The Generative Capacity of Dreams

THE GENERATIVE CAPACITY OF DREAMS
Connecting Strenghts in creating
connecting Dreams

Workshop – 26th April, WAIC 2012
Lou Van Beirendonck
Ann Bayart

Topic

© Quintessence Consulting

Inspiring, generative and creative
Dreams


Key questions

• How can we truly be facilitators of
generative, creative and connecting
dreams?

• What can we do, as facilitators, to increase
the willingness to think and dream outside
current limits?

• How to increase attunement?


What do we already know?

• The topic choice: relevant and challenging

• Creating a feeling of meaningfulness and trust
• The groups represented in the room
• Highly qualitative questions
• The length and the quality of the discovery
phase: Focus on ‘What’s working here?’ and the
experience of a constructive collaboration, …
• Expert input
• Brainstorm guidelines
• …

Discovery

Mining for the gold.

Discovery : What works?

Look back and remember one or more dream

phases you’ve had, either as a participant or as a
Facilitator.
Think about an intervention, a moment, a tool that
stands out as a high point of craftsmanship: what
was used, said or done to create creative dreams
and ideas outside the box?
• What happened?
• What did the facilitator do?
• What makes this a highpoint experience?


Dream


Guide Lines for Brainstorming

• Encourage “Wild Ideas”
• Building on the Ideas of Others © Quintessence Consulting

• Combine and improve
• Be visual
• No “but’s”, only “ ands”
• Go for quantity – aim for as many new
ideas as possible
• Stay focused on the topic – keep the
discussion on the target
• One conversation at the time – no
interrupting – no rudeness
• No criticism
• Have fun!


Roles in the Dream Phase

• Brainstorm facilitator : upholding the brainstorm

rules

• Recorder

• Timekeeper

• …


A warming up excercise

Some imaginary questions: © Quintessence Consulting

• how to light a house with a single light bulb?
• how to improve your travel from home to work ?
• inventing a new game for the Olympics ?
• how to improve institutional food without
increasing its cost ?


A warming up excercise


Imagine being cast ashore on a desert
island, nude and with nothing but a belt.

What can be done with the belt?

Dream

Imagine that we’ve developed our craftsmanship

in order to help people to increase connectivity
and creativity in the dream phase. What do we, as
facilitators do to make sure that
• dreams and aspirations are created,
• people are willing to think outside the box
• people feel connected in dreaming about the
future?
What language, tools and interventions do we
use?

Dream : results of the workshop ( part 1)

• Slow down, allow silence, create comfort zones

for the participants
• Use Aikido exercises ( Yes, you can!)
• Encourage others to look at the topic with an
appreciative eye ( appreciative refraiming)
• Ask questions about possibilities
• Imagine that something that was not possible
had happened
• Pep up the group – move, dance
• Use music ( classic, up beat,…)
• Do breathing exercises
• Make sure the room has day light and coffee!



• Foresee room and extra time for introverted © Quintessence Consulting

people
• Mindful meditation ( brain body connections)
• Use different techniques to create the dreams :
talk, act, mind map, improvisation techniques,
make stories about the future,…
• Use different tools during the progress and let
people choose amongst these different tools
• Create “ My Bestseller” : for individual
development , for increasing self-esteem issues
• Be enthusiastic as facilitator
• Invite the one who is in charge to make first
steps


• Listen to the group dialogues and follow the
rhythm of the group as a facilitator
• “force” people to look for other words then they
normally use
• Get out of tradition ways of communication
• Accept that not every one want to join us
• Neurotansmitting ( read people minds and
make connections)
• Make reflections on your ow opinions about
dreaming as facilitator
• Use eye openers to invite people to think outside
the box




• Start with small groups to increase the comfort
zone
• Make connection with childhood ( toys, plays, )
& connect to present and future
• Use Lego : how to use strengths in the future ;
using the blocks to create words ; make and
think!
• Use humor, positive and inviting language
• Use window staring
• Use the nature/horses
• Use colors




• Meditation/visualization
• Create a wall of wonder
• Bring the context into the room
• Emphasis on meaning
• Relate to what we already have ( success,
talent,s…)
• Make the dreams personal
• Show trust in people
• Use role models ( f.e. Kennedy)



• Use a dream-catcher ( with objects, words,
pictures) > Mobile
• Surprise people
• Take them out of their daily context
• Drawing : explain the method; tag-cloud
• Acting out the metaphor
• Stimulate informal interactions & play
• Acknowledge people in their barriers
/resistance/views


The Generative Capacity of Dreams

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