The Thought Generator is a toolkit and workshop approach for facilitating meetings and strategy implementation. It provides templates to guide teams in asking the right questions, gathering information, mapping ideas, and developing action plans to address issues. The one-to-two day workshops teach facilitation skills and encourage participation to improve decision making and outcomes. Teams practice facilitation techniques using real examples and feedback to build confidence applying the Thought Generator approach in their work.

1. Introducing …
Thought
Generator
Facilitation
for
Meetings
&
Workshops

2. Think
it
Plan
it
Share
it
Do
it
The Thought Generator means…
Teams and champions in companies who work with strategy implementation
use the Thought Generator to learn to facilitate and participate during their own
workshops/meetings, using the Thought Generator toolkit with templates
Monitor
it
Learn from
it

3. Ask Gather
Map Present
 Asking the right questions
 Gathering the information
 Mapping ( displaying) the information
 Presenting the information
 Recording the information
… all leading to better decisions and
actions
Record
The purpose of the one - two day workshop is to
stimulate learning …and skills development in …

4. Use people’s time more productively
Focus on action
Stationary is flexible
Involves the entire team
Why use the Thought Generator for meetings and workshops …

6. The Thought Generator includes …
Encourage teams to engage,
participate and co-create solutions
Discussion guidelines
Visually display and mapping the thinking
process
Delivered by experienced facilitators
Confidence through skills
The Thought Generator kit
Menu of templates
Workshop facilitation

7. The Thought Generator templates
Purpose driven templates
 Solution Generator
 Gap Analysis Generator
 Options Generator
 Process Generator
 Action Generator
 Customer needs analysis Generator
 Business Case Generator
Think
it
Plan
it
Tell
it
Do
it
Monitor
it
Learn from
it

8. What is the issue?
Who are the best 2 – 3 people
to solve this problem ?
What end result do we want ?
Translate agenda into questions …what
do we need to ask about this issue?
Next steps?
Date….time…
Location to present this
solution?
Select template …
• Gap analysis generator
• Process generator
Create and agenda … what do
we need to know about issue?
Solution generator
Example of a template

9. Example of a Template :
Partnerships: Stakeholder Map
Step 1 : Identify the actors and assign to group (stakeholders)
Step 2 : Assign actors to one of the three sectors
Step 3 : Insert the actors, using the circles and use V for veto player
Position individual actors against the background
Position actors whom have a relationship close to each other
Step 4: Show the relationships between the actors, using the graphic
symbols below.

10. Using the Thought Generator for meetings and workshops ….
Involves the entire team
Encourages buy-in to decisions
Builds facilitation capacity
Stimulates action
Think
it
Plan
it
Tell
it
Do
it
Monitor
Learn

11. The process creates a
safe environment for
everyone to learn and
practice facilitation
skills

12. Thought Generator stationary
Easy to
transport
Thought
Generator,
which folds
up to the
size of a
flipchart

13.  Teams learning to facilitate their own meetings
 Practical experience with different templates
 Practice in presenting their case, solutions and
recommendations
 Learning, using real examples and action learning
 Applying the Thought Generator learning in their working
environment
Action learning –

14. The Thought Generator role in Strategic Process
process
content
Strategic Planning
Participlan Workshop with
Executive Leaders
Strategic Plan
Detailed plan including
key objectives and action
plan
Monitoring
Dashboard:
develop roll-out
schedule and
monitoring system
Capacity Building
cascade plans to business
unit through small group
facilitation and training
Feedback
business units feedback into
the strategic planning
process
Customized
workshops
customer focus groups /
stakeholder mapping / key
clients
process
process
Implementation
implementation and planning
workshops with champions and
teams
process

15. Transforming strategic thinking
into results …..
Thinkplan in partnership with Participlan –
View the U-tube videos demonstrating the Thought Generator
www.participlan.co.za – Participlan – Peter Thomas
Contact us:
Estelle Gautier
+27 833769887 | egautier@thinkplan.co.za
egautier@mweb.co.za |
www.thinkplan.co.za