Eight ways to generate more ideas in groups

: The scene is repeated in meeting rooms around the world every day. A problem has been identified and a group has gathered to solve the problem. When ideas are needed, the group decides to brainstorm. And all too often this exercise leads to a short list of not-that-creative ideas. We know that if we generate more ideas we have a better chance of finding better ideas. This leads us to the logical conclusion that if we can find techniques to create more ideas, we will find better ones. No one technique however will guarantee the perfect solution. Instead your goals should be to have a variety of approaches to help stimulate idea creation in your repertoire. By doing this you will improve the overall quality of ideas by virtue of having more to choose from. Whether you are unhappy with the current creativity of your group or are having good success with brainstorming sessions, but would like them to be even better, any of the eight suggestions below can help. Look at problems in different ways. Get the group to change their perspective on the problem. Once people “lock into” one way of looking at things the idea flow will slow to a tickle. Have people take a new persona. Ask them to look at the issue from the perspective of another group – accounting, HR, or sales for example. Ask them to think about how their Grandmother or an 8 year old would solve the problem. These are simple ways to force people into a new perspective and the new perspectives will generate more ideas.

Make novel combinations. The ideas that land on the flipchart or whiteboard in a brainstorming session are typically considered individually. Have the group look at the initial list and look for ways to combine the ideas into new ones. Force relationships. Once a group is finished with their initial list, provide them with words, pictures or objects.

The objects can be random items, the words can come from a randomly generated list (email wordlist@KevinEikenberry and we’ll send you such a list), or from pictures in magazines or newspapers. When people have their random word, picture or item, have them create connections between the problem and their item. Use questions like, “How could this item solve our problem?” What attributes of this item could help us solve our problem?

” Make their thoughts visible. Have people draw! Too often the brainstorming session has everyone sitting except the person capturing the ideas. Let people doodle and draw and you never know what ideas may be spurred. Think in opposites. Rather than asking your direct problem question, ask the opposite.

“How could we ensure no one bought this new product?” could be one example. Capturing the ideas on “the opposite,” will illuminate ideas for solving the actual problem. Think metaphorically. This approach is similar to forcing relationships (and is another way to use your words, pictures or items).

Pick a random idea/item and ask the group, “How is this item like our problem?” Metaphors can be a very powerful way to create new ideas where none existed before. Prepare. Too often people are asked to brainstorm a problem with no previous thinking time. If people have time to think about a topic, and let their brains work on it for awhile, they will create more and better ideas. Allow people to be better prepared mentally by sharing the challenges you will be brainstorming some time before the meeting whenever possible.

Set a Goal. Research shows and my experience definitely confirms that the simple act of giving people a quantity goal before starting the brainstorming session will lead to a longer list of ideas to consider. Set your goal at least a little higher than you think you can get – and higher than this group typically achieves. Set the goal and watch the group reach it! While these suggestions have all been written from the perspective of a group generating ideas, they all work very well for individuals too. The next time you need to solve a problem by yourself, use these techniques and you will be astounded by the quantity of ideas you will generate!

Corporate events

When planning your corporate events for the coming year, consider implementing a team building day to strengthen your company’s ability to work together, and at the same time enjoy a break from the pace of the daily work routine. Taking some time to improve employee relations, practice good teamwork, and reinforce your common goals has numerous benefits for everyone involved. Corporate events can provide a great opportunity for everyone to relax or re-energize, share ideas, and reaffirm your shared commitment to creating success. The form that events take during a team building day can vary widely, limited only by the imagination. Particularly under the guidance of a trained professional, team building activities can help target any problem areas your company has been having, ease tensions, provide valuable reminders of the elements of successful teamwork, and create an enjoyable way to interact with coworkers. The payoffs can be huge, contributing to better morale on the job, and a more harmonious work environment. With an improvement in job satisfaction comes lower staff turnover and absenteeism, and improved productivity overall. Some popular corporate team building activities include everything from cooking, to team sports, to simulations of “reality” television shows, and beyond. Activities can be chosen to reflect your team’s interests, or tailored to suit virtually any group. The main emphasis should be on fun, fairness, and cooperation – the benefits should follow naturally. Taking the time to invest in your people will help demonstrate your belief in their value, and your dedication to helping them succeed. Teamwork is something that requires occasional nurturing, and is all too often neglected in the hectic pace of events at work. Over time, if neglected, you may end up with a group of talented yet frustrated individuals who are not able to adequately organize themselves without a more formal structure. Find an enjoyable way to revitalize your company and keep people happy, focused, and motivated, working towards common goals. There are many professional resources available to help you along the way. Start by doing some browsing of the books or websites out there by business consultants with expertise in organizational development and team building. You are sure to find something to inspire and get your team back on track. Once you have some ideas, consider bringing in a professional to guide your team through the process. An objective outsider can provide just the advice and unbiased facilitation approach needed to help everyone relax, and enjoy the departure from your everyday roles. Make the most of this opportunity to reunite your aims and efforts towards mutual success and satisfaction on the job. Teambuilding is a valuable endeavor at any stage of your company’s development, whether you are new, restructuring, or well established but in need of some rejuvenation. Do what it takes to retain your most valuable assets, your people, and ensure greater success for all.

Why would anyone hold a bad meeting

Pssst, want a stock tip that will make you rich? Okay, here it is: phone a public corporation and ask to speak with the CEO. If someone tells you that the CEO expects to be busy in meetings for the next six hundred years, call your broker and sell the stock short. Why? Any company unable to manage an activity that should last an hour is on its way down the financial tubes. Surveys show that companies waste an average of 20% of their payroll on bad meetings. And that’s just the beginning of the problem. Meetings keep people away from the tasks they were hired to perform -- tasks that make money for the company and keep the business ahead of the competition. In fact, if people waste time in meetings, you can conclude that they are doing the wrong thing while they are in a meeting. Although it’s true that senior executives spend much of their time in meetings, you can bet that a business is in trouble if their meetings are out of control. Top executives should use meetings to develop, review, and revise strategy. If they spend their time just talking about stuff, then they are goofing off on the job. Since bad meetings are so wasteful, you may wonder why anyone tolerates them. Unfortunately, many business leaders think that their meetings are just fine. They even believe that they’re experts at holding effective meetings. For example, when I phone companies to ask if they would be interested in improving their meetings, I sometimes encounter an assistant who assures me that the executives believe that they hold wonderful meetings. Then the assistant snickers, coughs softly, and regains enough composure to state that they don’t need my services. At this point the assistant sounds like someone on a sinking ship who is throwing a life jacket into the water. And that must make you wonder: why would any intelligent person hold a meeting that wastes everyone’s time and produces nothing. There are easy answers such as 1) they don’t know that their meetings could be effective, 2) they don’t know what an effective meeting is like, or 3) they don’t know how to hold an effective meeting. But what about the rest of them? That is, what about all of the executives who know how to plan and organize and run an effective business, but still hold bad meetings? Let’s dig deeper. These executives actually want to hold bad meetings because they prove to be useful. Here’s how. 1) They provide refuge. Bad meetings provide a sophisticated form of executive busyness. Some people find this useful because it keeps them from having to work on difficult tasks such as planning, coaching, learning, and communicatingpared to these difficult tasks, sitting in a conference room is easy. In fact, it is so easy that a six-year old could do it, assuming you could convince the child to stay inside for such a pointless activity. Better: An effective meeting is business activity where people work together. 2) They avoid responsibility. Bad meetings never end with decisions, which means that no one ends up being held responsible for doing anything. Some people find this useful because responsibility implies accountability and accountability requires results. Thus, without responsibility there is no failure and everyone appears to perform well. This masks poor performance so that everyone continues to receive raises and promotions, even when they accomplish nothing because (you guessed it) they spent all of their time sitting in meetings. Better: Effective meetings produce decisions that someone is responsible for implementing. 3) They provide excitement. Bad meetings feature all of the elements of a good drama, such as conflict, tension, and pain. For example, the participants deliver self-aggrandizing reports, denigrate their colleagues, and engage in politics. Some really terrible meetings play out like pathetic battlegrounds with verbal gladiators battling for favors while the boss watches. Better: Effective meetings occur in a safe environment of respect. 4) They serve food. Bad meetings become an enviable executive perk when they provide snacks, coffee, and (sometimes) meals. The attendees then use eating to offset the boredom of having to hear meaningless discussions. It also saves them the expense of having to buy food. Better: Meals should be a separate activity used to build relationships and (sometimes) rest. 5) They entertain. Bad meetings resemble a party. People tell stories, trade jokes, and argue over trivia. Some meetings feature comedy performances by the office fool. Others feature humorous belittlements by the office bully. And if neither of these occurs, the absolutely unbelievable discussions amaze and entertain everyone. Better: Effective meetings use process tools to make methodical progress toward results. All of this shows why the type of meetings held in a company should be of major concern when making investment decisions. If the executives need to learn how, that can be fixed by scheduling a workshop. Then you might consider investing in the company, after they complete the workshop. If, however, the executives hold bad meetings to avoid fundamental leadership responsibilities, you should seek other investments.