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better thinking | better communication | better projects

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Eco bottle caps double as Lego blocks. Classic Lateral Thinking in action.

Brazil-based innovative packaging developer Clever Caps offer an environmentally friendly solution to the production of bottle caps – while also adding value to the objects to encourage consumers to re-use them. We like this classic use of Lateral Thinking and Provocation that Edward de Bono would be proud of. Continue reading

Three challenges Managing Projects™ helps to solve:

The frustration of never-ending projects that drag on and drag you down. Stops ‘risk’ from being a chore, making it your best ally for saving time and effort. Avoids the pain and humiliation of failure, by ensuring success. Tips Use … Continue reading

Raise your productivity

By Trish Thurley, Master Trainer Project Management “UK productivity gap widens to worst level since records began – growing gulf means UK workers produce significantly less per hour than G7 average”. The Guardian, Feb 2016. It’s a real concern for … Continue reading

Creativity for graduates

I’m Olivia, you may have read my other blog ‘The graduate: a day in the life’. I was lucky enough to attend two of Edward de Bono’s most popular techniques Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats® and Lateral Thinking™. This … Continue reading

The Graduate: A day in the life

Being a graduate is scary. This year’s cohort of freshly graduated newbies to the workplace are the second year group to leave university lumbered with higher debt than ever, with more pressure than ever to perform and succeed. I am … Continue reading

My Writing Dynamics™ experience

Having recently started at Indigo Training, part of my induction programme was to attend the two-day Writing Dynamics™. I was really excited about the opportunity to develop my professional writing style. Not only was it an insightful learning opportunity, the … Continue reading

My day is just meetings, meetings, meetings…

Does this sound like a familiar problem? Too many of us find ourselves spending many hours a day in meeting after meeting, which all too often fail to reach any sort of positive outcome, even after hours of debate. The … Continue reading

Ready, set, go – does your organisation support projects?

By Trish Thurley, Project Management Master Trainer Virtually anyone in business today will be working on some kind of project, most being initiated by someone more superior to us. They may be large, with multiple colleagues in a project team, … Continue reading

Research: Supporting the management of change

Change is something that we are all experiencing more often. Any kind of project will initiate some kind of change, whether that’s a change to the way you communicate with clients to a restructure of a team. It’s important for … Continue reading

Listen – to be more influential

Experts say the ability to express yourself verbally often reaps influence. There is evidence (Journal of Research in Personality) that being an effective listener is also as important. Effective listening is two-way, it: Prevents miscommunication. Confirms understanding of the message. … Continue reading

Understood and remembered – add structure and IMPACT to everything you say…

‘Brain fog’ – that’s what happens when you get asked a question you know the answer to, where your response is unclear, often a little confused and long! There can be many reasons for this: An intimidating audience (your team, … Continue reading

Reducing project failure… an article for Project Sponsors

Projects are a great way to manage change. But with more and more projects clamouring for the same resources, some are likely to fail. Add increased pace, increasing levels of complexity and ambiguity, and achieving project success becomes extremely difficult. … Continue reading

Project management for non-project managers

Project management, a profession for some – for others, it’s a requirement as well as their day job, no matter what role or level of seniority. As a marketer I manage projects on a daily basis, having never been project … Continue reading

The three P’s of dynamic, persuasive presentations

Public speaking is a top fear for many people. It’s okay to be afraid as long as you try to keep that fear at bay when you give a presentation. Here’s our three P’s of dynamic, persuasive presentations: Plan Probably … Continue reading

Good writing leads…

I had a discussion recently with someone who didn’t think writing was a leadership skill, rather, something to be learned by new hires versus the old hands. I found this interesting. Only recently I’d heard of a senior executive being … Continue reading

Improving how your graduates write

Madison Abernethy recently graduated from the Ivey Business School at Western University in Canada, where she developed strong interests in marketing, media and corporate communications. Throughout University she was plagued by writer’s block. She admits that 95% of her designated writing … Continue reading

Top tips – communicating with difficult stakeholders

Stakeholder management can be a challenge, you often need to juggle between positive and negative groups or individuals. A logical way to build good relationships, especially when communicating with a difficult stakeholder, is by using techniques learnt on our Internationally … Continue reading

Selling your ideas – stakeholder communication

Our blended, computer simulation based, Stakeholder Engagement (including Simulation)™ defines a stakeholder as ‘anyone that can affect what you are trying to achieve.’ Engaging and communicating with these groups is core to business and project success. These include colleagues, customers, … Continue reading

Selling your ideas – cutting though the noise…

Guaranteeing clarity of your message is becoming harder because of increasing disruption and distraction in today’s business environment. You still need to get people to read, see, listen and understand what you are trying to say. How can you be … Continue reading

Will your idea work?

So, ‘innovation is a part of your culture’  and you have accepted that ‘change is inevitable…’ You have set your focus and generated fresh, fast and on-demand ideas, so what next? Do you just pop them in a box somewhere … Continue reading

Where do you do your best thinking?

In the shower… Driving in the car… Lying in bed… Exercising… Gardening… Dancing… We ask this question at our Six Thinking Hats® training sessions. If you are like 95% of people we’ve surveyed… your answer is doing something alone that … Continue reading

Ideas on-demand: fresh ideas, fast = competitive advantage

Our article ‘Is innovation a part of your culture?’ looks at how many organisations want to be innovative or creative, yet the people at the top of the organisation cannot often elaborate on how or if this happens. In this article we … Continue reading

Is innovation a part of your culture?

Many organisations have mission or vision statements that suggest they are an innovative or creative organisation, yet the people at the top of the organisation can often not elaborate on how, or if this happens. Often just putting people in … Continue reading

Change – is inevitable…

Change in business is constant. The 2016 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, in Davos, focused on ‘employment, skills and human capital’. It found that successful organisations need to ensure their employees have the skills to be able to innovate, evaluate … Continue reading

Before starting a project…

We’ve heard from our clients that no matter what the individual’s role, they will have projects to look after. Large or small, simple or complex, these individuals are often not project management qualified. This is presenting a challenge for organisations … Continue reading

A typical day?

By Stephanie Butland – Master Trainer, Six Thinking Hats® You arrive on time at your first meeting, to find that there is a clear focus and an agenda. There are no lengthy anecdotes, no arguments, and none of the jostling … Continue reading

Stand out reports

Do you hate writing reports, yet find you are writing more and more of them? We’ve been working with business professionals to improve their written communication skills for nearly 15 years. By listening to the challenges and objectives of our … Continue reading

Breakthrough in communication DNA

Think on Your Feet International, Inc. have recently announced some interesting findings from the results of their study about how the left- and the right-side of the brain influences communication. The brain is an amazing organ that we still need to … Continue reading

Indigo Update – Autumn 2015

Welcome to our Autumn Indigo Update. There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes here at Indigo. We’ve been listening to your feedback, and over the next few months we’ll be bringing you some more exciting launches and offers – fulfilling our mission to … Continue reading

DO sweat the small stuff – why detail makes all the difference to project success…

Written by Robert Fisher – 10.06.2015 Even if you are not familiar with cycling, you will no doubt know who Sir Bradley Wiggins is, or at least recognise the name. After his success of winning the Tour de France and … Continue reading

Clients take Indigo everywhere.

With 2015 looking like being the busiest in our 14 year history, Indigo has witnessed a major upturn in the number of international workshops we’ve been invited to run. Recent training projects have taken us to Saudi Arabia, Bangalore, New York, Sydney, Singapore (to name just a few) and many cities throughout Europe. But what has been behind this trend? We think there are a couple of fundamental reasons: Continue reading

Calculate the readability of your documents.

Everyone loves a clear and concise document. What’s more, the easier your document is to read, the more likely your message will be understood and actioned. The Fog Index is a simple way you can assess how accessible your writing is. Follow these simple steps to calculate you readability statistics. Continue reading

Dr Edward de Bono’s Top 10 quotes on negativity in meetings

Meetings are hard work and unproductive when colleagues spend most of their time thinking of reasons why something won’t work. Dr Edward de Bono is the world’s leading authority on how to get the best out of people’s thinking. We … Continue reading

Presenting boring facts and figures in an interesting way…

One of our recent Skilled Presenter delegates (thanks John Shaw) saw this pretty impressive way of communicating those dull statistics and sent it to us. Take a few moments to view this and tell me your not impressed with Stockholm… Continue reading

Bridging the Oil & Gas Project Management skills gap

There are other areas where we need to explore new ideas and agree the best way forward, for example in filling positions in disciplines such as design engineering and project management, which are proving the most difficult to fill. Continue reading

Surviving Projects in the Oil & Gas Industry with Stephen Carver

This highly practical, engaging and interactive workshop focuses on the skills and behaviours that make Project Managers and teams highly effective. In adition to the workshop, we are proud to announce Stephen Carver – a globally renowned Project & Programme Management expert – will be streamed live for an interactive Q&A session. Continue reading

Presentation Panic! How to Control Your Nerves

Public speaking is a top fear for many people. It’s okay to be afraid as long as you try to keep that fear at bay when you give a presentation. You can be successful and be remembered by your audience. Here’s how: Continue reading

Love from Indigo – your Valentine gift from us…

With love in the air, and as Valentine’s Day approaches, we at Indigo would  like to share the love by giving you a heart warming 20% off selected open workshops – but only for the next 48 hours. There are 27 open … Continue reading

Did you miss the Skilled Presenter webinar today?

If you missed the Skilled Presenter webinar, or would like to forward it to a friend to listen / watch, simply go to this link: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/430260254 Continue reading

Think on Your Feet: 3 Steps to Success – Top Tip No. 3 – Remember the rule of threes to stay on track.

Our final ‘Top Tip’ is this series looks at when we are subject matter experts and get wrapped up in too much detail. If we are passionate, our emotions override our logic and we ramble. Continue reading

Think on Your Feet: 3 Steps to Success – Tip No.2 – Identify triggers to know how to respond.

In our last blog of this series, (see http://www.indigobusiness.co.uk/blog/?p=1108), we discussed listening skills, to gain understanding before reacting. The example we used was when you are talking to your team about implementing a new process and you hear “Why is this company always making things more complicated”. A good listener will acknowledge that change can be challenging. If spoken with sincerity it will help move the conversation in the right direction. Continue reading

Think On Your Feet: 3 Steps to Success – Tip No.1 – Listen before reacting.

How many times have you been asked a question that causes ‘brain fog’ even if you know the answer? Maybe your audience is intimidating. Perhaps the topic is sensitive or emotional. Suddenly, you find yourself stammering or rambling. And after the damage is done you remember what you should have said. Continue reading

Presentation Tip: Know when to quit!

The Skilled Presenter™ always does at least one dry run to focus on timing. Be willing to remove major sections of your presentation. Ask the following questions: Do my listeners really want to know this? Is it engaging? Is it persuasive? Continue reading