Creative Brainstorming at Work
A Team Approach to Identifying New Ideas
Bringing the creative process to work doesn't have to be difficult. It all starts with brainstorming. Here's how to get started.
It was in the mid 1980’s that Stanford began offering courses on creativity in business. Around the same time, popular magazines such as Psychology Today began publishing articles about the benefits of thinking creatively. Almost twenty years later, many people in business still scratch their heads in confusion when contemplating bringing creativity into the workplace.
Beginning to Think Creatively
We all know of a child who drove his parents crazy during his “what if” phase. This is pretty much what the creative process is. What if we changed the product in this way? What if this idea doesn’t work? What if this idea does work? The simplest way to begin to look at a problem in a creative manner is to first define the area of interest, then to write down as much information as you can think of about the topic, and finally to consider each individual part.
For example, let’s say that you worked for a bottled beverage company and were having trouble reaching the adolescent population. Your brainstorming team could break down your product into individual pieces. It is a fruit flavored beverage that comes in apple, orange, and grape flavors. It is sold in a glass container with a twist top and a blue and red colored label. You might realize that people of this age group prefers blends of juice as opposed to single fruit flavors.
From here you may discern that sour flavors are particularly liked. You might also infer that because this age group is very busy and often on the run, glass bottles might not be the best choice because of the risk of breaking them. Furthermore, you may find that miniature-sized bottles sell better than the average size beverage to adolescents. You could then move on to look at the label, to see if a more “exciting” look could be identified to better entice the age group you’re interested in.
Bringing Creativity into the Workplace
All staff members should be encouraged to write down their ideas as soon as they have them. Someone who was at the above meeting could be drifting off to sleep when they suddenly realize that watermelon flavored candies seem to be especially popular right now. If this hypothetical employee came to you to share their idea, you would want to ask them to take it further. Do they think that watermelon could be blended with any other flavors? Do they have any ideas for possible names for the drink? Can they envision an interesting label for the drink?
Often the problem that you start with is not the problem that gets solved in brainstorming sessions. Maybe you thought that the packaging of the beverage was the problem, but by the end of the meeting it has become apparent that the flavors themselves need to be altered. An evaluation of the possible solutions is an important part of any creative conversation. For instance, perhaps it would be decided that the sour apple flavor wouldn’t work out because of the high sugar content it would necessitate. It is important, however, to not evaluate ideas prematurely.
Many people are halted in the creative process because they are striving to find a “cure-all”. Some ideas just won’t be usable. It’s natural instinct to try to force a good idea into a preconceived mold, even if it doesn’t quite fit. People get very attached to their creative ideas and want the joy and prestige of being the one to come up with it, even if it doesn’t truly work. The leader’s job is to gently lead the person away from the idea while keeping their ego intact.
Working with a Brainstorming Team
Studies have shown that the majority of individuals usually produce the most ideas alone, but when a group works together the ideas are more feasible. All creative work teams will need an assigned leader to keep the group focused. The employee’s usual authority figure is not the best choice for leading the group, because it may impede the team members free flow of ideas. It’s a good idea to ask team members to incubate before beginning to discuss their thoughts. Some good ways of incubating are free association or visualization. You may want to purchase audiotapes or books on these ideas, or hire a speaker to come in and speak specifically about these topics.
The world is changing right now, as you read this. You’re going to have to be creative to keep up with the changes. Your business is full of possibilities; all you have to do is get these ideas into a form that can easily be expressed. The best part is that you don’t have to do it alone. Every person alive is capable of creative thought. Why not invent a new tomorrow together?
