Seeking NEW IDEAS –

        A business has three main functions, innovation, marketing, and profit. Innovation is a gamble – but so is standing still.

        Aim to go where you have never been before to collect new ideas to stimulate productivity or to solve problems.

        Try workshop exercises to generate new ideas.

        The more competitive you can make such exercises the bigger the list of new ideas you can collect for consideration and assessment.

        Never forget that innovation thrives on encouragement and dies with criticism.

A handful of tips to help you collect new ideas

* Select an enthusiastic leader

        Next, select a small team, about five innovative people would be ideal to work with the leader to help generate some new ideas.

        The team must have the rules explained to them and the techniques to be used.

        Start with a couple of practice runs before moving on to the serious business of generating ideas for solving work problems.

        Use some common object, such as a bucket, a brick, or a belt. “What are all the different ways they could possibly be used for?”

        Demonstrate that wild ideas are encouraged, and criticism discouraged.

* Select a suitable environment

        The environment and the time of the day the exercise is held are important.

        Participants must be fresh and mentally active.

        There must be no cell phones, no interruptions, and no distractions.

* Appoint a recorder

        The recorder’s role is to encourage and write up the ideas as they start to flow. They need to be written up for all to see on a large paper pad, a whiteboard, or projected onto a large screen.

        Don’t allow interruptions or criticisms or statements like;  “We tried that before and it didn’t work”.  Times change.

* Set deadlines

        Work under pressure for a limited time.

        When groups are slow to respond, take a break.

        Pair people off to go for a walk to discuss the topic before giving them a cup of coffee and regrouping.

        Small competitive groups can be effective.

* Classify and evaluate ideas

        Next put the list of ideas into a heading, such as  ‘possible’, ‘perhaps’, and ‘impossible’, or ‘could’, ‘should’ or ‘must’.

        Encourage each person to pick their ‘best ideas’.

        If it’s a problem to be solved, compete for the ‘best possible solution’. 

        Select the five good ideas. Compare and discuss suggestions. How could good ideas be implemented? At what cost?

        Generating ideas can be a lot of fun and stimulate the participants.   Especially if a good new idea turns up. If a good idea can be implemented it usually has the support of the participants.

Geoffrey Moss(mossassociates.co.nz)

“Innovation is the fuel of corporate survival.”

Source: “Training Secrets. Helping adults learn”. Moss Associates Ltd. “Training Secrets. A trainer’s handbook packed with proven methods and helpful hints”, Cengage Learning Asia. Also available as an e-book from Amazon.com.