Finding new solutions: thinking outside the square
Ten tips for increasing the chance that people will express ideas freely
Most decisions benefit from time to consider many and varied solutions to a problem – and very importantly, from a free flow of ideas in the process. Unfortunately, people rarely offer ideas spontaneously, fearing the ideas will be outside the box. Yet you want participants to ignore the box; that is, to offer solutions without regard to practicality, company policy, budget, or other limiting factors.
Process
1. Schedule regular meetings: Finding a good and right solution is not a one-meeting event; it takes place over several sessions. Create a project schedule and provide it to all members at your first meeting. Three one-hour sessions will generate a wide variety of approaches for evaluation and analysis, without overwhelming participants. Spread meetings out over two to three weeks. Time in between meetings provides a chance for team members to reflect on the issue.
2. Define the business problem in one sentence: For the first meeting, prepare a one-line statement of the problem. Make it as direct and specific as possible. Limit the statement to only the fundamental elements of the problem. This is what you’ll be presenting to the group as a jumping off point for the creative exercise.
For example, if you believe you are overpaying on shipping your product to suppliers, you might craft this statement: “We need a detailed process for transporting weekly production from our central plant to all our New York area retailers.” Ask colleagues outside the group for their take on the issue and for feedback on your problem statement.
3. Underscore that all ideas are equally valued: After you’ve introduced the problem statement, explain that the goal of the meeting is to generate as many different approaches as possible. Ideas won’t be analysed or evaluated at this stage. All ideas are equally valued, and finding a solution will likely involve elements from many different contributions.
4. Explain the business benefits:
Encourages people to bypass hackneyed or cliché approaches
Precludes moving too quickly to a solution
Harnesses each individual’s intuition plus experience and judgment, and frees individuals to express their most creative ideas
Promotes professional development as individuals move through deliberation, consultation and reflection on the universe of ideas
Produces a solution that is ultimately be greater than the sum of the parts.
5. Appoint a recorder: It is essential to record all contributions. Appoint someone outside the group to record ideas as they emerge during the sessions. The recorder should be experienced enough to capture accurately the essence of each contribution and document in simple, clear, direct language. If the task falls to the group, rotate this responsibility among the members; that way no one is permanently outside the process and each person has an opportunity to reflect on the contributions in the course of documenting the session.
6. Monitor group dynamics: Actively monitor how the group interacts and works. Do all members seem comfortable expressing ideas and communicating with the rest of the team? If you sense discomfort or disagreement, bring the issue out in the open. Does someone seem uncomfortable, bored, frustrated? If so, ask a direct question that involves their area of expertise to draw them into the conversation. If someone is not contributing, try to pinpoint why in a private conversation.
7. Monitor the process: After each meeting, set aside time to analyse what worked and what didn’t. Is the group producing new, exciting and interesting ideas? If not, should you refocus by narrowing the scope of the problem? Watch for signs of dysfunction, like frequent interruptions or members who monopolise the conversation. It is essential to keep vigilant and stem the tide at the source. Process problems suggest deeper issues. Left alone, they will inhibit the free flow of ideas and could render the process ineffective.
Logistics
8. Keep group size small: Keep group size under ten people. The goal is an environment that encourages spontaneous interaction among members. This becomes more difficult with larger groups. A smaller group also helps those who feel inhibited speaking to a large audience.
9. Select team members with varied experience and expertise: Recruit people from all areas of the business to participate. Different areas of expertise will ensure a variety of perspectives. Draw people from accounting, legal, marketing, production – and other areas of the business that don’t interact on a regular basis.
10. Create a virtual workspace for collaboration: Set up a project workspace online where you can post the project schedule, announcements, documents and meeting minutes. Encourage discussion of ideas between meetings. Team members will be notified when the workspace is updated, and will feel involved in the process.
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