Engage curiosity, borderless thinking

Here's story1
Dr. Ruth B. Noller was Marci's facilitation mentor at the International Center for Studies in Creativity in the early 1980's.
"A facilitator is a guide by the side rather than a sage on the stage," Ruth said again and again.
"From one experience to the next facilitators learn to ask important questions that set the client on a breakthrough path. True learning and creativity begin with using open-ended questions enabling people to think new thoughts, make new connections and perceive beyond traditional boundaries."
After facilitation practice, Ruth always asked these questions:
  • What did you like about what happened?
  • What would you do differently next time?
  • What do you suppose would happen if you did that?
Ruth introduced us to self-learning through assessing experience, dreaming up new solutions and considering intended and unintended consequences of our solutions. Man, she was good.


Here's story 2, years later
Marci was guest faculty at the University of Santiago de Compostella in Spain teaching graduate students in creativity about personality styles research and application expression. A panel of guest faculty experts at week's end was held at week's end, charged with to addressing this topic: what is missing in education? While the other panelists were leading educators,Marci was the only creativity specialist. Still, she was able to make a contribution. (Thank you Ruth!)
While the others insisted that education systems do not support teachers and newer cirriculum is required to respond to newly emerging needs, Marci, the last to speak, said,
"What's missing is the opportunity for students to ask questions and pursue their curiosity: to ask new questions and find new answers. Teachers today suggest that only they have the right answers and students must give the teachers what the teachers expect: the right answer right away. What if teachers instead expected new questions and encouraged exploration of alternative solutions and synthesis of many sources of information in unique and interesting ways instead of teaching content the students must repeat?" You could hear the heads nod in the 200+ filled auditorium.

Here's the punchline/application
What if leaders in organizations expected new questions and encouraged exploration of alternative solutions and synthesis of many sources ofinformation in unique and interesting ways instead of relying on the tried and true? Do you think there might be a little more innovation going on? Balanced of course with staying the course, that's a given. How do you do both/and, eh?
  • What do you like about what's going on in your organization?
  • What would you change if you could?
  • What do you suppose would happen if you could make that change?

Here's the pitch
You can do it, we can help make it easier. Using both/and thinking is a skill that can be learned and applied in our networked world. Thinking beyond boundaries, as if there is no box. Imagine. Contact Marci for an indepth needs analysis to promote innovation within your organization. We'd be happy to facilitate your thinking and to connect you with others who can lend a hand.