We need brainstorming ideas in workplace

Brainstorming purpose is to let creativity grow in the workplace and office managers should encourage such activity as often as possible amongst the working level.. However, we must not to let criticism kill the creativity spirit. The creative process must be supported, nurtured and embraced by the seniors in the office to enable possible good working results to be surfaced. There are some guidelines to making sure the process of brainstorming within the group and that the team agrees to them before any idea generation begins.

As ideas begin to flow, we must do everything in our ability to let these ideas flow. No one should start to pre-judge the ideas thrown on the table. The idea-generation is about coming out with as many ideas, not ranking them and then later put in time to evaluate them. Even if the person next to you throws out the stupidest idea which you think could be, let the process continue. Any comment or criticism will change the mood in the group, and they will start to clam up. The objective is to bring ideas to the surface, not to discuss them.

Once an idea hits the whiteboard, we will start to wonder how the idea would come to life, what would it cost? Who to take lead to start the ball rolling? What would the end result of the idea going to look like? What would the financial implications be? Where would the work idea take place? As important as that kind of thinking may be, it will crush the creativity idea very quickly and we need to thread our footpath very carefully.

Thus, fear is the biggest killer of creativity. We learn in schooldays that there is always one right answer and we should avoid making errors at all cost and with chinese culture, it inbuild in us that mistake made will make us “lose our face”. We need to release that fear to unlock our true creative potential. If we're leading the group, emphasize this before we begin. Tell our staff that every idea matters and that the whole point is to get a lot of ideas on the table. To best create an environment where everyone feels comfortable taking risks and has no fear of embarrassment or negative consequences, we need to set an example. If we as leader aren't afraid to toss out silly, outrageous ideas, we will likely to encourage others to release their fears as well, so that their most creative thinking can emerge. We can always learn a lot from the past, but it can also limit our ability to invent the future. Holding back an idea because we tried it once before and it didn't work out so well is limiting factor.. Imagine the world we live in changes none stop every day. An idea today comes into a world with an entirely new set of situations, market environment, technologies and customer preferences. If it happened not to work in the past, it may just have been ahead of its time. Or perhaps that idea, when revisited, will lead to a revised version that can carry the day. Every idea could be a new one at this moment, so share every single one that we believe has got it’s credit and substance.

Brainstorming sessions can easily dissolve into wandering and woolgathering. We need to watch out and not let it happen. An idea might remind someone of a past incident or it might lead to taking on a different creative challenge, or discussing a completely different topic. A right-brain creative state is so rare and so refreshing that its energy and excitement can cause a team to stray. To solve this, keep some of those not so relevant ones on a “parking lot” list to be discussed another time. This will keep the group focused on the task at hand while still making sure that important concepts are remembered and can get attention later.

Just as we manage the storming situation, the collective energy of the room can build into a frenzy, unleashing brilliant ideas while everyone has a great time, or it can devolve into yet another boring clock-watching drone session. We need to keep the energy up and maybe with some intermittent High-fives, cheers and positive vibes in between session. Let’s not allow negativity and energy-draining commentary bore the life from the room. Comparing ideas is an insidious form of criticism that needs to be checked at the door with all other left-brain habits. Comparing usually contains an implicit criticism. Brainstorming can become quite jolly, and the temptation to start joking about what comes up can be hard to resist and laughter at the expense of an idea is a fast way to kill it.

Brainstorming is a profoundly useful creative technique to generate solutions, new thoughts, improve work methodology, save cost, increase productivity, but only if we all know how to use it properly and be disciplined in the process of carrying it out in groups.

Leading your staff more than just with your brain

The truth is that building strong and good work relationship amongst our office staff and within the organization can be tough and challenging for office leaders. Most of us naturally are inclined to lead with our heads, believing we are experience and intelligent, through organized planning, extensive review and as usual a steady temperament. That approach has generally suited everyone but not a perfect approach.

By leading with our heads is also the same trait that tempts us to head to the running trails for a solo workout instead of walking around to chat with office staff. Often we leave a room as soon as a meeting is over to get to the next assignment, instead of sticking around for a few extra minutes to connect with colleagues on a more personal level. Normally we do not do more “personnel contact”. In certain cases, that could be a good thing for a leader; it's important to maintain independence and a little distance. But, like any leadership strength, self-reliance and playing things close to the vest can be overdone.

In hard times, as some of us are facing now, leading with our heads is not enough. Our staff need more than sheer business expertise, whether it be a smart strategy, the right organizational structure, or clever technical solutions. It is also hard for leaders to build trust with their people—and without that trust it's hard to accomplish much. In many organizations, most of the colleagues are working more hours for less pay and benefits.

Then there are some practical steps to leading more than just with your head. The more we practice them, the better you'll become at connecting with your staff and colleagues.

• Listen to individual

Now more than ever, we need to be a CLO, Chief Listening Officer in your organization. Make sure you devote several meetings each week simply to listening to colleagues, customers and your peers. When you're in these meetings, maintain eye contact, lean forward, nod. Show you're engaged.

Just as significantly, pay attention to what the other person is expressing, not only with their words but also through their tone of voice, facial expressions, and posture. Can you accurately summarize the thoughts and feelings being shared with you? If not clear, suggest ask for clarifications. Do not practice “mind reading” as we know there is no such skill and able to accurately read others mind of what they are thinking. Also do not ever try to be a psychologist and guess what others have in their mind.

• Be known in the office

It's often the practice to eat a quick lunch at your desk so that there is a chance to make phone calls, check through reports and read or clear some e-mails. Make a point once a week of sitting down at a table and joining your staff and get engage in conversation over lunch.

• Show gratitude

A word of “thank you” to an overworked, underappreciated employee can make a huge difference. It's even more important when a bad economy last year restrain or prevent the company to reward staff financially. Be specific, and they'll know you understand something about their role—and that makes your praise all the more and meaningful.

• Invest in staff development

Ensure that your teams are engaged in meaningful work and that you have good development plans for the staff members. If things are slow for one team, turn its members loose on key projects that are important for the future of the organization and that will help build their skills. Nothing is more important than showing interest in the professional development of your staff —so the company should try to invest more often in the training of staff they need.

I do not believe there is a guarantee that following this advice will suddenly help you lead as authentically. But at the very least, we can all get considerably better at connecting with our office colleagues through focus and practice. We need to make leading of our staff with our hearts as one of the many staff management priorities. When we don't, we jeopardize all the magnificent plans in our mind and worst of all, the company or organization will not be progressing fast and better than it’s competitors over the present competitive global arena.

Let others steal your credit and ideas......it is OK

When you are in a big organization, you probably will never create a solid career for yourself by worrying about who is using your solutions and ideas. There probably is some nepotism, if the staff around you are related to the management or some kind of related relationship with the senior people. People hate whiners, they hate bickering, and, most importantly, people who are confident that they have many plans and ideas don’t keep track of each one. And, let’s face it, we do not get far by just having ideas. You need to be likable in the eyes of the management and which means you are either in sync with them or singing the same tune all the time with the CEO ( probably the CEO likes that ! ). So cut it out. Worrying about who gets credit for which solutions or ideas will prevent you from having a fulfilling career in your hectic work life, especially in some kind of tough industries with challenging schedules to meet. Why ??

There is no such thing as infinite count of good ideas -

Good people - the ones who have tons of good ideas - share them. If you’re a business venturer, you have an idea and call some friends to share it. They may say why your idea won’t work, and you do the same thing the next week, until you land on an idea that does work. However for an entrepreneur, the ideas never stop coming and you never stop sharing them.

Those who have lots of ideas or at times “think out of the box” don’t bother to treasure their ideas and keep it secret. If your ideas are so valuable that they need protecting - or you think they do - you’ll come across as someone who is anything but creative. Then no one will hire you for your ideas. So if you want to be known for your ideas, act like someone who has a lot of them. Keep them coming and give them away all the time. It will benefit you more than keeping them tight in your pocket.

Bosses like “nice” people and dislike “smart alec” -

It may be true that most would rather work with people who are likeable than those who are competent but selfish. In fact, some view the nice people as more competent, even if they are not. And the skilled people who are jerks start appearing incompetent to their co-workers. That’s how powerful being nice at the office is. In other words, others will view you as you better at your job if you stop bitching about who gets credit for ideas or solutions.

As I see, management would likely prefer those who help others get their job done. That person genuinely cares if you are happy doing your work; they genuinely cares if it feel connected and engaged. One way to become that well-liked person - share your workable ideas and sell it for FREE.

Try make your boss look up to you -

Do not complain and do not be the “YES” man either. Demanding that your boss give you all the credit does not help, either. If you make your boss’s life easy, he may help you. Hopefully he or she will mentor you, train you, guide you through the organization and recommend pay adjustment for you. Bosses do not complain that they don’t have enough idea people working for them. Bosses complain that there is too much work to do. This is because bosses always think they are the idea people, whether or not they are. So if your boss thinks your staff has all the ideas, it doesn’t matter. Your boss will recognize those who gets things done.

If you want to get credit for your ideas, you could try a blog -

Resumes may not showcase ideas. Resumes are a history of what others have allowed you to do in their organization. If you want to be known for the ideas you are coming up with right now, then try to put in your blog. It’s incredibly easy to write a blog if you have a lot of ideas. The ideas need not reveal company proprietary info; they just need to reveal how you think - about a wide range of things in your specialised field. Try putting your ideas out for public reference. Don’t write about people stealing your ideas. Your blog ideas, should they be convincing, then others will associate those ideas with you.

Be “Open Source” software -

Imagine yourself as “Open Source” software versus “proprietary” software. Open Source’s strength is that many people contribute to the growth and refinement of it. It’s a breeding ground for people to share ideas. Credit is shared, and tracked as the software evolves. And as your contribution to it grows you will gain power and recognition in the community.

Alternative to blogging your ideas, Speak up -

Make sure the Boss hears your ideas at meetings, in emails, in memos — establish yourself as a constant “source” of bright thinking and good ideas within your team. Do not try to outshine your peers in front too much and control yourself. Otherwise, you may be seemed to be too arrogant in the meeting.

Work Hard -

Be seen as the person on the team that always does your homework. Never come to a meeting unprepared. Think through what the agenda is, and add your insights and ideas, in front of everyone. Refrain from talking irrelevant issues not related to the topic of discussion.

Push yourself to the front -

That doesn’t mean you have to be “in-their-face”, but it does mean that you should seek out opportunities where you can show your abilities to best advantage. (eg. trade shows, trade publications, special committees) In the long term, wise companies will ensure that all employees who participate in the creation of new ideas are recognized. New ideas are one of the engines of economic growth after all.

Where will all this get you? Hopefully some organization or headhunter will want to hire you or work with you not because of the list of tasks on your resume, but because you are that person with all those sound ideas. And once you’re hired, it doesn’t matter if someone has stolen your ideas and your credit.

Get in control at "hot meetings"

If you have not been once a while under fire by your management or seniors then it may seem either your job is not interesting or your career’s probably not going anywhere. It is sort of like “no pain no gain.” If you push the envelope and take risks, then you’re going to get mercilessly grilled from time to time. That’s just the way it works. And if you really really want to get recognized or hoping for next promotion and get something of yourself, you have to learn to deal with situations and present your skills infront of the “audience”.

Not talking about being thick skin and becoming a human punching bag. I’m talking about learning to handle getting fired upon like a true leader.

We all probably behave as defensive in the early days, but as time pass we tend to mellow down and learned the ropes:

Don’t get emotion - It’s good to be passionate about your ideas, but if you’re emotionally attached to them, it’ll come through when you’re getting grilled. And managers are incredibly distrustful of ideologues trying to shove things down their throats. It’s all about positioning. In your mind, you have to be willing to walk away. That little separation will give you the appearance of perspective and poise under fire.

Find alternative plans - The best way to respond to most objections is by first embracing them, then explaining why your plan is better or at least equivalent. Again, it’s a positioning game. But there’s a subtle but significant difference between, “My approach is better and here’s why,” and “That’s an interesting idea; here’s why I think this might be a better approach.”

Know your stakeholders - Of course you need to know your material and expect the worst. Unfortunately, that’s not even close to good enough. You also have to know the stakeholders, your audience, and pre-empt their likely objections. A few one-on-one pre-meetings are a good idea. Then you’ll be ready to counter effortlessly.

Never lose your cool in meeting- It’s your meeting, or at least your time to present, so you’re in charge and you need to act like it. You need not bother if the chief or boss start going down on some trivial point. You have to be adept at all the usual techniques for keeping meetings on track, on topic, and on time. Come to think of it, that’s probably a topic of its own.

The truth is that great things can happen in meetings, if the person running the show knows what he’s doing. Unfortunately, most managers are so inept at conducting effective meetings you’d think it’s rocket science. Become adept at running effective, productive meetings with some tips that will help you keep a group of highly intelligent and opinionated staff on track when they’re all trying to fly off in different directions.

The setup - Tell what you expect from those in the room what you don’t expect from them. Be specific. For example, “we’re going to determine our testing proposition to customers,” but “we’re not going to sit here and brainstorm the pros & cons to death; we’ll do that offline.”

Be the alpha person- From the start, your manner, level of confidence, eye contact, and body language need to project and reinforce who’s in charge. You don’t care if the boss is in the room; it’s your meeting. You can be respectful and still be the alpha person. You can even tell them in the setup that your job is to accomplish some key actions today. Just don’t overplay it.

Channel useful debate- There will inevitably be heated debate where the meeting starts to get out of control. That’s fine, as long as you bring it back. First you have to get everyone’s attention with something like “Everyone here listen, I have to jump in …,” and once all eyes are on you, then perhaps you summarize the two sides and start to bring everyone to consensus. Then you’re back in control.

Table useless debate - Same as above, except once you have everyone’s attention, tell them they’ll have to take it offline for a separate meeting, then just continue with the agenda … with authority. Be honest, “it’s time to move on and there’s a lot to cover …” Be tough. Remember, it’s your meeting; you get to override.

Improvise- Sometimes meetings get out of control because you screwed up and executives can sense loss of control. Well, before they take over the meeting, you have to improvise, and that can only come from experience. Thinking on your feet is equal to parts knowledge, experience, preparation, self confidence, and maintaining a sense of humor.

Lessons to learn from IPAD evolution......

In early 1980’s the personal computer and graphical user interface (GUI), with keyboard, bulky and heavy CPU unit and mouse for input, and a separate display monitor using CRT as output, was developed. At that time, with all these bulk of equipment hooked up by bunch of wires, it was for the purpose of creation of soft documents, such as word processor, spreadsheet, or desktop publishing program and gaming software application was not yet in the pipeline then. It then started to surface at later stage of the PC evolution and now gaming has gone wireless with 3D moving fast to our living hall. In word or number crunching processing PC, unlike text-based systems such as MS-DOS, the "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) GUI allowed you to see on screen something that closely resembled what you should get when you send or press the print button either through the printer interface or nowadays with WIFI wireless technology.

With increasing penetration of the Internet, the percentage of computing use spent creating documents has jumped in leap and bound and very much non-stop in speed. Also alot of the time has been spent either communicating (originally just email, then adding IM, Skype audio and video, and social networking) or consuming media (text, images, and video). But our computing tools haven't appreciably changed very much from desktop and laptop, now to netbook or mininote with keypad and mouse.

This leads to the techie question what would be the best computing interface for communication and consumption? If anyone were willing to forgo legacy, and design a device specifically for these uses, you could very well arrive at something like Apple's iPad. This has been a recurring theme for Apple. Whether it was the original Macintosh, or iMac, or iPod, or now iPad, Apple is surprisingly cavalier about supplanting an existing cash cow with a next generation product that responds to how the market is moving.

The one thing to learn from iPad is to ponder and ask, what assumptions and the rest of our industry, making about consumer’s behavior that might simply no longer be true and the new way the consumer is going to live with the everyday “must-have” IT tool ?

Southwest Airlines thwarted convention by not offering meals or assigned seats, instead ensuring low prices and a high on-time percentage. It turns out people are willing to bring their own food on board, and little is as important as on-time arrival. Southwest now carries more people in the United States than any other air carrier and probably the only money making budget airline company in the US and survive the up’s and down’s of the economy.

Many industries still have room for significant evolution. Many bank branches seem optimized for supporting basic transactions, even though there are many other ways to handle such things like online, ATM and internet banking. The bank should feel like a service center, geared toward supporting conversations between you and bank representatives about how to better handle your money and not just the simple daily service that are served at the counter.

Retail outlets ought to move beyond the boring and typical stuff-on-shelves. If I just want to buy stuff off of a shelf, I can do that online, though not so popular in Singapore here. Physical stores have a great opportunity to extend the purchase experience, whether through creating communities of purchasers with similar interests or providing service and support when things go wrong.

As we have approached 2010, we still likely to see many of our companies continue to operate as if they were in 1980. If we take a dispassionate and clear-eyed look at present companies and their behavior of its customers, we probably would realize many new business opportunities that have been obscured by “historical” and backward thinking. As for the offshore industry, can it be as evolutionary as the IPAD and transform the offshore drilling into a high tech world where drillers use less effort at the drillfloor ??