Deborah Khan -- Creative Inspiration

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Empathy

The first in a series of postings elaborating on those six key themes from “Why do we listen”

Every group, every time. This is the first reaon why people connect.  Tried it with kids, fashion designers, media planners, Head teachers, lawyers et al. I never cease to be amazed. It is always the first theme to emerge. We connect if someone shares a thought, a dilemma, a passion, a query, a situation that has an emotional resonance for us. We all want to connect, to find the sliver of the Venn diagram where this person really understands the complexities of our lives. That our stories are rich, emotional and someone , someewhere holds out a hand to our experience.

  Our thinking is intertwined with our experience and our values. We remember the references to family, to the personal, to a similar sensibility, to their aspirations, to their honesty if these situations mirror ours. Always.

Obvious.  Once we engage on this fundamentally emotional level the connection extends beyond the rational, intellectual. It can be proundly engaging.

What does this mean?  Once people have experienced this they get it. Can we be explicit about how we transfer this into a professional context without looking a tad Oprah-esque? Or Jeremy Kyle if you’re really unlucky.

It is incredible that despite Seth’s seminal Really Bad PowerPoint e-booklet, the majority of presentations and pitches ignore the necessity of emotional engagement. It somehow appears to lack gravitas in the quasi -serious world of corporate and real business.

Well. I will try to illustrate by example.

At RHM Architects I worked with the directors to shape up their pitch for a national RIBA competition. We had previously covered some generic skills so although they understood this as a guiding principle, putting it into practice proved tough. Particularly in a high profile pitch, relatively new outfit. High stakes so of course, they felt less able to take the risk. Invested a huge amount of resources in developing the design for a large social housing project. The stakes were very high. Easiest to revert to default and hope the plans will win them over. But the panel had seen the plans. How could we really exploit the presence of the team? They had to add something more.

Their designs were gorgeous. Despite this The Guardian had not tipped the team to win.  Not good so far. Safe option - unremarkable, erudite pitch with the key focus on plans, the landscape and accompanying thinking.

But bless ‘em, they were prepared to engage in some creative exercises identifying how the panel would be feeling. We realised only a couple were architects. The rest - residents, members of the conservation society and councilors. (Always worth the research about who you are talking to. Personalise it according to what they know, are bothered about and learning styles).The development involved moving people from existing social housing in Suffolk. Sensitive, personal and anxious. This was about people’s lives rather than some ludicrous folly.

What were their concerns?  These young imposters would of course decimate their village. They would have little respect for the history of the community, the sense of collective identity and the practicalities of raising children in small, often cramped housing. Londoners to boot. Imposing their overpriced, style- over -substance nonsense. Wasn't this supposed to be an affordable housing scheme? How possibly could any architect understand that concept? (Sorry- we had to make some assumptions to release our imaginations…)

What did we do?

RHM had found a bit of extraordinary kit to create the bricks for the new buildings from the excavated earth. Not just green but creating Suffolk from Suffolk. One was constructed pronto. It felt like the dad in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Except this time it worked! Funny how easy it is to get excited over a brick… It became the focus for the start of the pitch. Referring back to my post on the power of stuff. Objects are tangible- they were there. This was their village, here in the room. We could see it, feel it.

We also used an exquisite 18^th century map, clearly pointing out the geological conditions that would shape the materials, colors and tones used in the design.

The plans sung but to who? We explored presenting the images from the perspective of how a resident would feel walking into one of these houses. What/who could they see? Did it matter that the landscaping provided a safe environment for outdoor play for kids? That the play area could be viewed from inside the house through expansive windows? That allowed natural light to flood into the homes? What is the impact of a double height atrium? Where could they park their buggy? How does a combined eating and living space improve the quality of family life? Crucially, how had these architects experienced this for themselves? Two of the architects had designed and built their own homes with very limited budgets. What could we learn from how they had chosen to live? Did it work? They had lived this stuff. It wasn’t empty rhetoric.

Vitally RHM had made a conscious decision to concentrate on housing. This was not a stepping stone to some high profile public building that would win awards and of course, illuminate their design credentials. No. Their work would potentially have a greater legacy as they were solely committed to improving the quality of people’s lives. Proving quality, cool, ecologically sound housing isn't exclusive to a wealthy minority.

You can guess the happy ending. I did lead you to it. Sorry. They won, beating six other excellent designs. Thrilled for them. It was a testimony not just to their superlative design skills (no silk purse stuff here, thankfully) but to their trust in the power of empathy to connect and engage their audience. Take a look at  the press release.

Take a look at the project here. It is called three gardens. It's up and away.

To clarify. I am not an architect. Their designs deserve the credit. I simply steered them to use empathy to connect with our worst nightmare- a panel of judges.

 

 

Go on, have a sing. You know you want to.

Collective expression has to be good thing.

You have to applaud the sprit and sheer chutzpah of Sing London. Not entirely sure whose baby this is as it appears to be a cross organisation special. Whatever, whoever dreamed these up should take a bow. 10 days of events right across the city, all with the objective of getting as many people singing as possible.

It cannot fail to be mad, fun and uplifting. What’s not to like? All ends in an en mass sing-athon at the fantastically rejuvenated Southank Centre on July 8^th.

The thought of strangers joining together lifts the soul. Singing is exposing, a bit scary I know but we rarely have an opportunity to participate in such a blatantly sensual activity en mass anymore. Got to be positive for our collective psyche. Non-judgmental, honest belting out. Miles away from the frighteningly watchable, addictive but often nakedly ambitious world of search for a star type Saturday night TV shows. These shows have definitely raised the profile of singing. Occasionally the accompanying steely gleam of fame and desperation can obscure the tone and beauty of the voice.  What lingers are Simon Cowell's brutally honest, witty put downs...

No-one will be bothered here as everyone will be far to pre-occupied with how they sound themselves. Enjoying and participating in a memorable spectacle.

Check the site out for an event near you. I think it will be impossible to resist the chorus of the Royal Opera holding your hand through Puccini’s Tosca at CanaryWharf on July 3^rd. Afterwards  one of ROH’s glorious live relays direct from the house. If you haven’t managed to catch these, go, go, go, go (Joseph).

We are lucky enough to enjoy a screen opposite our house in Victoria Park. Just one way ROH are engaging  with a national audience. Also demystifying and animating an oft perceived exclusive and distinctly elitist art form.

I managed to blag Opera directing without being able to sing. The lovely composers and librettists I had the fortune to work with encouraged everyone to sing with such skill, I don't think anyone ever regretted having a go. People always smile.

 

Just one thought

Okay. Let’s just say admit he always nails it. This inspirational, succinct post about posting by Seth Godin, delivered with aplomb, reminds me to state the obvious. As ever.

I always reference/recommend blogs in my workshops. Did today. They have rejuvenated my reading. They are accessible, pacy and akin to emails in convenience. They have sign-posted outstanding resources and developed ideas exponentially. Far, far quicker then previous methods of communication of ideas.

They are fun, addictive, enthusiastic and interesting. I have learned loads. And met some great creative people offline.

Still many of my clients continue to dismiss them as insular nonsense, appealing to a narrow demographic. Are we bothered?

All I can add to Seth is that if I, as a working mother of two small children with a pretty full-on social life, can manage to post (occasionally), anyone can.

One question. Abstract. If no-one reads your blog, how are you defining audience and shaping your thoughts? A bit John Berger, I know, but if art needs an audience, do blogs require a reader?

It is still about people. The feedback and interaction will always encouarge us to make just that one post.

Why do we listen?(or six key themes)

Or more pertinently, why do we remember. The title of my gig at Interesting 2007 was presumptuous. My intention was to not be prescriptive but to share a bit of what I have learned working as a director, corporate workshop leader and coach.

I wanted to model how I like to work- facilitating experiential learning. I am certain that the majority of people learn most effectively through experience. What I do is deconstruct models, theory and re-present it in a practical, hopefully more creative and engaging way. Stick to what you know, always. I tried to be true to myself. The audience yesterday would be hearing a lot of fantastic speakers. I wanted to shift the dynamic and involve them, encourage  them to speak and hopefully explore why they listen though a real experience. Rather than the often misty eyed nostalgia of “I listen when…”

I wanted to try something ridiculously ambitious with an audience of 300. High risk, high reward. I wanted everyone to draw, share their images with a partner and then recall what had stayed with them from what they had heard. Minus qualification or explanation. Oh and I needed to warm them up with an exercise that democratised drawing.

Phew.

Think I pulled it off . Can't pretend I wasn't terrified. The fantastically game audience all channeled their inner Rolf Harris by drawing at speed. I was, as well, trying to move them into immediate right brain directed territory, avoiding  the creative constipation that often appears when we begin to listen to our inner critic and judge our work too much.

How we connect to an audience is a central issue for any director. And disconnect. It is the eternal dilemma for live performance related art forms. 

I wanted to try to see that even in this crude and simplistic version of a far longer exercise, the same themes would emerge.

The things we remember tend to fall into the same categories again and again. Irrespective of audience, situation or context. Every time. They are:

• Empathy. Emotional resonance. Material that connects on a fundamental, engaging level. We participate in their dilemma.

• Humour. Always memorable. Real humour as opposed to token gags. It can diffuse, release,  highlight and humanise in an extraordinarily powerful way when done well.

• Unexpected. Can be data, statistics, information, references, perspectives. Anything that avoids the formula of what they were expecting

• Challenge. Stretches and extends our thinking. In some form.

• Image. Really is worth 10,000 words. Stunning images yesterday that really did augment, not be, the presentations. They take us into complex, rich, emotional territories where words can often be a barrier.

• Delivery “If it matters to you, it matters to them” Patsy Rodenburg, Head of Voice at The National Theater. Our voice is an external reflection of our internal state. Our inflection, pace, intonation, tone and pitch change in a subtle but important way. We hear it as an audience. Those words and phrases leap out and grab us. We also hear it when they don’t care.

The challenge now is to try and remember these themes when we are shaping content. It's all about connections.

Interesting 2007

Honoured to speak at the brilliant Interesting 2007, an event was organised by King of the Plannersphere, Russell Davies.

Russell epitomises a creative leader. Warm, curious, enthusiastic and smart, any event organised by him was bound to be worth attending. I love the rationale of defining what he found interesting to be the sole content of an eclectic, informal, Saturday- in -the -city style event.

Still buzzing with the quality, diversity and creativity of the speakers. We were still gripped after 7 hours. The media is already streaming in, (inevitably given the number of bloggers, twitterers, Flickrs blah blah in the audience) capturing the essence of the event far, far better then words ever could. A few scary shots of me perched on the edge of the stage but do have a look- the detail, fun and creativity of the event just glows.

My highlights?

Yorkshire biscuits. Grant as a fantastically compelling rambler.  Beeker’s Ibsen riff,  Ann as the embodiment of niceness, the tsunami of support for Russell, Matt’s Pacino impersonation (worryingly good), Richard’s humour and honesty as a TV producer, bunting, We are what we do, Scritti Politti- hooray-, (more Glen Campbell, please) FunkyPancake, Northern Planner’s brilliant swimming metaphor, Tom’s knots, everyone smiling  and tripping over themselves to help, the lack of English diffidence, cute technical support, the directive to not complain...

Unfair as it is missing out so, so much.

Offline stuff that starts to capture and share the highlights that exist online. Properly.Congratulations Russell. I hope you are very proud.

Those really nice people at Innocent really are nice

“People have said some very nice things about us”

I bet they have. So here’s a bit more. I’m sure will be lost in the waves of quirky, warm comments that appear to hit those very nice people at Innocent on a daily basis. I remained cynical, particularly from such a spectacularly successful brand (they have to know exactly what they are doing) run by an ex ad man

Innocent’s Richard Reed kicked off the Young Entrepreneurs competition at Roehampton University last Friday. I was shot after leading a three day residential course but this turned out to be one of those days that remind you how lucky you are to do what you do.

Excellent event organised brilliantly by the university, trying to define what is and how can I be an entrepreneur. Practical too, culminating in a competition responding to a creative brief. The kids loved it, exceeding expectations with some great ideas for genuinely innovative products.

Richard’s opening presentation was pitch perfect. Not just a coup. More pertinently, a consummate delivery of persuading an audience to adopt your point of view. Richard put every ounce of his being into encouraging several hundred teenagers to make the most of opportunities  A poignant and passionate challenge to engage with and change this amazing world for the better.

Beyond such vital, slightly idealistic rhetoric lay specific strategies that had everyone of us in the audience gripped.  All gold dust for my sessions with the students on how to present. What did he do? Well…

He personalised. The slides related to this audience, today. No money it for him and sure, I do not doubt they were on file. Devil is in the detail, always, and little touches like ” prepared for the the nice young entrepreneurs at Roehampton” resonated with us. And their brand, obviously. He used story- the story of the product, his journey as a (slightly disturbingly savvy) 4 year old entrepreneur. He humanised and contextualised all of his thinking in the stories of the three original partners. He made us laugh. The slides were simple, creative, direct and ruthlessly edited. He urged social action, defining entrepreneurialism beyond the Sugar-esque money grabbing clichés.  He encouraged teenagers to seek and seize opportunities, relating personal and professional values to wider initiatives – Peace One Day a pertinent example.  With of course the obligatory Angelina Jolie Reference.

He cared that we cared.

Unquestionably formative stuff for the audience. Extraordinary how many of the students could deconstruct how and why he was effective.

Richard was joined by Eleanor Ford from Likecube. A different perspective- a start-up but again the enthusiasm Eleanor oozed was infectious. Fascinating web based product too- less tangible than  smoothies sure but I bet lots of the audience have logged on since.

I care deeply about both of these products.So did all of us. Big lessons.They did this for free, motivated by a sense that they want to make a difference.

Altruism is always worth it.

Believe the hype. Sometimes brands do deserve their reputation.

 

Always worth reading

Said it before  and I will say it again. He is always worth reading. Blatantly pimping a client but when they write as well as this it feels a pleasure.

Read Matthew d'Ancona's Reading Aloud post in the increasingly excellent Coffee House blog. It is my post of the week - I think I read a fair few to make such a bold claim.

A synopsis would be an injustice.  Describes what was clearly a great night.Vital cause of Darfur and Chad supported by Pass On a Poem. Poetry, football, performance, creativity, ex-Blur's Alex James, Fiona Shaw's feet and one of my favourites, Steven Berkoff. It's all in there.

Well crafted. Atmospheric. Informative. Great.

A threefer

Anyone who has stumbled across this blog will surely be familiar with stunningly well designed Presentation Zen. Garr was one of the first people to encourage me with my blog. His comments were very well appreciated and validate this post. I would utterly endorse his description as a mensch. Yiddish for good bloke, apparently.

Three blogging superstars in one hit feels good value indeed.Tags and references to Seth and Dan by Garr has to be a one stop shop for anyone wanting to know what exemplar blogs look like.

I was intrigued at how Dan Pink communicates in front of an audience. Like Garr,  Dan Pink’s A whole New Mind was my book of the year. I’m almost worryingly evangelical about it.

Always fascinating if those who write well can cut it as a speaker and a presenter. They are two distinct states of consciousness. They use both different skills and cognitive processes 

Hence my advice to clients- never read from your own writing as a presenter. We do not speak as we write. Laurence Olivier was one of the few peole who could animate a piece of text. Most of us can't.

Dan sounds like he has the rare ability to emotionally engage in both mediums.

Threefer- the price of one by the way.

Creative leadership- define please, if you can.

Just discovered Darren Rowses' excellent pro blogger. Useful and makes money. Respect, Darren. Thanks Mark. Again.

Trying to nail the attitudes of creative people is tough and this great post was a catalyst to some thinking I have had on a very slow burn. Interesting to see how much my views connect with Darren. Just the language differs. I particularly love Darren's Constructive Discontent descriptor and Flexible Imagination. I think we all have and can still achieve glimpses of those feelings ourselves but a minor discussion point, I feel.

Fascinated at the complexities surrounding the definitions of creative people. I am never sure how useful definitions are. Obviously they inform and provide frameworks but what interests me is how much direction they provide in developing these qualities and behaviours in ourselves.

I have been grappling with this for a while. I run a course “Creative Leadership”. I’m not happy with the title. But gets them in there- we have been over-subscribed for all of the courses for the last two years. And as I design and deliver it, I'm extremely happy that something is working.

Problem for me is that the title feels reductive. Are you a creative leader as opposed to an influential leader or inspirational leader or whatever the fashionable term is this week?

What I’m interested in is how your creative thinking skills and behaviours support you as a leader. How by understanding how to realise your own creative potential, you can learn how to realise the creative potential of those you lead. This appears to be a core challenge for every leader.

Leadership is a complex issue. Notoriously well documented in the myriad of books, training courses, TV programmes, it is a highly complex series of behaviours that are accumulated over a long period of time with support, reflection and commitment to self development.

This does not imply you cannot be an effective leader if you are young. Far from it. It does mean that the process of self-development is on going.

My core challenge has been to identify how a creative leader behaves and communicate? What is the potential impact and influence of these behaviours?

Chris Bilton’s Management and Creativity is top of my "work" pile of reading at the moment. It provides a comprehensive overview of how we can learn from the structures and processes within the creative industries. It’s an excellent analysis of a subject that is so fraught with misconception, is so widely appropriated (who doesn’t think they are a creative organisation?) and so overly used and abused.

I am co-authoring a publication now. More on that soon. Where am I now in terms of some of the qualities of Creative Leaders?

Not definitive. Still very much a work in progress. Combination of what I have experienced in a diverse range of organisations, private and public sector, ages, situations, highly profitable and not for profit. Plus loads of stuff I have read about and tried to capture.

Creative leaders:

• Personalise. They use a variety of  techniques to tap into and realise the creative potential of those they lead to help add value to their organisation
• Identify potential. They have the imagination to spot what people could achieve and realize- they identify as well as realise where someone could be as opposed to where they are now
• Energise. They generate and inspire atmospheres that are tangible. There is a sense of the possible, there is real shift in mood and energy when we are working on the art of what could be. It is a fusion of the intellectual, emotional and physical. We feel sense and know it is happening. They know they need to keep the ball in the air. Lack of motivation kills creativity, dead.
• Use story. They humanise and contextualise everything. They know that we process the world through stories. Our lives are stories. We need to find stories that effect emotional engagement with all of those we lead. Creative leaders create a vision, articulate it through a range of stories and know  how this is somewhere their followers will want to go to. Their stories  offer a call to arms and inspire action rather than an audience marveling at their rhetoric.
• Use stimuli from a wide and diverse range of sources.   They are fascinated by and interested in a range of subjects. They know that everything they read, experience, listen to and see will one day be of value in the complex cognitive processes of our brain.  Creativity is about connecting seemingly disconnected pieces of information to generate original responses that are of value.
• Navigate between the four stages of the creative process. Understand when to direct, evaluate, make decisions and when to be open to non-judgmental, free flowing, right brain directed germinal   thinking. When to be in left brain mode and when to switch to right brain mode. They know how to challenge, listen, facilitate and direct. They understand where ideas come from, how to grow ideas, how to select, refine and how we learn from realising an idea
• Value Play - as learning, intelligence, fun, energising, a release, a contribution, as exploration...
• Practise non-judgemental behaviour. Judgement short circuits the creative process. They don't mind the inevitable grey areas of confusion that are normal within the development of any idea.  They allows for vague, half formed ideas and possibilities to grow. They see all ideas as      potential.
• Value diversity, contradictions and complexities. (Bilton, 2007)
• See problems as normal. They find challenge  invigorating, obstacles stimulating and they enjoy, rather than are overwhelmed,  by challenge. Darren's term of acceptable is very appropriate here.
• Value right brain directed thinking  skills.    As of vital importance if we are to flourish and grow in the 21st Century.  They understand these thinking skills are as vital as left brain directed      skills within the full cycle of the creative process. They know when when to shift their thinking and how to direct the thinking skills of others. Bilton's description of creativity existing at the edge of the box is so apt.
• Know boundaries and constraints are necessary and can release, rather than inhibit, ideas.
• Lack ego. They know that ideas are tied to ego. Ownership of ideas limits our potential. Creative leaders receive ideas as if they were their own. The more we give out, the more we get back. Ideas come from an infinite number of sources and people. We need to be open to accepting and receiving them. And find ways of capturing these, formally and informally.
• Are not trapped by dogma. They do not live with the results of other peoples thinking. They want to know how to make this organisation, department, project or whatever remarkable. They do not allow it to stand still but are not addicted to change for change sake- it is always about the good of the organisation. They understand that new ideas can amplify, extend and support existing thinking, rather than supersede it.
• Permit a culture where failure is accepted, learned from and moved on. They allow risk. Very, very hard, I know
• Understand the major obstacles to creativity. And do something about it
• Look for rich, not big ideas.
• Like and value, recruit and retain creative people. Dead tough, this one as they understand that the needs and motivations of creative professionals can differ from the motivations (financial etc) of others
• Value creativity. Obvious but essential. I have yet to meet a leader who does not recognise how   vital creative thinking and behaviours are to the health, development and success of their organisation The problem is for many of them is that it simply isn’t top of their priorities right now.

That’s all for now.

Very much a work-in progress. Most of all, quite easy to say. Tough to do

The art of football

Tenuous, as ever, link to the previous post. Just a nice story to hopefully shatter lots of preconceptions.

I am often asked about how and why I worked in Opera. I always tell them because I was asked. More pertinently, by someone who I immediately recognised as a deeply considered, hilarious, supportive, thoughtful, truly creative bloke called Paul. With slight Jarvis Cocker aspirations to boot.

I hope this story challenges one of the many thorns in my side.That is  how certain "creative"€ types are often perceived as taking the moral high ground. As being unapproachable. About serving the needs of their art above all else. About suffering from a sense of humour failure.Those myths are bowel shatteringly inaccurate.

Paul Reeve, Director of Education at The Royal Opera House, sent me this story in response to my Fame At Last post about Interesting 2007, where I am speaking.

The story is just too good to keep to myself.

I've played the City of Varietiestoo!  Simon may appreciate the story of when I was due to do a Saturday matinee there.  Another actor with a football passion and myself realised that the House was going to be woefully thin.  We'd got wind the previous evening that, unless business picked up on the door, the show might get cancelled.  Since Leeds were playing at home that same afternoon, we were rooting for the cancellation.  We carefully picked up any production flyers we saw on our travels round the city and disposed of them, lest someone should pick one up and feel the urge to book for the matinee.  We did debate hanging round the box office and telling people the show was crap, but felt that might be rather disloyal.  Despite the fact that we were in the opening scene, we didn't don any make-up or costume, ordered a cab to wait at Stage Door and prayed.  The announcement that we were cancelled came at 2.25 (5 minutes before curtain up); we were in Elland Road by 2.45.