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Martin Charter presents GreenThink!
Added: 13th June 2011
- GreenThink! © workshops completed:
- 36
- Facilitators direction:
- 90%
- Overall rating:
- 88%
- Effectiveness of organisation:
- 87%
- Meeting expectations:
- 84%
What companies say about GreenThink! © Workshops
"A motivating and punchy one day course covering broad themes and ones specific to my new boardgame product."
Owen Devine, Co-op Member, Portsmouth Ecological Cooperative Society Ltd
"An excellent way of drawing out ideas, galvanising thinking and creating cohesion for any business wishing to move towards eco sustainability."
Ray Savage, Owner, Pleasant Rise Farm
"Just when we thought our ideas were just part of an exercise for an afternoon, the Green Think process made us realise just how many like mined people could be helpful in
making the product come to life."
Sushma Windsor, Founder, Lettuce Flowers Ltd
"Green Think – does what it says on the tin! Need I say more… at the end of a Green Think at the very least you and your colleagues will have collectively thoughs about many Green issues and have the right frame of mind to start to instigate changes in your company. At best who knows you may have created the next Green revolution!"
Andy Ellis, Managing Director, Home Automation Ltd
"One of the best formats for generating lots of great ideas for a business I have ever experienced."
Reed Paget, Managing Director, One Earth Innovation Ltd
"The Greenthink process enabled me to think differently about my company’s services and future products. By incorporating sustainable innovation and design right up front
may just provide me with that perceived added value that pushes me ahead of the rest"
Professor Markys Cain, Director, Electrosciences Ltd
"GreenThink! was the best use of a day I have had in a very long time! I gained some really innovative suggestions for developing my concept further and I feel that my business is
all the stronger for attending"
Ross Atkin, Consultant, Bricks & Sheds
"GreenThink provided us a place to think differently in a structured way. With the help of our excellent participants, GreenThink helped us to identify new ideas and prioritise the direction we needed to take the business."
Peter Richardson, Director, Secos (Partners) Ltd
"As the founder of a startup I found the process incredibly thought-provoking and it resulted in an overwhelming amount of really great ideas for taking the company forward. Highly recommended!"
Dan Whitehead, Director, The Organic Protein Company Ltd
"Martin Charter's personal enthusiasm for the subject was clearly demonstrated in the GreenThink workshop and helped
get 'buy in' from the national team into our vision of moving towards developing and marketing more sustainable roofing solutions."
James Talman, CEO, Protan (UK) Ltd
"Our company has real commitment to develop and improve its development and marketing of sustainable clothing,
the GreenThink workshop gave us all an excellent insight on the wider issues and focused our thoughts and ideas to help develop a clear business strategy."
Tim Sandford, Managing Director, The Work Clothing Group
"The GreenThink workshop enabled us to think about new and exciting business development opportunities that we had
previously not considered. It did so in a way that was directly relevant, and provided invaluable networking and industry connections
to help us pursue these business opportunities."
Laurence Kemball-Cook, CEO, Pavegen Systems Ltd
"The GreenThink process offered us a unique opportunity to brainstorm and think through the fundamentals of our business with credible individuals; really inspiring, galvanising and good to meet with like-minded people. A self-indulgence that should be strongly encouraged."
Derek O'Connor, Director, Wildlife Splash Ltd
"This was an excellent workshop to focus our ideas on new sustainable products to expand into new markets."
Roger Marsh, Managing Director, Rediweld Rubber & Plastics Ltd
"We left the GreenThink! workshop with a clearer vision of how the solar industry is perceived by B2B and consumers, leaving us with the message that 'one size does not fit all."
Neil Ellwood, Director, Solarpack (UK) Ltd
"It was the best piece of business consultancy I have received in the last ten years. It has really opened up my eyes to what can be done."
Waqas Ahmad, Managing Director, Eco-Comply Ltd
Overview
The GreenThink! © process is organised and facilitated by Martin Charter, Director, The Centre for Sustainable Design and aims to support companies in developing more sustainable solutions through existing and new products, services and product-services. To be eligible companies or social enterprises need to employ less than 250 employees and be based in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent, Berkshire or Surrey. The GreenThink! © process is based on a clear understanding of the client’s needs in relation to its existing/new product development and/or innovation processes followed by an open idea generation (GreenThink! © ) session based on the information provided. The ideas are filtered, analysed and presented to the client in a succinct report.
GreenThink © workshops are free to eligible companies in the South-East of England.
The Greenthink! © Process
The GreenThink! © process includes the following elements:
- Fact-finding questionnaire
- Analysis of questionnaire results
- GreenThink! © workshop
- Report
GreenThink! © Workshops
The GreenThink! © process includes the following elements:
- Fact-finding questionnaire
- A questionnaire is sent to the client covering a range of areas including
- Company background
- Product/service description
- Markets (geographical location, job function, industry)
- Competitors’ products and services
- Environmental awareness
- Analysis of questionnaire results
- Relevant points are extracted from the questionnaire and fed into the GreenThink! © brief. This is then used as the basis of designing the GreenThink! © process.
- GreenThink! © workshop
- The GreenThink! © workshop is customised to company needs based on an information collected through the questionnaire . The one day programme covers the following and uses a mix of presentations, group and individual exercises using a range of creativity techniques:
- ‘State of the art’ presentation on sustainable innovation and design
- Identification of income generating opportunities
- Highlighting of obstacles to market success
- Drill down focus on specific opportunities
- Development of commercialisation plans
- Marketing and selling products
- Networking opportunities
- The ideas are filtered, analysed and presented to the client in a succinct report.
- Report
- A written report is produced for the client within 5-10 working days of the GreenThink! © workshop that provides recommendations in relation to a) existing solutions, b) the development of a new sustainable solutions, and/or c) other innovation/organisational challenges/opportunities that have been identified.
Martin Charter, Director, The Centre for Sustainable Design
Email: mcharter@ucreative.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1252 892772 Fax: +44 (0)1252 892747