Unlocking Creative potential with Rachel Audige

by | Community, News

Rachel Audige faces of Cowork Me

Meet Rachel – She runs an Innovation and Strategic Marketing Practice that require people to think well… and think differently.

\Rachel is a facilitator, trainer, coach and writer. She has spent over 25 years in marketing roles in France and Australia . She’s had years in innovation and is accredited in training and facilitating in Systematic Inventive Thinking, Lego Serious Play (LSP) and Thinking Environments. She is passionate about helping people unearth more creative ideas.

She has published a first book, UNBLINKERED: The quirky biases that get in the way of creative thinking…and how to bust them’ and is currently writing a book on facilitation.

She’s also a paddle boarder and kite surfer, a (new) motorbike rider and loves the theatre!

Innovation is vast. Where do you play?

My target audience tends to be medium to large organisations in any sector although I often find myself with engineers.

My speciality is helping teams scan for blindspots or, what we call ‘cognitive fixedness’ – that state of mind where you see things a certain way and can’t imagine alternatives. It tends to be more prevalent in larger orgs. My go-to method is S.I.T. (Systematic Inventive Thinking) which is particularly sharp when it comes to unearthing great ideas – using what you have. Very often the best ideas are hiding in plain sight!

 

I work on rethinking processes, products & services, strategy, design work, tender bids and wicked problems

Where have you spent most of your working life?

Geographically speaking, France. My first job was there and I stayed 20 years. We moved to Melbourne in 2009. Professionally speaking, I have worked in consulting, advertising, senior executing roles in corporate, boards and now have my own practice.

In terms of expertise, I have spent most of my time honing my skills in marketing strategy and in driving innovation. As Bayer was a brilliant company in terms of HR and training, I have also had a great deal of leadership training which helps me coach others.

In terms of methods, I focus on SIT but have loved weaving in Nancy Kline’s work in Thinking Environments and LSP – as well as other tools and approaches.
 
Thinking Environments and LSP

What has influenced the way you work most?

 

All the above but 4 more that come to mind:

1. My family. I made a lot of family-centred choices that I would make again.
2. Two of my values are connection and authenticity. I have created a relationship business and I know when to say that I can or can’t do something.
3. The French comfort with conflict or debate has amplified my natural tendency to call out the elephant in the room and broach the difficult topics. 
4. My exposure to the team in Tel Aviv (S.I.T.) gave me a comfort with ambiguity and paradox and a love for shifting paradigms.
 

What is hardest in your day to day business?

 
The business development. I hate bugging people but I’m way happier when I’m out there doing my thing!
 
Can you tell us about the premise of UNBLINKERED? 
 
I write about some of the quirky biases that get in the way of creative thinking. I explore how they play out and how they can be harnessed or overcome.
My take is that when organisations fail to recognise and deal with these ‘blinkers’, they may as well operate with a blindfold. They may well leave more inventive and resourceful ideas on the table.
 

What will your next book be about?

I have a passion for what it takes to bring out the best thinking in a room. 

This is the true art of facilitation; it’s about being the smartest at being the dumbest in the room!

 I plan to go through the dashboard I have created that helps me achieve this.

 

What makes your heart sing?

Great conversation around a good meal.
Seeing eyes light up in courses and workshops.
Quality time with my husband and three adult children.