Mark Vandael
professional tree shaker
A tree shaker ... ???
Years ago, at pre-camp I slept under a beautiful cherry tree. I just had to wait patiently for the ripe fruits to fall right at my feet. But when I discovered shaking, there was suddenly much more to harvest. The same goes for the employees in your organisation.
Our people are working hard and becoming more and more efficient. That's great for your organisation, and ... we could achieve so much more!
Real innovation never occurs within the boundaries of fixed patterns and strict procedures. If you want to set a new course with your organisation and want your employees to be able to grow, I'd love to come and help you. Let me come and shake your tree, and you will see that there are many more fruits to be picked.
I am ready to support your organisation as a speaker, trainer, coach or facilitator. Together, we can improve your team's potential and achieve innovative results. Let us walk the road to renewal and harvest the fruits of positive change.
I am happy to be your professional tree shaker and can bring a breath of fresh air into your organisation!
What I offer
Keynotes
I believe in the power of words to generate change. In this respect, speaking is not the same as preaching. I bring you a passionate practical story with a touch of humour to stimulate creative growth. If you want to foster the creative climate in your organisation, silence is not an option. It's time to speak - or better still, to let me speak.
How much time do you have?
24 minutes or 24 hours? I am happy to adapt. Need a keynote, inspirational lecture or motivational speech? I make it accessible and immediately applicable. Don't expect theoretical dissertations, this is about applied creativity. It can range from 'first make a list and then choose' to '10 dimensions for changing your organisational climate'.
The aim is to get your team into action right away, here and now.
Training & Workshops
"But I'm not creative at all!" An often-heard response at the start of a training session. Be assured everyone has some form of creativity in them, from the CEO to the cleaning lady. The way in which and the extent to which can differ, but if we dig a little, that creativity will (re) appear, I promise.
Always tailor-made
No two organisations are the same. Every company, every team has different needs and priorities. Tell me about your current challenges and I will develop the suitable hands-on training, based on the most appropriate processes, techniques and models within the timeframe available.
On three levels
Everything starts with the individual. From that foundation, we can start working together as a team. But you only get real results with the necessary management support.
And with impact
A training course always has a head and a tail, too. There is before, during and after. This is how we maximise the impact and ensure the greatest learning effect.
Coaching
Want to take your presentations to the next level and impress your audience? My individual coaching for more creative presentations is the key to your success.
Anyone can put some text in a PowerPoint, but creating an engaging and captivating presentation is an art in itself. Slides are a good tool in this respect but certainly not all of it and certainly no guarantee of success. My coaching is tailored to your specific needs and skill level. This allows you to improve your presentations and feel more confident in front of any audience.
The pillars
- Content: who is your audience and what message do you want to transmit?
- Structure: what items do you mention and in what order?
- Speaking skills: voice use, body language, interaction and questions, attracting and keeping attention, making contact, conviction, stress, ...
- Visual Aids: What support tools do you use and how do you use them?
Individual or group
In a group, you can learn from each other. With individual coaching, you can improve your presentation skills quickly and see immediate results. You get personal attention and very targeted feedback, allowing you to address the areas of focus that are most important to you. For both beginners and experienced speakers.
Facilitation
Are you no longer satisfied with the current way of working? Are you not getting the change you want? Are you too involved yourself?
Whether it's about a new mission, vision, merger, branding, positioning or a multi-year strategic plan, it often pays to bring in an experienced external facilitator with a fresh perspective. It helps to quickly spot opportunities and to galvinise employees into action. We accept more from an outsider. This often makes creative sessions go surprisingly more smoothly.
Tell me about the challenge your organisation wants to work on. How much time do we have? How many people are involved? What do you want to achieve? I will make a concrete proposal to get started.
Each situation requires its own adapted creative strategy. A few examples:
LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®
LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® is a communication method where you think with your hands and listen with your eyes. Not everyone feels comfortable speaking during a meeting. Not everyone is equally strong in verbal communication. With LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, both assertive and less assertive team members get the chance to express their ideas. This playful method was developed in cooperation with LEGO® and professors Bart Victor and Johan Roos of the IMD Business School in Lausanne (Switzerland). As a recognised facilitator, I would be happy to come and 'play' with you :-)
Brainstorming
Often used but rarely as it should be. Creative Problem Solving in the true sense of the word, according to the rules of the art. Using the right techniques at the right time: ABC-avalange, assumptions, analogy nature, analogy superhero, brainwriting, SCAMPER, random stimulation, COCD-box, love babies, 5W2H, and many more.
GPS
The GPS tool is excellent for generating ideas based on trends or from different perspectives. By working in pairs, you can easily build on each other's ideas. It is a low-entry and effective method.
Worldcafé
The Worldcafé is a creative process that stimulates dialogue on specific themes and encourages knowledge exchange. It offers the opportunity to collect ideas, cross-fertilise, develop solutions and create support.
My Manifesto for a creative climate
One of my favorite topics is the organisational culture. Hard to change. It takes time. Unless you start by working on the climate. Here's how to. Feel free to download and spread. Thanks for referrals.
My Short Bio
Who the f*** is Mark?
Mark (°1966) studied marketing in Antwerp. He first worked in ICT but after a few years he founded
his own company and started as an independent trainer/consultant.In 2004 creative thinking crossed his path. It was love at first sight. At COCD - the Centre for
Development of Creative Thinking (www.cocd.org) he took every single course and joined their team as independent trainer/facilitator.In 2009, in co-operation with Flanders District of Creativity, he organized for COCD the 11th European Conference on Creativity and Innovation in Brussels and was the secretary of the EACI, the European Association on Creativity and Innovation (www.eaci.net) for over 10 years. He taught at the Karel de Grote University College (www.kdg.be), Antwerp Management School (www.antwerpmanagementschool.be) and was managing partner at Bedenk (www.bedenk.be). Since 2015 he is guest lecturer at JheronimusAcademy of Data Science (www.jads.nl).
As a ‘professional tree shaker’ Mark now focuses on public speaking, trainings/workshops and
facilitation of creative change processes, sometimes using Lego® Serious Play®. Meanwhile he also has his own training location: www.domainelafontaine.com in the south of France.Mark is passionate, dynamic and inspiring. He just loves to share from his experience. He was on stage at various conferences throughout the world: CREA (Italy), MindCamp (Canada), ECCI (Portugal, Ireland), INSME (Finland), ISPIM (Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Italy, Slovenia), Corp2in (Croatia) …
Amongst others, he has been working for:
- the cities of Aalst, Amsterdam, Antwerpen, Dordrecht, Eindhoven, Heerlen, Oss, Utrecht and Veghel;
- the universities of Antwerpen, Brussel, Cyprus, Delft, Eindhoven, Gent, Helsinki, Leuven, Maastricht and Malta;
- and lots of companies: AGC, Arcadis, AstraZeneca, Atlas Copco, BASF, Belfius, Coca Cola, COHRED, Cronos, Deutsche Bank, Dexia, Engie, ESF, Eternit, Friesland Campina, Fujifilm, Honda, Ikea, Janssen Pharmaceutica, KBC, Mc Cain, Novartis, Proximus, Technicolor, Unicef, …
- the cities of Aalst, Amsterdam, Antwerpen, Dordrecht, Eindhoven, Heerlen, Oss, Utrecht and Veghel;