innovation

We’ve all participated in or led one at work, whether it’s for a new product, marketing strategy, sales campaign or branding effort, just to name a few. Everyone is expected to come up with productive ideas that will make the most money, sell the most products or generate the most publicity.

And we’ve certainly all heard that familiar phrase: “No idea is a bad idea.”

However, brainstorming sessions can often fall below our expectations. Perhaps our ideas are overlooked, or we don’t share many – or any – of our ideas that come to mind. Why is that?

Why do we worry so much about sharing our ideas if there’s no such thing as a bad one?

The management culture that rewards efficiency and great results often conflicts with the innovation culture that requires creativity and sometimes even failure. Thus, it can be difficult to share our bold new ideas because our internal dialogue or work culture says they seem too risky or could be rejected.

Fortunately, there are some behaviors that you can practice to build trust, en- courage your team to come up with – and fearlessly share – innovative ideas together.

Here are three steps, with exercises to practice in day-to-day life, to create an innovation-friendly brainstorming environment where your team can come up with ideas without fear:

Truly listen to team members

Think of how many different ways we have to listen to be able to innovate. We must listen to our customers in order to determine what they really need. We need to listen to ourselves, our instincts, our guts – both to find sparks of innovation and to identify our own innovative barriers or biases.

And we also should be listening to others’ ideas.

Our team members’ ideas can give us new perspectives. It’s not just new information we’re gaining from them, it’s also the ability to look at the entire question or challenge differently than we ever would have if we stayed within our own heads.

Listening is a very selfless act, since one of the first igniters of great listening is curiosity of others and their ideas, rather than just of yourself and your own ideas.

One of the outcomes of listening fully to a collaborator is that he/she instantly feels validated and respected. This leads to authenticity and trust, which ignites more innovative ideas.

Listening is also a powerful tool for stopping your own inner dialogue about what the outcomes should be, how we’ve always done it before, or what we’re most comfortable with. Listening helps distract our negative inner voice.

Try this: Repeat what you heard before you respond so the person you’re talking to knows you understand their point of view.

Declare your idea and own it

Declaring is a simple act of adding what we have to the innovation equation, and it is a vital part of the brainstorming process. The purpose and goal of declaring is to provide fellow collaborators with your point of view.

A strong declaration is clear, concise, authentic and rich in content. Strong declarations create safe spaces for collaboration and give those around you valuable fuel, energy and direction they can react to, build upon and move forward with.

Declaring plays an important role because it can reduce fear and increase engagement among brainstorm members. You’ll set your team up for success by introducing clear information from the very start.

Try this: Refrain from using qualifying statements such as “just spit-balling,” “off the top of my head,” and “this is probably a terrible idea, but…” Phrases like these instantly devalue your idea and put you in a subordinate relation- ship with your idea-sharing partners.

Reframe the situation.

Reframing is all about seeing the situation differently. I have used reframing in both my work with clients and in my practice as an entrepreneur as a way to gain a new perspective, find ways around obstacles and think of new ideas even when things are going well.

Reframing requires asking, “What if ?” or “How about?”

Looking at a situation from a different angle and finding another path toward the solution can be insightful methods for adding value to any brainstorming process.

Reframing can also serve as an integral part of the way we approach a brainstorm.  It can be an engine that provides a diverse set of perspectives continuously through- out the innovation process, not just when something goes wrong.

A measured dose of reframing sprinkled throughout the brainstorming process keeps your mind sharp and continues to inspire the exploration of new ideas or new versions of what you are currently doing.

Try this: Create a few profiles of typical customers or collaborators and use their lens when problem-solving.
Brainstorms should be an energizing exercise in a safe environment where the sentiment of “no bad ideas” is not only stated, but also put into practice.

Taking time to listen to others’ ideas, confidently declaring your thoughts and looking at the situation from a unique angle can lead to the generation of innovative, exciting or even breakthrough ideas that may not have happened otherwise.