How to grow revenues from X to 5 X and PBT from Y to 3Y
(Wanted: both organic an inorganic growth ideas)
Just finished a Creative Block Busting Workshop for a client on how to grow revenues and profits. Truly fulfilling experience.
The CEO and his entire senior management team were involved right through. How did we decide on this challenge? His senior managers and I had a quick brainstorming on various possible challenges. The CEO then came in and chose this one as the most important one, that needs urgent attention.
I then got to work on a customised 2-day workshop design. The design was discussed and cleared by the CEO.
On day one we were on a divergent mode. I guided the team to use a variety of ideation techniques. Techniques they had never tried before. Singular purpose: to move the team away from the tried & tested to explore ideas that they never thought of before.
We got a crop of about 800 ideas. Some of them quite bold and capable of breaking fresh ground.
Why did this work?
- We had a clear definition of what we wanted ideas for. A simple, single line statement. Not easy to do!
- The right people were in the room. There was a good mix of experienced people who knew how to make things work in the organisation. There was a bunch of dreamers who were not fettered by the past successes or failures.
- We had a customised design for the divergent and convergent process.
- We used a bouquet of tools and techniques that stretched thinking.
- We used an interesting selection and shortlisting process which was positive. No one, however senior was allowed to kill any idea.
- The team with the support of the MD, used a smart way to focus on what matters most. Ideas that will make a huge difference to the results.
- Finally the team made a clear recommendation on what, who, when, where, why and how. So the ideas were 'decision ready'.
The apparent simplicity of the process could be misleading. People are not used to such a rigorous step by step creative thinking process. So facilitation is an important factor.
When we walked out of the room one could feel the high level of commitment and motivation of the team. First step towards making anything new happen.