9.6.3 How to generate new ideas?
Many methods for encouraging creative thinking have been documented over the years by people as diverse as Dr Edward De Bono and Walt Disney. Those methods include the following:
Brainstorming
Probably the best known technique for generating options - requires the suspension of judgement by all participants and the requirement that everyone says whatever comes into their mind no matter how ridiculous. It works because one idea might be crazy but it may stimulate a better idea in someone else.Role Playing
Allows 'what if?' scenarios to be played out. For example - 'What if videophones were the size of a watch?' An interesting activity might involve role playing arranging a dinner party to demonstrate how individual differences affect human interaction.Random Word
To stimulate new thinking on a subject a random word is selected and its characteristics considered in relation to the subject being considered. For example, we need some new thinking on reducing bank queues and the random word is 'Camel'. Camels have humps, they don't drink much, they have fur etc. We could apply this to the bank by saying - let's put a hump in the queue - that is you need to pass some 'test' before you could even enter the queue.Story Boarding
Disney executives use a technique which has been adapted from script writing. Storyboarding involves putting the main elements of the issue in question on small cards and then sticking them up on the wall. Participants are then encouraged to write ideas on the cards. The technique allows the big picture to be seen more easily.Visits to Aliens
To stimulate new ideas it is often useful to visit people outside the normal scope of the organisation. For instance, take engineers to visit biologists, or senior managers to visit gardeners.The Six Questions
Simply ask what, how, why, who, when and where in relation to the subject.
In addition to training people in how to use thinking tools, it is also useful to provide some focus for new thinking. Dr Edward De Bono suggests implementing a 'Creative Hit List' - this is a list of approximately a dozen areas where some new thinking is required. These things could be anything from 'How to improve customer service' to 'Better ways of communicating internally' - the point is to focus people's attention on the areas where some new ideas are needed.
The Creative Hit List should be distributed to all people involved, put up on staff notice boards or Intranet and then updated on a regular basis.
Any ideas put forward should then be acknowledged and rewarded.
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