Tip #289: Jump-Start Creative Thinking In The Workplace

When it comes to creativity, there is no definable or surefire process that works for everyone. Still, there are techniques that you can employ to help jump-start creativity, or at least foster its growth. And sure, some people are more creative than others, but everyone can benefit from exercising these simple yet powerful techniques.

The Business World Is Constantly Changing

. . . And So Should You.

Without creative thinking, today's innovative ideas will become stagnant tomorrow. And if your business makes the mistake of playing it safe, it will open the door for an innovative competitor - a door that will not only take market share from you but also clients.

6 Tips To Jump-Start Your Creative Thinking Process:

1. Set Attainable Goals - Before sitting down with your team, draw up a list of your goals. These goals should not be handouts, but should not be impossible to reach either. Strike a balance so your team will still break a sweat, but won't burn themselves out struggling to reach their goals.

2. Prepare Before A Brainstorming Session - We suggest avoiding unplanned brainstorming sessions. Instead, we suggest giving your team advanced notice so they have time to prepare and get their creative engines running earlier.

3. Add A Visual Element To The Mix - The more dimensions a brainstorming session has the more likely it will produce something useful. We suggest having something to sketch on and have often times found large whiteboards as a way for everyone draw out their ideas.

4. Change Perspectives - After years of cultivating your company's unique attitude, you run the risk of being biased and inefficient at getting things done any other way. However, taking on a new persona when thinking creatively is an invaluable skill to possess, as it introduces adaptive thinking to the equation.

5. Think In Terms Of Opposites - Often times creative thinking sessions focus on the obvious. We have found unique ideas can come out from exploring the opposite. Reverse engineering an idea or process can yield an innovative thought.

6. Make Connections That Were Never An Option - One aspect of creative thinking is to approach something from a totally new angle, and one of the best ways to force that approach is to make connections between two or more seemingly unconnected items. During a brainstorming session, create a long list of ideas. Then pick two or three ideas at random and try to develop connections until the ideas blend together into one new, unique idea.

Summary: While no creative thinking technique can guarantee results, almost every technique you and your team use will contribute to a brainstorming session. In the end, if your goal is to breathe new life into a product or service or look at problems and solutions internally, you need derail yourself from your current business mind-set and adopt a more creative thought process. After all, when there is nothing to lose, there is everything to gain.