Thinking Tactics for the Up and Coming Innovators of the Next Generation
There are so many ways to get your company or group thinking in an innovative and creative way. There are synergies which can be garnered from groups, even if no one in the group is actually a creative genius. Of course, if you round up quite a few intellectuals, and creative folks, and put them in the same room working together it's amazing what you can come up with and sometimes it only takes a few people to really make a major breakthrough in industry.
Now then, let me give you a few tips and tactics right off the top of my head which will help your organization harness the power of this next generation, and get them working in a synergistic fashion to propel innovation. Below are of some of the things you should be considering;
1. Mix and Match Thinking Styles:
The other day, I was discussing a new design for a fairly cool little gizmo which has endless applications with an engineer and semi-scientist. He indicated that our minds worked differently. We did come up with at least one decent modification to his design which would allow for more versatility for various scalable applications. That's a good thing.
2. Don't Underestimate Your Brain Power:
Just because you think that you are not so good at math, design, sketching, art, innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship, intense study, marketing, writing, or pitching your new concept doesn't mean you have adequately sized up your abilities. Sometimes when you are quite focused you can do all sorts of things and find talents you never thought you had.
3. When Brain Storming There Are No Bad Ideas:
Oh sure, there are bad idea, disastrous ones in fact, but you have to set that aside when brain storming. Just as you need to suspend your belief system when watching a Sci Fi movie for instance. Let your mind go, let the minds of your team go, and don't correct or nix anyone's idea, or be afraid of your own during brain storming. Let it go, and go for it. There will be plenty of time later to evaluate and discard silly ideas, and even all have a laugh about them - together.
4. Make a To Do List to Research:
No one is an expert in everything, except for you of course. It is okay to realize this and make lists of things you need to check; facts and figures. After you're done brainstorming, or before you take anyone's word as gospel, it makes sense to check your facts. Even brilliant people can sometimes be a little off on their facts and figures, and that doesn't mean they're stupid, or they don't know what they're talking about, it's just that sometimes even brilliant people make small mistakes.
5. Don't Be Too Hard on This Next Generation:
This new generation has been taught using a different perspective and teaching method. Much of what they have done comes from group think. Therefore, they are very good at it. Often entrepreneurs, and successful individuals are not into group think, and many of them are creative geniuses, and can't stand it. That doesn't mean it won't work, or that these up-and-coming innovators can't help your organization with creativity and design. They can, and they often do.
It is my hope that you will please consider these five points, and think on it. Consider it from a philosophical perspective, and work these ideas into what you are currently doing. You may find yourself in the midst of something incredible which could revolutionize your industry, or change the forward progression of mankind.
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Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 24,444 articles by September 4th at 4:44 PM will be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off now..
