Description :

Just as Aikido uses the opponent’s force to defuse a potentially aggressive situation, Creative Aikido does the same. It uses ideas of others and builds upon them.

The key principles of Creative Aikido are:

  1. Accepting not rejecting
  2. Integrating
  3. Build on – be inspired by what you already have
  4. Offer back
Methodology :

In this process, one person starts a story. The next person says ‘Yes, and what I love about that is…’ continuing with ‘And we could also….’ The listener can say “New Shot” if he wants the storyteller to offer a new story line. The storyteller can say “Shift” if they want to pass the story telling to someone else.

Debriefing

The following questions might be useful to ask after the exercise:

 

  • Was it easy/difficult to come up with a story?
  • Was your expectation of the story similar/different to the expectations of your colleagues? 
  • What ideas surprised you the most?
  • How did you feel participating in this type of collaborative task?

 

Source: The Art and Craft of Facilitating Learning Spaces, Kaospilot

Time :
30′
Materials :

No materials needed

Outcomes :

The exercises are mind openers. They show participants that they don’t have to compete with others’ ideas, but rather, build on the ideas of their colleagues.