The Improbable Ideas Symposium

A home for transformative ideas

The Improbable Ideas Symposium is a new element of the annual TheMHS Conference. We will celebrate and debate out-of-the-box thinking and visionary concepts that challenge the status quo and have the potential for radical transformation of the mental health system. This symposium provides a platform for the boldest and most audacious ideas to be shared, debated, and explored. It is a space for innovators, mental health entrepreneurs, dreamers, and risk-takers who dare to envision a better future for mental health care.

At the heart of the Improbable Ideas Symposium is the belief that the most extraordinary advancements often come from the most unlikely sources. The event celebrates the spirit of improbability, recognising that ideas that may seem far-fetched or impossible today can become the breakthroughs of tomorrow. By fostering an environment where unconventional thinking is not only accepted but encouraged, the symposium aims to pave the way for a future where anything is possible.

Purpose

The primary goal of the Improbable Ideas Symposium is to create space within TheMHS Conference where individuals with great ideas can have a platform to share their thinking and receive feedback from experts in related fields. It also provides an opportunity for audience members to get excited by an idea and commit their alliance to help progress the vision.

Improbable Ideas

We are looking for visionary and transformative ideas that will move the debate, inspire action and challenge traditional thinking. The improbable ideas do not need to be part of a larger strategy, do not need to be evidence based or part of a widely accepted wisdom and can be submitted by anyone.

Any idea submitted does, however, have to meet the following requirements:

• It can be articulated in 10 minutes
• It can be described without reliance on more than 5 presentation slides
• It does not target or focus on one part of the workforce or system
• It is delivered coherently and with passion
• It is backed up by a future vision of what could be
• It is open to constructive criticism & feedback

How the Symposium is Structured

TheMHS will invite the submission of improbable ideas using the form attached. A small panel of innovative thinkers will rate the ideas and select up to six for presentation at the TheMHS Conference as part of a dedicated Improbable Ideas Symposium.

Each Improbable Ideas Symposium will last for 90 minutes and will feature three Improbable Ideas presentations. The Symposium will also involve a moderator and a panel of people with expertise related broadly to the improbable idea. The panel will provide specific feedback on the idea from a specified perspective based on Edward DeBono’s Six Hat approach. Each member of the panel will be allocated a specific perspective and can only feedback from that perspective. The perspectives of the panel will be:

• Yellow Hat:      Optimistic, Enthusiastic, Upside, Potential
• Green Hat:       Alternatives, Re-framing, What-if
• Black Hat:        Pessimism, Caution, Risks 

After the panel perspectives have been provided, the presenter will have an opportunity to respond to the feedback.  Following this, the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions, offer support and/or provide comments.

Symposium Outline

Each Improbable Idea presentation follows the format below:

Introduction by Moderator:   1 minute

Presentation:                       10 minutes

Yellow Hat Feedback:            3 minutes

Green Hat Feedback:            3 minutes

Black Hat Feedback:             3 minutes

Presenter Response:             2 minutes

Audience Q & A                    5 minutes

Panel Members

The panel members will be chosen once the improbable ideas for presentation have been selected. They will have experience and/or expertise related to the idea.

Moderator

The moderator will manage timing, keep the panel responses contained to the perspective they have been assigned and will manage audience interaction.