A Whole New Mind-Inspired Event: Creating and Collaborating across Universities

[Wharton Learning Lab]

When: Friday, October 9th 2009, Noon – 2:00PM
Where: 3330 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Incubation Station #1 at the Weiss Tech House
University of Pennsylvania Campus
Who: Co-organized by members of Wharton’s Learning Lab and
Penn’s Graduate School of Education
What: Brown bag lunch event inspired by Daniel Pink’s best-selling
book,
A Whole New Mind

"What’s in greatest demand today isn’t analysis but synthesis – seeing
the big picture, crossing boundaries, and being able to combine
disparate pieces into an arresting new whole."
– Dan Pink describing the aptitude of symphony in his bestselling
book, A Whole New Mind

One of the more perplexing issues facing all members of the university
community involves finding an adequate way to collaborate and create
both across departments and across institutions. How do we, as Dan
said, cross boundaries and combine the disparate university pieces
into an arresting new whole?

Using an activity that Dan describes as “real brainstorming” and using
an incubation station on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus, join
us for a brown bag lunch event that will focus on how we can work
collaboratively and creatively with our fellow university colleagues.
You do not need prior knowledge of Daniel Pink or A Whole New Mind to
attend – just a desire to participate in a group thinking session!

•Incubation Station #1: The incubation station is a 180 square foot
room equipped with all of the necessary tools for a real brainstorming
session including wall-to-wall whiteboards and computer advanced
software. The room comfortably accommodates 18 people so be sure to
reserve your spot as soon as possible.

•Real Brainstorming (taken from A Whole New Mind): Effective
brainstorming sessions aren’t random and haphazard. They follow a
particular structure that’s proven to elicit good ideas. To
brainstorm properly, abide by these rules (which are drawn from Tom
Kelley’s excellent book, The Ten Faces of Innovation):
1.Go for Quantity. Good ideas emerge from lots of ideas. Set a
numerical goal – say, a total of one hundred ideas.
2.Encourage Wild Ideas. Extremism is a virtue. The right idea
often flows from what initially seems outlandish.
3.Be visual. Pictures unlock creativity.
4.Defer Judgment. There’s no such thing as a bad idea, so banish
the naysayers. Think creatively first and critically later.
5.One Conversation at a Time. Listen, be polite, and build on
others’ suggestions.

Please register for the event at: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/395843980

We look forward to seeing you soon! Feel free to encourage other
interested members of the university community to attend. Remember
there are only 18 spots available for this event.