The document provides details on organizing a creativity workshop through the ABC Network program. It involves a 3 step process: (1) a knowledge sharing conference to provide context, (2) an artist workshop to develop creative abilities through experiences, and (3) a harvesting session to generate tangible outputs and action plans. For each step, the document outlines the format, structure, timeline and considerations for preparation and logistics. The overall workshop is designed to move participants through different thinking stages to foster innovation.

1. ABC Network
E-Learning Manager

2. Purpose – Where do we come from ?
ABC Network stands for «ARTS, BUSINESS & CREATIVITY»
It is designed to help your teams improve dialogue, increase their creative abilities and
foster innovation.

3. A unique method
•Already available for the following fields:
• Culture
• Branding
• Management
• Teams
• Service
• Organizations’ environments
• Developing Lateral thinking abilities, generating «Creativity Highways»
• Trigger increased innovation
• Creating the space and field for immediate and future innovations

5. The manager’s ABC to creativity

6. Introduction
Hello !
We are Mrs Vice-President and Mr Manager.
We both work in an organization, we each manage a team and we need to improve their
ability to innovate and be creative.
What can you do for us ?

7. Welcome Mrs Vice President and Mr Manager !
Welcome to the ABC Network program!
I will be guiding you through the process of identifying the relevant workshop to achieve
your goals. It is a 4-step approach where you will refine your needs, imagine the different
options, seek for the right artist, and organise your workshop.
With this short journey inside the ABC program, you will understand its logics and
benefits. But there is more than the program, there is the Network! This means that
you can find within this site the right people to help you on one or several steps for
this program.

8. Understanding your need
The first element to work upon is your purpose:
•Why are you looking for a workshop?
•Why now?
•What is behind the immediate need?
•What lies under your intuition or your decision?
Often the need for more creativity hides a larger challenge, which is not always
clearly visible. For instance, it can be a need for a better internal communication or
a necessity to re-visit the organization’s values or history. It may also come from the
urge to re-invent a business model, a strategy or a product line. All in all, looking to
develop creative abilities is a good symptom for a larger or deeper unsaid or
misguided expectation. Unveiling this will give your workshop a much stronger
efficiency and reach.

9. Sure, but how do we know we have found the
purpose behind the need ?
You will be able to formulate your expectations in a couple of sentences, and detail your
expected results & deliverables easily.
For example:
•«Help my team work better together, and ensure that any idea is welcomed and
leveraged, regardless of its origin.»
•«Have a team with a stronger collective bond.»
•«Have a group of people with a commonly shared vision of how the history of the
organization can translate in the future.»
•«Have a clear set of actionnable ideas for the next quarter.»
From that step, you can now start to imagine the structure of your workshop.

10. And now, what do we do ?
We build your workshop’s structure!
Based on your purpose, identify here http://abcnetworkprogram.com/fr/method/ateliers
what relates best with your objectives.
From that, identify existing topics, either for inspiration or for re-use.
Within the ABC Network site or by contacting the program directly, you will be able to
identify and meet with artists.
For keynote speakers, you can tap in,to your own network or contact the program to help
you find one in line with your objectives.
The artists you will find inside the ABC Network site are all comfortable and
experienced working with organizations. This experience is very important for the
success of your workshop.

11. We have artist and keynote speaker. Let’s design
your workshop!
Preparing the workshop can be done following these 4 parameters:
Where ? Who ?
Identify a space. It will require: You will need to identify the people involved in that
- Projection material for the conference workshop, and the number of participants.
- A dedicated space for the artistic workshop. To Think wide: diversity is a key to creativity, and
be defined with your artist. input from people outside the core team always
- Material for the artist. proves valuable.
- Refreshments, food
- Flipcharts, markers and pens Prepare the invitation accordingly.
- Possibly videorecording materials
-...
When ? Why ?
The date, of course, but also: Your purpose ! This is what you will convey to the
- Workshop duration: 1 day, 1.5 days, an evening + group, give to the artist and to the conferencer.
a day, 2 days, etc...
It is the line you are following, and a strong
validation point at each step of the process,
checking if what is being put together is in line with
the purpose.

12. Artist, speaker, logistics ready. Now what about
content
First the overall structure: A - B - C
A - Knowledge Sharing:
A speaker will give a 60 to 90 minutes conference to give the audience a shared set of
understanding and knowledge related to the workshop topic and/or to the artistic approach
coming next.
When possible, use a room different from a standard conference or meeting room.
Take away tables, create proximity with the speaker through the room. You want to
create a dialogue with the speaker, it will not work if they are in a «student-teacher»-
type of set up.

13. How about B ?
B - Artist Workshop:
From two hours to half a day of EXPERIENCING the art. This part is designed to have all
people active, involved, and out of their confort zone. At this stage, the rational brain gives
up, and opens a space for a different approach. The nest is ready for creativity to burst
out.
Trust the artist and her process. Participants will all go through a «groan zone», at
different times. This is key, and a very good step toward liberating their creativity.
Reassure them by telling them it is normal they feel discomfort at some stage.

14. And C Then ?
C - Harvesting and activating
This step aims at connecting the dots. With step A and B, we take participants to unusual,
unchartered territories. The last step is a reconnection to their known universe, but with a
different approach and vision to it.
It is then we can generate effective creativity, one that is linked to their daily issues.
The use of De Bono technique, and a facilitation focusing on concrete, tangible objectives
and action planning is paramount.
Consider the use of a professional facilitator for that step, at least for your first
couple of workshops. Reconnecting with tangible facts while keeping creativity at
its max is not an easy task.

15. Ok, great ! But we need tangible elements to
build our workshop : Timing, details, logistics.
Can you elaborate ?
Then let’s look at this step by step, now.

16. A - Knowledge Sharing

17. Here is how it works in details for a typical
workshop:
Length: 1h30’
- Format: a conference
- Facilitator’s profile: a historian, a sociologist or a journalist, depending on your
organisation’s type and/or your industry sector.
To prepare this step «A», you will have to identify a speaker, and then brief her/him on the
type of content you are expecting.
Be very open to her/him: a speaker needs to understand the overall context to be able to
be pertinent.
Organize a meeting with the artist: they need to build a connection between steps «A» and
«B».
Request a paper from the speaker, with her/his intention and overall structure. Ask
the speaker for visuals (images, videos) to make the conference more vivid. Cross-
check their intention with your overall purpose, and make sure it is relevant and in-
line.

18. End of step « A »
Let’s review this step «A»:
•A conference to bring my participants to a shared understanding of the workshop’s topic
•Some preparation time:
• find the speaker,
• brief her/him,
• review speaker’s conference content / structure to match with your purpose
• Organize a meeting between speaker and artist
• Check material and logistics with speaker

19. B – Artist Workshop

20. A little background first :
The artist’s workshop has to be a collective experience.
Step «A» is meant to open minds. Step «B» puts their heart and body (feeling and
sensation) at the center of their attention. We are taking them to a non-rationalized space,
where they will be able to help let go their left-brain.
This step is collective, as the group effects is a catalyser and an accelerator in the
process. it is also a great team-bonding experience. Facilitation at this stage is very light :
feeling of uncomfort, «chaos», «disorder» are expected, because we are taking them to
spaces they are not usual with. A
Make sure they are aware that they will be going through uncomfort - and that it is
normal, expected, and even necessary in the process!

21. Here is how it works in details for a typical
workshop :
Length: 3h30’
•Format: a collective experience
•Workshop’s structure:
• Introduction of the artist and his/her field, connection to the organization’s
purpose), Q&A with participants: 30 min
• Briefing the audience for their upcoming experience: 15 min
• Split audience in smaller groups for experiential workshop : 2 hours
• Group presentation of experience and feedback: 45mn
This is subject to a lot of variations: you may need more time, you may change a lot
the structure - it is to be discussed and detailed with the artist during the
preparation phase

22. End of step « B »
Let’s review this step «B»:
•An experiential workshop to bring the group to leverage intuition and sensations rather
than brain
•Some preparation time:
• find the artist,
• brief her/him,
• review artist’s workshop objectives to match with your purpose
• Organize a meeting between speaker and artist
•Check material and logistics with artist
•Approve deliverables

23. C – Harvesting and activating

24. A key step top have a lasting effect
This step aims at connecting the dots.
With step «A» and «B», you take the participants to unusual, unchartered territories. Step
«C» is a reconnection to their known universe, but with a different approach ans vision to
it.
It is then we can generate effective creativity, one that is linked to their daily issues. The
use of De Bono, together with a facilitation focusing on concrete, tangible objectives and
action planning is paramount.
Ensure you will have sufficient time to cover this step. Sometimes a 1/2 day can be
necessary!

25. Here is how it works in details for a typical
workshop :
Length: between 1h30’ to 3h30’
•Format: a collaborative and interactive workshop
•Workshop’s structure :
• Introduction on workshop objectives: concrete, tangible results expected
(creative solutions, action-plan, tasks-list, etc.) - 15 min
• A De Bono 6-Hat session to generate ideas - 30 min
• A collaborative session to reach tangible deliverable (action plan, tasks-list...)
- 45 min
• Workshop Closing
Always have a proper closing for a workshop: a clear stop is a necessary
disconnection for participants.

26. End of step « C »
Let’s review this step «C» :
•Conencting the dots, bridging the gap... Clearly meant to go «back to normal», but with
new ideas and actions.
•Some preparation time:
• Define your deliverables
• Prepare your 6-Hat session
• Check material and logistics
•Anticipate workshop closing