Welcome!

Ideas Rooms began in early lockdown, when a group of us took to Zoom to use the Thinking Environment processes we’d been sharing as #JoyFE💛

Everyone is welcome. Direct message @loumycroft or @stef_wilkinson on Twitter (or WhatsApp Lou 07779135201) for access.

A great idea finds its time.

“Stars exist in the cosmos, but constellations are the imaginary lines we draw between them, the readings we give the sky, the stories we tell.”

Rebecca Solnit

What Happens in an Ideas Room?

Using Thinking Environment processes allows the tiny seedling🌱 of an idea to be exposed to light. We do our best thinking when we can be confident in the generative attention of others. Sometimes we may invite others’ perspectives on our idea, but it’s never about giving advice.

If an idea has found its time, it may return time and again to the Ideas Room, to benefit from diverse perspectives and more protected thinking time. The thinkers may identify other processes to run it through, such as Three Horizons or an Influence Analysis. Or it may just fly.

Learning to Listen

In a Thinking Environment, everyone gets air time. The process is very disciplined, with no interrrupting (unless the facilitator interrupts an interrupter). Knowing you will not be interrupted is what makes the difference for the thinker.

Don’t worry if you think you’re not a very good listener. This is where you learn. If you interrupt, we will interrupt you, but we’ll do it with respect and grace.

Equal as Thinkers

In the Ideas Room we are all equal as thinkers. Role, rank and ego is left at the door. This might be more refreshing than you think.

Incisive means Succinct

Some people bang on a bit when they come to the Ideas Room. This is natural and it’s probably because in ‘real life’ we have to hang onto our airtime for dear life. Taking a little pause before you speak – knowing that no-one will interrupt – allows you to gather your thoughts and be more succinct. This, in turn, helps us follow your thinking.

Being succinct cuts out the hot air. It impacts on your writing and the way you come across to other people verbally. If you struggle with it, we will help and we will give frequent reminders that it’s good to be succinct.

No Idea? Come and Listen

Ideas are great and great ideas need listeners to generate the space to grow. So at any time more than 50% of the room will be there to listen. And in listening, they often have another great idea.

Facilitation Practice

When you’ve been to a few Ideas Rooms, you may want to take them back into your own life and work. Just let us know and we’ll support you to take a turn at facilitating or going on the ‘Floo Powder’ (getting people into breakout rooms).

Not Just for Girls

For ages the blokes didn’t come. We didn’t mind that, because whoever’s there are the right people, but it puzzled us. The Ideas Room is a disciplined and rigorous process, far more so than most work meetings* and it’s absolutely not pink and fluffy. That has changed a bit now – hurrah! – but just in case you were wondering, no unicorns or rainbows are involved.

*Well, all work meetings we’ve ever been to!

Ideas Rooms take place on Zoom every Wednesday at 8pm. See above for how to access. Everyone is welcome* and all you have to sign up to is following the process.

*Not just education. And definitely not just girls.