Think of the last time you truly played - letting go of constraints and experiencing the joy of the moment. How did it feel?

This essence of play isn’t just for children but adults too. It’s about the ability to laugh and not take ourselves too seriously. The science supports this, showing how movement activates the brain's positive neurotransmitters, helping to clear away mental blocks and enhance problem-solving. When used effectively, integrating playful moments into the workplace can revitalise your team's thinking.

We are passionate about Whole Brain® Thinking. It helps people understand their preferred ways and modes of thinking, as well as recognise and appreciate other people's different preferences.

When leaders view work through a Whole Brain® lens, they are more willing to embrace multiple perspectives and different thinking styles. They accept that they have blind spots and commit to continuous learning and growth. Leaders who embrace a growth mindset and are dedicated to their ongoing professional development,  create an environment in which team members feel encouraged to learn and grow. 

It’s no secret that effective leadership is the difference between organisations that succeed and those that get left behind.

Leaders face immense pressure to execute strategies amid constant change. Balancing short-term demands with long-term vision is critical, as they strive to achieve quick results without sacrificing the organisation’s future viability and sustainability.

Michigan State University, a top global research institute, believes that effective leaders share five essential skills: innovation, vision, inner values, inspiration and communication.

“We’ve been developing and coaching leaders for 14 years,” shares Melanie Kiley, Lead Facilitator, Executive Coach and Director of CreateConsulting. "While many leaders excel in innovation and vision and have great inner values, they sometimes value an input of skills and tools to inspire their teams and communicate optimally.”

As PEP Africa embarked on a new strategy in 2023, their inspiring CEO, Bouwer Strydom, recognised the need for a fresh approach. He reached out to CreateConsulting to design and facilitate a dynamic large-group process that would involve the input of every Dynamo (employees).

The result? AfriCafé - a collaborative large group World Café.

Viren Naidu, Chief Information Officer at Hollard Insure, sought our facilitation expertise for a Manco Team Workshop. This session was designed to strengthen the new IT Manco team, elevating their performance to new levels.

CreateConsulting and Altron recently partnered on an extensive leadership development journey, aimed at strengthening the skills and mindsets required for positive, long-term organisational change.

This collaboration featured two programmes: the Create Leaders Academy for 21 managers, and an eight-month journey for 14 senior leaders.

Meaningful conversations are powerful tools for initiating change and enhancing our wellbeing and happiness. Much more than exchanges of words, they have the power to enhance connections and understanding, resolve conflicts, celebrate special moments and shape our perspectives and emotions.

1. Clean Talk for Healthy Teams

Effective teams thrive on open dialogue and aren’t afraid to tackle the hard topics. Just as a team must face challenges for optimal performance, individuals too can benefit from confronting personal hurdles. Yet, mastering tough conversations is an art.

The importance of diversity in innovation is widely acknowledged. Yet, many teams struggle to leverage it to achieve wellbeing, happiness and performance.

The Thinking Environment®, pioneered by Nancy Kline, is  a framework and philosophy that not only values diversity  - or difference as they prefer to term it - but actively nurtures an environment where it can flourish.

In a world that often seems chaotic and challenging, the pursuit of happiness becomes a universal quest. Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X, shares his unique perspective on happiness in his insightful book, "Solve for Happy - Engineer your path to joy."

Gawdat is an engineer and his formulaic approach to happiness goes beyond traditional self-help approaches. It's grounded in logic and practicality, making it accessible to a broad audience. 

Eager to unlock the potential of Whole Brain® Thinking, the McDonald’s senior leadership team for Global Supply Chain - Strategic Sourcing Food, collaborated with CreateConsulting to host a strategic workshop in Chicago. The goal? To leverage cognitive diversity as a strategic advantage.