Do you always look to the same group of people in your organization to generate ideas and solve problems? Sometimes you’ve got to widen your view. At BigHeads Network, a think tank that advises major corporations, a diverse collection of designers, inventors, musicians, and artists helps organizations devise new solutions with an approach based on diversity.
Here’s how CEO John Palumbo described the process in a recent story in Investor’s Business Daily:
- Ask people what they know. Start by exploring what individual workers are good at, regardless of their field of expertise. Instead of “How can we solve this problem?” ask, “How do you do your job?” Look for ways to adapt their knowledge and skills to the issue at hand.
- Look to your critics. You sometimes learn much more from people who don’t agree with your policies or decisions. Solicit input from customers who have complained and from employees who buck the rules. Find out what they think you’re doing wrong, and look for opportunities to do it right.
- Get visual. Don’t just write ideas down. Challenge thinkers to answer questions nonverbally, with pictures or activities. They’ll stretch their creativity looking for new ways to express their thoughts.
- Be patient. This approach doesn’t bring instant results. You’ll need to devote time to examining all the possibilities before deciding which path to take.
Stuck? Try opening your mind to increase your options.
