Put On Your Thinking Hat: Innovation Tools For Meetings

By Author: SamJacob Thomas
Total Articles: 40
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One of the most important aspects in coming up with any strategy is the brainstorming process. By creating an atmosphere which is casual, people are able to discuss their ideas freely and often in the process, new concepts are devised.

Lately, managers have discovered that these sessions lack ‘fizz’. Employees are unable to tap into their creative thinking skills in order to come up with innovative solutions. Even though brain storming means a free flow of ideas, there has to be a method to the madness. Thus, managers have identified that this lack of structure results in all talk but no action.

De Bono’s six thinking hats are a great way to bring structure to these sessions. By donning different colored hats (real or imaginary) which signify different thought processes, each participant is made to think structurally. Besides, by swapping hats, participants are able to contribute from a different perspective without any bias. The best way to separate ego from performance, six thinking hats can form a part of innovation tools ...
... used by your organization to come up with strategies.

Another great way to inculcate creative thinking skills in your employees is to encourage them to think laterally. Quite the oxymoron - De Bono’s Lateral Thinking: a deliberate, systematic process which results in innovative thinking is famed to be very successful. By using the below mentioned lateral thinking techniques, your employees will be able create and innovate on demand:

• Alternatives: How to look beyond the obvious alternatives when faced with a challenge

• Focus: Learn to sharpen their focus in order to improve creative efforts

• Challenge: Challenging traditional thinking methods

• Random Entry: Using unconnected inputs in order to think differently

• Provocation: Using provocative statements to come up with new concepts

• Harvesting: Capturing the practical ideas and concepts

• Treatment of Ideas: Give some structure to the ideas and develop them, so that they fit into your organization

These unconventional thinking methods will certainly help your employees break free from the mundane, overdone traditional concepts. By coupling lateral thinking with other innovation tools, brain storming sessions will not be drab anymore.

However, if you feel that you need assistance in order to conduct brain storming sessions, consider hiring a strategic planning facilitator. As an outsider, he can take an objective view of the situation. By being unbiased, he will ensure that the meeting is on track, the objectives are being met and decisions are being taken.