Seminars and Workshops
Through The Creative Organization, we offer seminars and workshops to help you improve your communications, storytelling, marketing and creative skills.
What makes our seminars different is that they they take a uniquely practical approach, informed by knowledge of professionals who are called upon to create and develop stories on a daily basis.
What’s more, each can be tailored to meet your specific needs, and are also available as one-on-one coaching either in-person or online.
Strategic Storytelling
Principles of Efficective Communication
Humans beings communicate through stories.
But what actually constitutes a story? And how do we craft a story that truly engages our audience, whether it’s our colleagues or our customers?
This seminar and workshop explores the art and science of storytelling, drawing upon everything from the lessons of Aristotle to the techniques of Hollywood screenwriters to the corporate and consumer insight films created by Smarter Stortytelling.
The concepts will then be put into practice as attendees create and present their own stories, with special attention paid to structure, forward motion, drama and resolution.
They’ll leave with a better understanding of how to uncover the right story and tell it well in any medium, whether it’s a speech, an essay, a video or a Powerpoint™ presentation.
Learn more here.
What’s Your Point?
Techniques of Efficient Writing
Effective writing is efficient writing, in which every word serves a purpose, and all that is not necessary is cut out.
This has always been the case, whether one was writing a letter, an essay or a novel.
But today it’s more important than ever, as so many of our messages and arguments need to be boiled down to concise presentations, “elevator pitches,” tweets, emails, ads, web pages, tag lines and bullet points.
This seminar and workshop covers the basics of efficient writing, from the efficiencies of proper grammar and syntax, to those gained by correctly structuring an argument, to the benefits of using effective diction.
Attendees will put these basics immediately into practice by analyzing the writing of others, both good
and bad, as well tackling a number of quick writing assignments, from developing a promotional email campaign to summarizing the story of their life in five minutes.
They’ll leave with more confidence in their own verbal capabilities, along with the skills to both analyze and execute effective, results-driven prose.
Learn more here.
Make a Mess/Clean Up Your Mess
Techniques of Creative Problem Solving
To help you and your organization become more innovative and effective, this seminar and workshop introduces managers, marketers and entrepreneurs to the fundamentals of the creative process.
In it, creativity is demystified. Rather than being discussed in terms of inspiration and talent, attendees are shown the practical tools and techniques used by creative professionals to generate innovation on a daily basis.
You’ll be exposed to the “Circle of Creation,” a process in which one alternates repeatedly between “Making a Mess” and “Cleaning up your Mess.”
You’ll also encounter useful concepts such as “The Thinking is in the Doing,” “Thinking within the Box,
and “Either you have One Idea or you have No Idea.”
Moreover, you’ll engage in a number of creative activities which put these concepts into practice.
All in all, attendees will leave with greater confidence in their own creative abilities, and a conceptual framework to put those abilities to immediate use.
Learn more here.
True Enthusiasm is Always Eloquent
Creating and Delivering Authentic Presentations
The power of a presentation comes from the authenticity of the message, the authenticity of the design and, above all, the conviction and authenticity of the presenter.
In this seminar and workshop you’ll learn how to craft, design and deliver presentations in a way that is true to who you are.
Rather than have to fit your ideas and your personality into pre-determined “rules of presenting,” you’ll learn how a presentation can flow from what you actually believe
and feel.
You’ll also learn how you can use visuals and video to give rhythm to your presentation, providing a compelling sense of direction and momentum.
Best of all, you’ll put those ideas into practice by delivering a presentation that will be critiqued not only by other attendees, but by a professional film director. And your presentation will be videotaped for you review.
All in all, you’ll leave with more confidence in your own abilities and your own point-of-view, which will result in presentations of true authentic power.
Learn more here.
What’s the Big Idea?
Principles of Contemporary Branding
Whether it’s branding for your company, your clients or a personal brand for yourself, organizations need to understand the principles that make brands effective today, and the pitfalls to avoid.
In this seminar and workshop, you’ll be introduced to the history of branding, the intellectual and creative techniques to employ when crafting your brand, examples of successful brands and common mistakes to avoid.
And as all brands are now—thanks to the internet—global brands, special emphasis will be placed on idea-driven brand concepts that can cross borders
Attendees will put what they learn immediately into practice, by developing a brand and executing it through a variety of media, from TV spots to websites.
They will leave with a firm grasp of what a brand is, how it works, and how they can successfully create a brand for their organization and themselves.
Learn more here.
I.Q. vs. B.S.
The Power of Critical Thinking
The foundation of every decision we make and every belief we hold, both on the job and off, is our ability to think critically.
No more so than today as we are bombarded by messages and arguments in an environment where constant distractions make it difficult for us to think clearly and make decisions dispassionately.
This seminar and workshop explores the fundamentals of critical thinking. We investigate what critical thinking is and how it’s used, its history, basic logic, modes of arguments, common cognitive mistakes
and the relationship between critical thinking, leadership and creativity.
The seminar will include exercises in which attendees can put what they’ve learned immediately
into practice.
They’ll leave with greater confidence in their own critical thinking skills, the ability to marshal arguments with more precision, skills to analyze the claims of others with greater insight, and overall a more rational and methodical approach to decision-making of all kinds.
Learn more here.
Lead Like An Artist
Lead Like An Artist is a unique leadership training course that approaches leadership as a creative, if not artistic, process.
In a world as dynamic and unpredictable as ours, the skills and approaches taken by artists are often what’s needed by today’s leaders. Skills like being comfortable with uncertainty. Being able to move ahead confidently in ambiguous circumstances.
And above all, developing a a vision and communicating it effectively.
Today’s leaders need to understand the techniques—both intellectual and emotional— by which one arrives at a vision. Just as important, they need the hard and soft skills required to transmit it throughout their organization.
Attendees will put these concepts and techniques immediately into practice through a series of workshop activities.
They’ll leave with a broader understanding of what leadership is, a clearer sense of themselves, and the tools to help move their companies forward.
Learn more here.