Zen, Mind Boxes and the Art of the Creative Brainstorm
Imagine if physical boxes represented all of the things filling your mind. There are big boxes, medium and small boxes in a variety of shapes and colors. On a busy day, chances are your mind boxes would be able to fill a sizable area in your office or conference room.
Now, imagine that the 10 colleagues you invited to a creative brainstorm arrived with boxes representing the things that were weighing on their minds. Some are big, some smaller, some heavier than others -- all of them taking up space.
The clutter of your boxes and your colleagues’ boxes on the conference room table where you’re about to brainstorm make it impossible for you to see each other, let alone think and communicate creatively.
So what do you do to clear the room of the boxes filled with distractions?
First, look to plan your brainstorm for mid-morning. Timing is everything, and typically by the end of the day there could be simply too many mind boxes to easily overcome. (Late in the day brain fatigue is also something you want to try to avoid).
Put an actual box at the door as a depository for all phones and electronic devices. Make sure the room is as quiet as possible and free of distractions. Put a “Creativity in Session: Please Do Not Disturb” sign on the conference room or office door.
Ask participants to find comfortable positions in their chairs and close their eyes. (If they’re not comfortable closing their eyes, they can fix their gaze upon something close to them in the room).
Next, begin a 8-10 minute deep breathing exercise to relax, center and clear the mind. This is your box removal time, and critical to success. I often use a free app called Insight Timer in brainstorm sessions. It has thousands of professionally guided relaxation and breathing exercises that can get your group in the right mindset.
Using the word “meditation”, which this actually is, can scare people off. Some picture saffron robes, hand cymbals and chanting. Whereas that works for many, I find that simply referring to the process as a breathing and relaxation exercise is more palatable in an office environment. As a Type-A creative, I often have more than my fair share of thoughts running through my mind at any given time. Regular meditation improves my creative focus, and has made me considerably more efficient and effective.
I’ve tested my pre-brainstorm meditation process with a host of colleagues in recent years. The results have been nothing short of amazing. The ideas are more targeted, clearer and the environment itself more positive and energetic . Angel’s advocates (no reason for a critical no solutions devil’s advocate to be in the room) build on each other’s ideas freely and constructively. The mood is lighter and the concepts generated stronger and thus more valuable.
Before your next creative brainstorm, give breathing/relaxation (aka Meditation) a shot. It’s free, so why not try it? I’d love to hear what you discover.
Namaste.