BRAINSTORMING & PROBLEM SOLVING:
YELLOW PAD SESSIONS

Developing new ideas or sorting through complex decisions can be lonely and exhausting work. Sometimes a friendly ear can bring surprising clarity, energy or confidence in the path ahead.

• Are you a leader trying to make a difficult decision?

• Are you about to launch a major initiative? 

• Are you a scientist at a crossroads?  

• Are you an entrepreneur preparing a pitch, proposal, or grant request?

• Are you a writer facing a daunting manuscript or blog post?  

If so, Mint Chip Studios will listen and take notes as you brainstorm, think out loud, make plans or debate options. Drawing on years of working one-on-one with faculty members at Harvard University and other smart people facing difficult decisions or strategic choices, we are well-versed in helping to clarify, sequence, synthesize, shorten, lengthen or weigh pros/cons. Depending on the nature of the task at hand, we can act as a sounding board, discuss plans in the moment or provide a typed-summary for you to reflect on your options in writing.  Some sample engagements include:

Difficult staffing decisions

A key member of your staff is no longer matched perfectly with his/her role.  What will you do about it? 

Project planning or discovery sessions

Sometimes the hardest problems are ones you can’t yet define. We are happy to meet with individuals or groups to articulate thorny issues, identify wish lists, develop RFPs or make specific project plans. 

Thorny research questions

You are staring at a mass of data, and need to make sense of things.  What themes are most significant? What have you learned that you want to share? Why does it matter?

Considering career choices

Should I take this job or that one? Which opportunity is likely to provide me with a chance to make a difference? To develop my skills? To have future career options? 

First Drafts

Mint Chip Studios can help get some projects started by helping you to outline your first draft.  While we believe that all writing is hard, many people find editing to be much simpler than facing a blank page. By listening and drafting, you can dive into a draft that is already underway. (Please note: Mint Chip Studios works only in nonfiction.)  

Major rewrites

With a full draft complete, you discover that you need to start again and rewrite from the beginning.  Refining a draft can be a hard task to tackle alone. Mint Chip Studios can help to organize your outline, work through sequencing, and make an editorial plan.

DETAILS

Given the unique nature of yellow pad sessions, the details of each engagement are negotiated individually. Most projects are contracted at an hourly rate