How can we create the conditions for people to flourish?

Thank you so much for being here. 

I'm delighted you are. 

Over the next 4 weeks I’m hoping you’ll have an opportunity to stop and think about how you can best connect with others and how you can also set up the conditions for others so that they’re able to think clearly and creatively both individually and as a group. 

If we want to create the conditions for ourselves and others to think well, to create families and teams where each person can thrive - where people feel valued, where problems are solved creatively and where true innovation flourishes, we need to know how to create a culture where people can really connect with each other, where people are listened to and where we feel safe enough and valued enough to think really well and to share our thoughts.  

Given the right conditions everyone can think well, in this course you’re going to learn how to do this.  

The underlying premise of the Thinking Environment is that ‘the quality of everything that we do is dependent on the quality of the thinking that we do first’. 

So if we want to get good quality outcomes, develop great relationships and build sustainable cultures, we  need to reclaim time to think and to know how best to use this time. 

Given the right conditions everything will grow and thrive.

Even in poor conditions plants will try and survive. 

Give them optimal conditions though and they’ll flourish. 

The Thinking Environment are the conditions we seem to need to be able to flourish. 

They are simple and recognisable, it’s just rare that we encounter them or have the words to explain them when we do. 

After this course you'll:

  1. Know how to facilitate highly effective meetings whether 1:1 or in larger groups

  2. You will have improved your listening skills to help other people think well when they’re with you

  3. Be far more aware of your own behaviours and the impact this has (good and bad on others). 

Time to Think Foundation course

Buy nowLearn more

Welcome - Start here

Delayed 0 days

  • How can we create the conditions for people to flourish?
  • Time to Think Foundation course manual

Before our first live call - prework

  • What can you expect?
  • What are the 10 Components?
  • Attention | The catalyst
  • Ease | What's the rush?
  • Equality | Do we really believe in it?
  • Dare to disagree | Margaret Heffernan
  • The power of introverts | Susan Cain
  • Simon Sinek |Be the Last to Speak
  • David Rock | SCARF

The 10 Components of a Thinking Environment

Delayed 0 days

  • The 3 Streams of Attention | Where is your mind when the other person is thinking?
  • Appreciation | What do we value?
  • Encouragement |Do we have the courage to be ourselves?
  • Feelings | Can we let ourselves feel it all?
  • Information | What are we not facing?
  • Difference | Can we bring our whole selves?
  • Incisive questions | Imagine living free from untrue & limiting assumptions
  • Place | Do you treat yourself like you matter?
  • The positive philosophical choice
  • Thinking Enhancers | What helps us think well?
  • Thinking Inhibitors | What stops us thinking well?

The building blocks

Delayed 0 days

  • Why it matters | Can we help everyone thrive?
  • What are the building blocks?
  • The building blocks | A visual aid
  • What's the question you really want to think about?
  • Thinking Pairs | How far can they go?
  • Issue Outcome Question.pdf
  • Dialogue | What do we think now?
  • Rounds | Can you hear yourself think?
  • Open Discussion | Can we agree to not interrupt?
  • Thinking Time | Can we give ourselves a moment to think?
  • Thinking Council | Harnessing the wisdom of the group.
  • Time to Think Council | Supplementary notes
  • Peer Council

Bringing it all together

Delayed 0 days

  • Introduction
  • Making your meetings more effective & engaging
  • A few things to think about before you start.
  • Underlying principles | How do we help this group think well?
  • At a glance | A one page template to help you plan any event
  • Presenting in a Thinking Environment | Can we speak authentically?
  • Group Assumptions | What is stopping us thinking well?
  • Assumptions diagram
  • Examples of Group Assumptions
  • On paper incisive question exercise
  • The end and the start

Additional resources

Delayed 0 days

  • 3 top tips | If you do nothing else start here.
  • Timed talk | What happens when you can't hear each other?
  • Interviews | Can we allow people to shine?
  • Questions for rounds
  • Jan Hills |On inclusion
  • MBTI Preferences & meetings in a Thinking Environment
  • Your attention didn't collapse it was stolen - Johann Hari