Idea Generation Fails
How to Hose Your Next Idea Generation Project*
If you want to improve , get the training
This post is a self-explanatory graphic for the most part
. Those who regularly do Idea Generation don’t need my text below (but don’t be smug, even one of these fails can do you in). I posted this graphic on LinkedIn a couple days ago it got so much attention I thought I’d do a bit of explaining. These fails — and solutions — are the result of 30+ years of research and hands-on innovation consulting work. And these fails are democratic — they will hose a session or project in any industry, in non-profits, associations, or in economic development. Start-ups or Fortune 50, this is also your hose-it-up menu.
There is a lot to say about these fails. The post below is designed to be brief to read (about 500 words).
If you want to learn more, consider attending my upcoming, inexpensive public workshop, “Innovation Intensive, beyond Design Thinking“ at the Keith House in Chicago on April 5th. This will be covered, along with more about related innovation concepts. Gregg Fraley, master trainer, is doing the course. Yes, that’s me. The other way to learn more is to hire me to do this as a keynote speech or workshop. I promise that session is fun — and full of solutions to prevents fails.
The Skinny on the Idea Generation Fails:
- Brainstorming (aka Idea Generation, aka Ideation) is typically done as a group exercise, and, science says great ideas often come from work done alone. Do both. Group work can enhance alone work, and vice versa.
- One idea generation session, a single meeting, particularly one without preparation, is doomed to fail. Make it a project that allows people time to do research and think, incubate, and your results will dramatically improve.
- Most idea generation sessions are extrovert oriented, and it drives introverts nuts. The danger and the reality is they check out. Make sure you design quiet and reflective brainstorms/divergences as part of your project. If you don’t know how to do this, attend the training, mentioned above. You’ll learn BrainWriting!
- Many of us are good with words. Some of us are even better with pictures, visuals, and drawings. When you want another set of ideas to emerge, ask for drawings, or even 3D prototypes. It will take your idea generation to the next level.
- Research is a key to preparing the mind for idea generation. Research leads to insights and insights lead to relevant ideas. Make research part of the idea generation project, before attempting to jam ideas. If your organization has professional researchers, great, but get idea jammers involved actively. It’s the thinking ahead of time that scaffolds the brain to new ideas. Think homework assignments.
- Professional, neutral, facilitation is guaranteed to improve your results. The session/project will be better planned and managed, and some of your best brains can join the team in jamming ideas instead of managing process. If you want to use an internal person, have them Get the Training.
- Having a focused challenge question is essential, and, if you don’t, this is without a doubt the biggest fail factor on the list. Problem framing is an art form, and if you don’t know how to do it, get the training. If you don’t do this properly, your idea generation session or project will be officially hosed. In the training we learn Challenge Mapping, maybe the best tool ever for creating focused questions.
- What happens after the session is key. First of all, find the best ideas and take action as soon as possible. Start implementing on the easy ones, and put the other bigger ideas into a project. This action communicates and is innovation culture building.
- Communicating, beyond taking action, is key. If you don’t inform people of what you’re doing (or not doing) with the ideas, you pretty much set the table for people to never take idea generation seriously. It’s an innovation culture defeater. Even if results are poor, communicate. Even if you only found a smallish idea to implement, communicate about it.
- Communicate success, declare victory, when an idea achieves results. This builds the case for more participation, greater risk, and more resources in the future.
- If you don’t understand innovation frameworks, which one to use, which ones to blend, or whether to grow your own, you need to get the training, because ideas born in a non-framework culture usually die. Again, training is the answer to learn how to do the framework dance. If you haven’t heard of TRIZ, Theory of Constraints, Synectics, CPS, or Six Thinking Hats, and have only heard of Design Thinking (or Agile, or Lean), you need to get the training.