Ideation: Getting around the buzzword to the ideas
So, you want to come up with the next big thing? Here’s a little secret – well two of them: First, don’t set out to come up with the next big thing; second, don’t go it alone.
If you lead a team, I am sure you have said something to effect of “we need fresh ideas” and if you are part of a team, I am sure you have heard those words.
A while ago, we talked about how teams can brainstorm and collaborate effectively and we focused on how leadership style can drastically affect the process. Now we are going to focus on a few techniques to help with idea generation, even for a skeptical group.
There are infinite ways you can approach brainstorming, these are some of my favourites:
#1: Improvisational theatre makes the world go ‘round
Full disclosure, after doing improv theatre for about 6 years, I like to pull from a lot of those principles when structuring brainstorm sessions. If you know you have a big pitch coming up, or you think it’s time for a change in the business, get someone in to run an improvisational session for you. You will notice a drastic change in how your team interacts when it comes to ideation even after an hour.
#2: Go on a field trip
Sometimes a change of scenery does your team some good. Go to the park, or visit an art gallery as a group. Getting everyone up and walking around with new visual stimulation will allow them to think differently than they would at the office because it is a break in pattern.
#3: Role playing
This will help you get into your customers’ heads. It can be as simple as breaking into small groups or pairs and having your team talk about the brand from a consumer point of view. However, you can take it one step further and role play with other factors, such as timing and surroundings. For example, if it were 10 years ago, how would you solve the problem? This will force your team to think outside of what they are used to when it comes to technology. You could even set a time limit and say they have 5 minutes to come up with a solution as a group and see what happens.
#4: Bring the team together
If you have a remote office, it can be hard to facilitate great collaboration. What will help is to schedule full-group meetings every-so-often so they get comfortable with each other and can spend time seeing the company through the eyes of their colleagues. Because many of your team won’t know each other well, it’s best to start with some ice-breakers to loosen things up.
#5: Map it out
If you are trying to come up with a solution, it works to write down your end goal and where you are at now, then fill in the steps in between. That way you can identify what’s missing and focus your efforts.
#6: Go for volume
Get your team to come up with as many ideas as possible and write them all on a board or paper that everyone can see. At the beginning of this process, no one is allowed to give an opinion on an idea. Once you have done this for a determined amount of time, it’s time to cross ideas off the list. Come up with criteria that you can measure each idea against, and if it doesn’t fit the criteria, then it goes.
#7: Remove management
Even though you may be the one who hired all of the members of your team, some of them may feel uncomfortable speaking up in front of you because they don’t feel their idea will be heard. Put your team in a room and let them come up with ideas without you, then put them together in a presentation. It could be an eye-opener for you as a leader as well if they push the boundaries more without you there! Maybe it’s time for a change…
What’s next?
Once you get through the first step in finding ideas, it’s always important to remember to create an implementation plan. Make sure all tasked are clearly outlined and assigned for each team member. Last but not least, if your team has put so much effort into coming up with this brilliant idea, keep them up to date! Have regular status updates so they can see where you are at with the implementation.