape that was easy to describe. Each person had to add their shapes onto the previously formed ones. At the last step they were given a shape that did not easily fit into the most common solution up to that point. This demonstrated that even though they had been correct at each step along the way, they reached a point where they could not go on unless they took apart everything they had done previously and rearranged all the pieces. They could not simply add the new information. figure 14

figure 15

figure 16

Each member of the team

was sent home with a Problem Statement Worksheet to complete prior to our Visual Storytelling exercise. This is a Mad Libs style exercise adapted from the team at EightShapes (Brown, 2016). The worksheet requires the team to get specific about what challenges them in terms of external communication.

It also requires them to give context to their thoughts by tying them to their individual roles in the workplace. The result is a challenge statement that is a

figure 17

direct reflection of the identified obstacles and negative feelings of the team.

Refined Problem Statement “We must develop approaches that will help us effectively connect with all groups, so that we properly address issues and behaviors they face and need solutions for.�

05. visual storytelling Page 25

progress: Main Activity The Six Thinking Hats was fully utilized when each participant was given blank color-codes playing cards. White Hat cards were prepared first with facts and known data. The participants then began writing the reasons why they think communication problems exist on the Black Hat cards. These were read aloud, and the two most common were selected to serve as Obstacles on the path, and those cards were affixed to the game board. Then the group did some brainstorming using each hat: red, green, yellow, and blue. They wrote ideas and solutions on colored cards and played those cards as the discussion moved around the table. Notes were taken on Post-It notes and added to the game board.

A self-made “pawn� was created by the group and used as a marker to keep the group on track and show the progress being made.

figure 18

figure 19

05.

White Hats -- Information/Facts

“You need to tailor your pitch to your audience.”

“Using the ‘language’ of each different organization makes

figure 20

it easier for them to understand what is being said.”

figure 21

“Communication must be thoroughly thought out or people may mistunderstand the points or questions. Think before saying.”

Black Hats -- Obstacles

visual storytelling

“Communication goes two ways.”

“Misunderstanding the demographics or percentage of demographics of the groups trying to be reached” “Fear of change”

Page 26

05.

start

visual storytelling activity

white hat: info

black hat: obstacle

visual storytelling

white hat: info white hat: info

black hat: obstacle

white hat: info

finish Page 27

visual storytelling activity

figure 22

figure 23

figure 24

05.

end result: Possible Solutions

Red Hat: “Connecting objects to emotions is a great way to reach across demographic divides. ‘Barbara Little.’”

Green Hat: “Do creative brainstorming with members of targeted demographics.”

Yellow Hat: “Be kind. Learn and listen to others.”

Blue Hat: “The goal is to reach out to pepole who are in one generation at a time and not all at once.”

Black Hat: “Fear of change” Red Hat: “Be aware that logic can be overpowered by emotions and we should approach problems with emotions accounted for and make people feel like they matter.”

visual storytelling

Black Hat: “Misunderstanding the demographics”

Green Hat: “Create change in a way that feels as though there is no change happening at all.”

Yellow Hat: “Progress and change is what got us out of caves and into homes.”

Blue Hat: “Breaking down and analyzing fears to tailor arguments.”

Page 30

figure 25

05.

perspectives:

visual storytelling

Cool-Down

The technique chosen for the Cool-Down was to create an Idea Capture Grid. Each participant received Post-it notes and was asked to write comments for four specific areas: things they liked or found notable, constructive criticism, questions that were raised, and ideas to explore in the future. The group was instructed to place the notes in the corresponding quadrant on the grid.

Like: “The multiplicity of perspectives that generated solutions and the conversations that developed due to this multiplicity.”

Cristicism: “Staying on topic and letting everyone talk to complete a whole thought.”

Question: “Can this method be used with an individual just as effectively as with a group?”

Idea: “Bringing in a few outsiders for feedback just to have a fresh perspective.”

figure 26

Page 32

05. visual storytelling Page 33

perspectives: Debriefing 1. What was something you liked or was notable today?

Ethan D.: Well, I really liked the visuals of the board game. I found it interactive and I think thats very good for teambuilding and constructive processes, thinking, ideas, questions, and critiquing.

2. Please give some constructive criticism.

Elliana R.: I said that my criticism would be staying on topic a little bit more. Not saying that we can’t have side-talk or anything like that, it’s just that I feel like when we get off track, it takes away from, maybe, good ideas somebody could have had that they kind of lost in that moment.

3. What questions were raised for you?

Richard R.: Why this particular framework for design thinking? What are some of the weaknesses or oversights that this particular model might have that another common one might have a solution for?

4. What are some ideas for further exploration?

Cheyenne C.: The idea that I came up with was taking this methodology and using some of the specific problems that are faced by each person’s different position and then having the entire group being able to communicate on that one specific problem. I feel like, to a certain degree, because everyone is doing a different position and not everyone is talking with each other, certain things can be overlooked or certain ideas don’t come to fruition because obviously everyone else doesn’t think the same way. So I feel like if we took all of our individual problems and applied it to this methodology, then the multiplicity of ideas and perspectives could really generate a wide range of thinking and solutions.

figure 27

05.

perspectives: Closure

visual storytelling

At the end of the session, each participant assembled a take-home kit consisting of an envelope for keeping all the materials, a reference page that explains de Bono’s (1990) Six Thinking Hats methodology and describes the thinking modality that corresponds to each hat, a two-page handout with step-by-step instruction and explanations of the lateral thinking exercise, and a set of shapes used in the same, shape-sorting exercise.

figure 28

Page 35

figure 29

Only 2/4 participants completed the Problem Statement Worksheet.

Direct more discussion and focus more time on refining and clarifying the challenge at hand.

Improvements

In the end, we were able to understand creative problem-solving skills as a precondition to facilitate creative thinking. The collaborative creative process is a part of business culture that we are working to implement more frequently. The team quickly latched onto the idea that ideas from others are the key ingredient of collaboration and organizational creativity. Although it was easy to underestimate the amount of time each activity would take and difficult to predict who would show up or complete their Worksheet, I made it a point to continually gauge my audience and adjust the structure/schedule when necessary.

Some members expressed interest and assumptions that more people would be involved, more meetings and workshops would be planned, and more entities/ subjects/issues will be addressed.

visual storytelling

The time of my workshop was late in the day, causing tardiness and delays.

Expect to more flexible and accomodating in the moment.

05.

figure 30

“Keep the ball rolling.�

Page 36

06.

HSA informed consent:

Striving to unite residents, Facilitating Creative Thinking communities, and visitors

Savannah College of Art Design through our and shared history.

appendices

Consent Form

I voluntarily agree to participate in a multi-part workshop performed by a graduate student

at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I understand that a warm-up activity and a visual

storytelling activity are being conducted by John Colón, in order to fulfill the required coursework for Facilitating Creative Thinking. The purpose of the activities is to explore lateral thinking strategies to suggest new approaches for communicating to the NYHSA’s wide audience.

I understand that the documentation methods may include:

1. Recorded (audio, video and/or photography) observations;

2. My participation in a warm-up activity and a visual storytelling activity; 3. My completion of debriefing and feedback-eliciting activities.

I grant permission for the process to be recorded and transcribed, and to be used by John Colón for analysis of data. I grant permission for this data − generated from the above methods − to be used in an educational setting. I understand that any identifiable information in regard to my name and/or organization name, on any material that is made available, will remain in the public domain.

_________________________________________ Printed Name _________________________________________ Signature

Page 37

_________________________________________ Date

Striving to unite residents, communities, and visitors through our shared history.

Brown, D. (2016). How to Build a Problem Statement. EightShapes – Medium. https://medium.com/eightshapes-llc/how-to-build-a-problem-statementd1f21713720b

de Bono, Edward (1985). Six Thinking Hats: An Essential Approach to Business Management. Little, Brown, & Company.

Edward de Bono (1970). Lateral Thinking. New York: Harper and Row. Frans Johansson (2004). The Medici Effect. Harvard Business School Press.

Historical Structures (2018). Village of Fishkill. https://www.vofishkill.us/village-life/slideshows/historical-structures.

Issues in Preservation (2018). National Trust for Historic Places, NTFHP. forum.savingplaces.org/learn/issues.

Lutz Allen, S., Smith, J. E., & Da Silva, N. (2013). Leadership Style in Relation to Organizational Change and Organizational Creativity: Perceptions from Nonprofit Organizational Members. Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 24(1), 23-42. doi:10.1002/nml.21078

appendices

Charles Prather (2009). Manager’s Guide to Fostering Innovation and Creativity in Teams. McGraw-Hill.

06.

references:

Robert P. Weiner, (2000). Creativity and Beyond: Culture, Values and Change. State University of New York Press.

Roger Martin (2009). The Design of Business. Boston: Harvard Business Press.

Page 38

06.

figures:

All photos and graphics are by John Colón unless otherwise noted

Figure 01: Six Thinking Hat game cards in a pile, picture taken during the Warm-Up Activity Figure 02: Cheyenne C. writing in her story-sentence on the large paper during the Warm-Up Activity

appendices

Figure 03: Richard R. writing in a fact about communication on the back of his White Hat game card Figure 04-a: Problem Statement infographic Figure 04-b: Opportunity Statement infographic Figure 05: “Four Pillars” of the New York Historic Sites, Inc. Figure 06: Trinity Church, 1905. Photo taken from https://www.vofishkill.us/village-life/slideshows/historical-structures Figure 07: Foliage of Hunter Mountain in the Catskills, an icon of the Hudson Valley Figure 08: Debriefing questions in a pile, used by facilitator to ask participants Figure 09: Clay used in Introduction/Icebreaker was broken into even pieces for participants to mold Figure 10: Markers: participants were given four color choices to write story and chose to pass around the blue marker Figure 11: Large paper: each participant wrote their own sentence pertaining to their molded clay-object Figure 12-a: Improvements infographic Figure 12-b: Improvements infographic Figure 13: Green Hat on board game with notes: “Create change in a way that feels as though there is no change happening at all” Figure 14: Donuts, apple juice, cups, and napkins were supplied to the participants throughout the Visual Storytelling activities

Page 39

Figure 15: Cheyenne C. was given the last shape in the shape-sorting exercise which did not easily fit into the most common solution up to that point

Figure 17: Problem Statement Worksheets were completed by Ethan D. and Cheyenne C.; used for discussion and refinement

Figure 19: Game in progress; White Hats; “Pawn” made by group Figure 20: Elliana R. writing down her thoughts on each of the four Hat Cards for the first Obstacle Figure 21: Game in progress; Facilitator, John C., straightening Red Hat card on game board Figure 22: Six Thinking Hats game board used for main activity, designed by Facilitator, John C. Figure 23: End result of game board with notes Figure 24: End result of board game with notes, focused on ‘Start’ and second Obstacle Figure 25: Ethan D. placing his thoughts onto the Idea Capture Grid

appendices

Figure 18: Black Hat written by Ethan D.: “Individuals who aren’t well acquainted with technology and who may be unwilling/uninterested in utilizing it”

06.

Figure 16: Facilitator, John C., writing down refined Problem Statement on large paper; displayed for rest of workshop

Figure 26: End result of Idea Capture Grid Figure 27: Game “pawn” created by group with small cup found in room Figure 28: Six different shapes used in shape-sorting activity were given to participants and separated into piles Figure 29: Elements of take-home kit were laid out for participants to assemble Figure 30: Improvements infographic Figure 31: End result of board game with notes, focused on ‘Finish’ and “pawn” Page 40

figure 31

“One school of thought, put forward by some of the world’s most respected theorists and consultants, holds that the path to value creation lies in driving out the old-fashioned practice of gut feelings and instincts, replacing it with strategy based on rigorous, quantitative analysis (optimally backed by decision-support software). In this model, the basis of thought is analytical thinking, which harnesses two familiar forms of logic – deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning – to declare truths and certainties about the world. The goal of this model is mastery through rigorous, continuously repeated analytical processes. Judgment, bias, and variation are the enemies. If they are vanquished, the theory goes, great decisions will be made and great value will be created” (Martin, 2009, p. 5).