Brainstorming_team_1In my previous blog I said that facilitating creative collaboration is one of the most important management roles in leading a creative environment. In particular empowering a team with critical and creative thinkingfacilitates innovation effort that draws out new exciting ideas from the team.

Today’s leader needs to be a facilitator that draws on his/her experience, and uses Critical and Creative Thinking skills, and design processes and tools to promote team innovation.  Generally we see those responsible for others having three inter-mingling roles:

  • Leader: providing inspiration and direction setting
  • Manager: ensuring resources and wherewithal are available to achieve the objectives
  • Facilitator: guiding people through the process to optimize skills, experience and collaboration

Each of these roles requires clarify of thinking, and when focused on creative idea generation there are a range of critical thinking tools that can be used to increase creativity.  In my last blog I looked at the Leader’s role and the use of Visualization and Imagineering to inspire and direct teams.  In this Blog I want to focus on techniques you might use as a Manager of a team…

The role of the Manager is to optimize the use of resources, both human and other resources, and to create the total wherewithal for the team to be successful.  In managing resources for creative idea generation, the manager can look to a number of critical thinking methods to facilitate the team.

The first is ensuring the best mix of the four key ingredients to any thinking activity – Focus, People, Time and Tools.

  • Setting a clear for Focus for idea generation means understanding the leader’s goals and vision and translating these into SMART Objectives for the team.  The development of Focus Statements can take a little time (see Open and Target Focus under Mind Tools) but will ensure highly effective and creative thinking in the team facilitation.A Focus Statement such as: ‘Generate ideas to overcome price sales objections, in order to give sales reps more confidence when meeting customers.’ is a far better focus than simply asking the team to ‘brainstorm ideas to sell more stuff.’.  The aim is to have several targeted Focus Statement that allows the team to generate more useful ideas and pushes them to go below the surface for these.
  • Selecting the People for an idea generation session is a second way the manager can get better results.  While sometimes you are limited in who is available, the aim is to have a suitable mix of people with the background knowledge, outside experience and variety or perspectives to contribute.  The manager should also ensure everyone knows each other and that everyone knows why they are part of the group – what they bring to the table.
  • Time is needed for creative thinking, and the effective use of the available time resource is a core management responsibility. Consider how much time people waste in meeting and you quickly realize the massive waste of productivity that can accrue.  This means planning out your ideation session and managing time during the meetings.
  • The fourth ingredient to the successful management of idea generation is the use of critical and creative thinking tools.  To ensure the team is focused take them through the Focus Statements and meeting agenda.  To keep on track have clarity on the Vision or final Goal being sought.

If the team needs to Explore the current situation before ideating, consider the use of parallel thinking tools such as Six Thinking Hats or DATT, and be sure to draw out not just facts, data, information but also explore varying perceptions that may exist around the situation.

When the time comes for idea generation look to tools such as Brainstorming (do it well please), Random Word, Concept Fanning, SCAMPER, and other lateral thinking methods as needed.  If you are looking for product ideas consider the use of an Idea Box.  See our Mind Tools for information on some of these.

The manager’s role in facilitating idea generation is as crucial to the team’s success as the vision set by the leader.  As you play out these roles consider how you might apply critical thinking to enhance the team’s creativity, and you will be significantly more effective as a Leader, Manager and Facilitator.  Good Luck

To learn more about how to be successful in this area Mindwerx offers two public programs – Critical & Creative Thinking and Empowering Creativity in Teams.  We also run a range of In-house Creativity programs, and have a fully online program on Deliberate Creativity & Innovation.

If you want more information on any of these email bill@mindwerx.com.