From Constraints to Creativity: Overcoming Barriers in Brainstorming

Do you enjoy brainstorming with your colleagues on questions and problems that can improve your company's results, open new opportunities, and ultimately increase profits? Or perhaps brainstorming on smaller topics that can solve communication or design tasks, or even improve a process?

Probably not. Not another time-wasting meeting. ??

Well, maybe it's because most of the time, we're doing it wrong. We lack the time, resources, passion, and miss out on the creative and fun aspects of the process. At least, that's what I took away from Duncan Wardale's workshop during the BrandMinds 2023 event. We spent several hours captivated by Duncan's energy and vision on why we should nurture the child within each of us and constantly ask the question "Why." Why can't work be fun? Why can't we be creatively wild in the process? Why, indeed? People comprehend and process information differently based on their own experiences and beliefs. I'll try to summarize what I personally gained from those hours and share it with you, hoping it will be useful to someone. Please be forgiving, as this is my first attempt at writing what I feel I would love to share. ??

Amplifying Brainstorming Potential: Inviting Diverse Perspectives

It all starts with the participants you invite to the brainstorming session. Turns out, 75% of people think before speaking, but they never get the chance to be heard due to the loud extroverts in the group. Guess who often has better ideas? Yep, you got it right—introverts. Next, let's talk about the setup. Never put a table or any objects between the group. This helps overcome psychological barriers and the feeling of being on opposing sides. So, now you have 3 to 4 people and no table, what's next? Strive for diversity in the group. Diversity breeds innovation! If there's someone who doesn't think and act like you, that person is essential to bring diversity to your solution, task, and outcome.

Now, let's move on to the questions. Ask yourself, what kills creativity? Yes, school is a valid answer, but when it comes to organizations, it's a simple thing: "No, because…". Nothing shuts down ideas faster than "No, because…". It's game over long before we can explore the potential of ideas. Want an example? Here's one from my experience: Can we optimize our digital campaign's ROI? No, because we need IT involvement to set up OCT, it takes time and resources, requires prioritization by the business, and incurs costs. Cool, right? Well, eventually, we managed to overcome the "No, because" to a large extent, but it took a while. ??

Now, what if we start not with "Can we..." but with "What if..."? It changes the perspective and gives the team the freedom to be as creative as possible.

Embracing Rule-Breaking

Don't fight the rules; put your effort and energy into overcoming them. Be as crazy and creative as you want. Don't tell me it's not applicable to topics like profits, sales, etc. The folks at Disneyland go through this process to evaluate the outcome and profit of each new attraction and solve problems like how to reduce waiting time in lines. It turns out that lowering the waiting time in front of attractions gave people an extra 2 hours of free time. And what do people do when they have 2 hours to spare? They shop! That's right. Do you think it had an impact on sales and profit? Absolutely.

Seeking Inspiration Beyond

Moving on. Here's a note from Duncan: "Most of the time, innovation happens outside of your industry. Look around you." And this leads us to the "Where else..." question. Find out what successful companies excel at, how they disrupt their industry, what innovations they bring to the world, and how they implement them. Evaluate what can be reused from elsewhere and can bring positive outcomes for your organization as well.

Fueling Passion: Ideas, Music, and Execution

Bear with me for just a few more minutes. It was a 4-5 hour workshop, after all, and I can't summarize it on one page. So, here's my favorite part: Passion. When going through all the ideas, choose only those you are truly passionate about; otherwise, they will likely fade away during the execution process. Have you experienced this too? It definitely resonates with me. While reviewing the list, also, put on some music. You need energy and inspiration. Avoid lyrics, though, as they can distract you and disrupt your thinking.

Wheel of Wonders

Next is the Wheel of Wonders. List the selected ideas and provide a description for each one. According to Duncan, you should use text instead of bullets. Personally, I slightly disagree with him on this point. Based on my experience in C-level positions, people comprehend and digest information better when it is as visual and structured as possible. This is where bullet points come in handy. No one wants to read long texts during presentations.

Returning to the Wheel of Wonders, list the ideas in different colors and evaluate each one based on five criteria: SBF (Strategic Brand Fit), profitability, social engagement, time to market, and consumer truth (CT).

Once you have your winning idea on the chart, all you need is bravery to take the risk and implement the solution.

The Catalyst for Creativity - Time

In the beginning, I mentioned a few things that hinder creativity and playfulness in the process. However, there is a major issue that poses a significant challenge: time! There's never enough time for creativity. We find ourselves chasing one task after another, constantly putting out fires, dealing with urgent matters, and mechanically going through the days, trying to do our best within the limited timeframe. Many of us can relate to this experience. However, this is not how you achieve the best outcome. Inspiration and creativity require time. Reflect on where you are when you come up with some of your best ideas and solutions. It's rarely at the office. They often emerge when you are relaxed, not consciously thinking about the problem, and so on. In summary, give your team and yourself time to think, explore, be a little crazy, and be creative.

I hope my humble attempt to share some insights will inspire and be useful to some of you and that you found something to take as a learning.?

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