This is the page for Colin Pinks.

It provides a

User profile - background, experience and interests
Sandbox - a prep for code before dropping into other pages.

Profile

Summary for Public Use

Colin Pinks MBA, BSc (Hons)

"Managing technology and organisational change projects for 20 years, I noticed 3 areas which led to work going badly wrong: Problem Definition, Team Dynamics and Personal Communication. It frustrated the pants off me, so these are the areas I focus on."

A facilitator, an experiential educator, an organisational consultant and improvisational actor. Delivering experiential workshops, programmes and events.

Blending different disciplines to build better ways of working: science, theatre, sport, nature, technology, medicine, psychology, improvisation and art. Cross-fertilising ideas, building new connections and exploring the space in-between.

Exploring areas such as Complexity, Collaboration, Improvisation and helping others get a clearer idea of what is going on.

The 'Art of Noticing' is an ongoing project that attempts to bring these ideas together, from better self-management and greater group collaboration, through to improving organisation adaptability and cultural cohesion.

Colin is active in several communities, including Cynefin, the Applied Improvisation Network and Liminal.

He has spoken at TEDx, sharing ideas on the benefits of Applied Improvisation in a fast-changing world.

Background

Managing technology and organisational change projects for 20 years, I noticed 3 areas which led to work going badly wrong: Problem Definition, Team Dynamics and Personal Communication.
It frustrated the pants off me, so these are the areas I focus on.

I do this through cross-fertilising ideas, building new connections and exploring the space in-between.
Blending different disciplines to build better ways of working: science, theatre, sport, nature, technology, medicine, psychology, improvisation and art.

Problem Definition: by not spending time and effort shaping the problem well, we build poor solutions
=> where are we, what’s the current situation, where do we want to go, what isn’t working

Team Dynamics: we don’t invest in the dynamics of relationships, so in times of stress they break down
=> how we can work together more effectively, are we speaking the same language

Personal Communication: misunderstanding, talking at others and too many assumptions leads to a poor exchange of ideas, wasted resources and disengagement
=> being clear, stories rather than statements, noticing more

Roles

Facilitator / Experiential educator / Project manager / Business consultant / Improviser and actor
Mentor and consultant delivering support for charities, via the Cranfield Trust.
Advisor to Bethel Neurotech, delivering a new haptic wearable to counter anxiety.
Formerly MD of Bounce UK, establishing a new food brand.
Formerly Chair and Trustee for Leeds Counselling.

Delivery

Workshops - Art of Noticing / StoryTelling / Collaboration / Communication / Group Dynamics / Presentation / Resilience
Facilitation - Exploratory and collaborative events, embracing complexity - Problem space definition, Decision making, Community research, Organisational Design, Open space
Development Programmes - Design and delivery of Leadership and Management Development.
Project Management - Technology / Business / Org Change / Events
Experiential - Event design / Strategic content design / Roleplay

Clients

Private - Celgene (BMS), Janssen (J&J), Novartis, npower, Danone, HBOS, Barclays, Bradford and Bingley
Public - HMRC, DWP, NHS, Leeds Council
NFP - ATT, Cranfield Trust, CMV Action, Grow to School, Leeds Counselling

Current Projects

Art of Noticing - looking at where we place our attention, to use our energy and focus more effectively, ranging from self through to organisational leadership.
Community Engagement in Buckinghamshire - research of BAME community to understand lack of engagement in wellbeing services, using Sensemaker and Warm Data.

Interests

Complexity and Adaptability
Self-Management, Collaboration and Cohesion
Using patterns from Theatre, Nature, Improvisation, Sport to inform the way we do things in organisations and society

Communities

Applied Improvisation Network - Contribute to ongoing support and speak at global conferences
Liminal network - Contribute to the weareliminal innovation community
Cynefin - Contribute to the wiki, supporting the EU Field Guide
Warm Data -

Speaking

TEDx (2018) - How making stuff up can help you flourish in a fast-changing world
AINx (2019) - How Applied Improvisation could change the world
BettaKulcha (2013) - Don’t let your monkey hold you back from being brilliant

Education and Training

BSc - Computer Science and Psychology (Hons) - Leeds 92
MBA - Cranfield 03
Facilitating Creative Collaboration - Artgym (AoF - Level 2)
Prince 2, MSP - APMG

Performance Training

Improv - Spontaneity Shop, Maydays, Box of Frogs
Meisner technique - Scott Williams, Impulse Company
Self with Others - Building ensemble to improvise dance and movement - John Britton
Commedia d’arte - Didi Hopkins

Performance

Improvisation: Monkeyheads - Twoprov team - Spontaneous and surreal sessions
Scripted Stage: Shakespeare in the Park - Saltaire 2014, 2016, 2017
Scripted Stage: Duets, A Slight Ache - The Carridgeworks, Leeds
Scripted Film: - Black Dog

Social

Cycling, Hiking, Hockey, Golf, Tennis, Sailing
Photography
Singing - a singer in a covers band

Links

Linkedin: Colin Pinks
Instagram: Colin Pinks
Twitter: Colin Pinks

Sandbox Area Starts Here

Building area before dropping into live page

Signature Test

ColinPinks ^TALK

Entangled Trios

What is a Trio
What is Entanglement

A group of 3 people, from differing perspectives, purposefully brought together to discuss an issue. They are , brought together For example, a Child, a Parent and a Teacher. They all have something to come together for, education. Yet they also bring a different context to the conversation, leading to more diverse exploration.

From Field Guide... "Triads are groups of three people from radically different backgrounds with no prior interaction. They are kept together by purpose and by well crafted choreographies which ritualise the exchange of knowledge and create trans-disciplinary possibilities. Harvesting templates catalyse the creation of actionable knowledge."

a. Social network stimulation - Connections by working together

b. Manage the entanglement - Influence network growth

c. Trio

Groups of 3, to discuss topics

Used to examine the linkages rather than things

Building capability before need

Assemble things in new combinations

Coherent and/or scalable

An architecture for organsational design

Connect informal with formal network

IT Expert - Apprentice - User who has been trained to speak to IT Child - Parent - Teacher

Pairs Creates polarity

Trios Provides

Weal Signal Detection - If something starts to go wrong, then it is easier to identify

Refs

Managing complexity (and chaos) in times of crisis. A field guide for decision makers inspired by the Cynefin framework, Febuary 2021]

Blog Posts

Mycorrhiza & scaffolding 2 of 2, December 12, 2020 ]

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2. Triopticon - Workflow - [Complete - Added to page]

Triopticon: Workflow

STAGE INSTRUCTION	ILLUSTRATION
Prologue: there is a gathering and introduction to the proceedings and set the scene.
Act one, scene one: the three Eagles sit in a circle with the Raven Groups surrounding them and one of the Eagles presents their perspective on the subject and the other two Eagles act as respondents (normally 40 minutes for Eagle❶ and ten minutes each for Eagle❷ and Eagle❸). The Eagle Facilitator manages some interaction with and between the Eagles to complete the session. The Ravens are silent, listening, and taking notes. Act one, scene two: the Raven groups move out of the main space and are given time to discuss what they have heard, record learning, ideas, and questions on physical or virtual forms. They nominate themselves to be Raven❶, Raven❷ & Raven❸. During this time the Eagles and the Eagle facilitator act as a Raven Group but will have no rights or presentation in scene three. Act one, scene three: all the Raven❶ people from each group sit in a circle with the rest of the Ravens behind them (generally wedge formations work) and with the Eagles on one side. They discuss what they learned, their own ideas and thoughts, and all other participants listen in silence. Act one, scene four: there is a general discussion and question session between Ravens and participants before a break.
Act two: repeats Act one in four scenes but this time Eagle❷ presents, Eagle❶ and Eagle❸ respond and then, when we reach scene three we have a circle comprised of all the Raven❷
Act three: repeats again but now it is Eagle❸ who presents with Eagles❶ and Eagle❷ responding and Raven❸ forming the group in scene three.
Act four: the Raven groups are split, into three Beaver groups and they share knowledge and experience while all three Eagles rotate around the group. They focus on generating concepts to explore, methods to develop, and such like.
Act five: all of the output from the Beaver Groups is captured and clustered by the group as a whole and (optional) mapped onto the five domains of the Cynefin® framework. Individuals or groups then take on each cluster and take it through to completion
Epilogue: there are post-event commitments (where/what next) and a closing ritual.