Innovation: Project management (Phase1: Generating new ideas)

Generating new ideas

Business begin with an idea and their development, stability and success depend, more than ever, on innovation and the continuous flow of creative thought.


In general, creative thinking acts at an unconscious and intuitive level. Nevertheless, a systematic and structured approach can be learned, like any other skill, and applied to various working areas, not only those of marketing and research.

 

 
Brainstorming is a process that results from a meeting called specifically for the generation of new ideas. Ideally, the group should comprise between five and seven people and should be heterogeneous, though it is not essential that everyone be connected with the problem (it is normally beneficial to have some external input).The first phase, which lasts approximately 15 minutes, is used to give a brief outline of the background to the problem and the purpose of the meeting. This first phase is also aimed at making the participants feel relaxed and building trust among them, in order to avoid any pressure or prejudice.

The process starts with a redefinition of the problem. Example: what expansion of our services might our customers want to see? Then the brainstorming proper begins, lasting approximately 40 minutes. The rules to be followed by the group are set out on a blackboard. These rules are as follows:

• All ideas are valid

• Defer judgement on any idea that arises

• Improve and elaborate on these ideas

• Let these ideas give rise to new ones

• Do not allow hierarchies to develop

All the members of the group begin to put ideas forward, and these are listed on a blackboard by the group moderator so that everyone can see them. When the time is up, the moderator decides whether there are enough ideas. It may be that the group has run out of ideas and the flow is insufficient. New stimuli are introduced during a second phase, and ideas are tested with questions such as:

• Can it be applied in another way?
• Can it be adapted?
• Can it be modified?
• Can it be extended?
• Can it be reduced?
• Can it be replaced?
• Can it be reorganized?
• Can it be reversed?
• Can it be combined?

The basic principle requires deferring judgement while ideas are being generated, in order to prevent the critical faculty from interfering with the creative faculty.