The Basics of Idea Generation

Donna Greiner

• Publisher: Productivity Press
• Year: 2020
• Topic: Business
• eBook ISBN:
  9781000154061
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

Continuous generation and implementation of ideas is critical to creating an environment that helps foster the development of improvement techniques. The Basics of Idea Generation provides a cost-effective method that can help inspire employees to consistently identify and implement new ideas, using a proven five-step process. The process starts by creating an opportunity statement. From there the method then has one collect raw materials, before holding an idea workout, and then evaluating the idea. Implementation is the final step. The author also explains the 20 tools that help complete each step, along with solutions to overcoming the barriers to creativity.

CHAPTER 1

Five Steps to Ideation

STEP 1: CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

In idea generation, as with any task, the first step toward achieving goals is to decide what those goals will be. As the old law says: If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?

There are many different types of goal statements. Most of the readers of this book work in companies that have created mission statements to make their organizational goals explicit. Just as a corporate mission statement focuses all employees on common goals and establishes a common framework for day-to-day operations, opportunity statements are used to define and establish goals for idea generation projects.

These goal statements are called “opportunity” statements because they represent positive, forward-moving improvements. Even when ideas are generated to solve problems, it is helpful to speak and think of the work of idea generation as an opportunity.

Starting the ideation process with an opportunity statement is equally critical for individual and team-based idea-generating efforts. The opportunity statement provides a method for keeping the desired outcome of the work clear throughout the ideation effort. It gives idea hunters a road map for successfully navigating the ideation process. And, importantly, the opportunity statement represents a shared commitment to the project by the participants who helped create it.

The work of creating ideas is a positive activity. Thinking of idea generation as an opportunity increases the likelihood of success.

THE TWO ELEMENTS OF OPPORTUNITY STATEMENTS

Opportunity statements should be simply stated and as unambiguous as possible. They are written statements that need not be lengthy. A small project might require only a sentence or two and an even larger effort can be described in a few paragraphs. Opportunity statements should also be written in the first person using wording such as “I will” or “we will” to build commitment.

There are two elements in every opportunity statement: an explanation of the goal of the ideation project and a timeline for project completion.

Define the Goal

The first element of the opportunity statement requires the definition of what project managers call “deliverables.” Deliverables are the useable end results of a project or its goals. The first sentence of the opportunity statement should explain exactly what the project aims to accomplish.

Goal definition might be very simple, such as when a single employee attacks a quality defect completely within her control. Such a goal definition might read: “I will create and implement an idea to eliminate….” Larger projects, such as the development of new product ideas that are created by teams, will usually include broader goals that may require more thought and a group consensus to accomplish.

Establish a Schedule

The second element of an opportunity statement is the timeline for project completion. This schedule assigns a time period and assigns responsibility for completing each of the five steps of the ideation process.

A specific time frame for project completion is useful for several reasons. First, the mere fact that a deadline is specified can help idea hunters reach their goals. (See the subconscious aspects of idea generation in the next step.) Second, a schedule allows idea hunters to set aside uninterrupted blocks of time for their search. Third, as steps in the schedule are successfully completed, a sense of accomplishment and confidence in our ability to be creative grows.

FOUR TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENTS

1. Put it in writing. Putting all idea work in writing is important in several ways. It creates a permanent, tangible record of work and it encourages commitment from all participants. A written record puts all those involved “on the same page” and creates an idea pool in which the contributions of everyone in a group are saved. And, finally, it creates a road map preventing participants from losing sight of their deliverables.

2. Involve every team member. Successful opportunity statements, like mission statements, are usually not imposed from above, but need to come from the hearts and minds of those employees who will be responsible for fulfilling them. If you want to foster commitment, loyalty, and ownership in an idea project, make sure everyone involved participates in the definition of the project goals.

3. Create an opportunity, not a cage. Too restrictive an opportunity statement can hinder creative freedom. A useful technique to assist in the process of defining opportunities is to visualize how your work or company will look when your ideas have been implemented. Ignore the constraints of the situation and imagine the best possible outcome without being judgmental or overly practical. This “wish list” will allow you to define your goals without narrowing your options.

4. Use questions to zero-in on opportunities. Questions are a highly effective way to define your idea goals. In fact, questions like “why not?” are the basic starting point of any creative endeavor. Try using the 5W2H Method (what, why, where, when, who, how, and how much) to help define your current situation and the opportunities available to improve it. (See “Reporter’s Questions” in Chapter 2 for a user’s guide to this technique.)

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

Napoleon Hill

STEP 2: COLLECT THE RAW MATERIAL

With the direction and schedule of an idea-generating project established, it is time to begin collecting the raw materials which will be combined with the added value of the idea hunter’s creativity to yield valuable and ready-to-implement ideas. This step is a research and germination phase of the ideation process.

There are three action phases at work within Step 2: Investigate, Inquire, and Incubate (the “3 I’s” Way). Before learning how to use the “3 I’s”, there are three traits that idea hunters need to understand and cultivate to make the most of their idea research and germination efforts. These traits are intellectual characteristics: openness, curiosity, and immersion.

• Openness, or the ability to accept thinking that differs from our own, is a critical trait of idea hunters. Henry Ford, whose genius and drive made owning an automobile an attainable dream for most Americans, provides an excellent example of what can happen when we are closed-minded to new ideas. When asked in what colors the Model T was available, he replied that customers could have his car in any color they wanted—as long as that color was black. This failure to remain open to the idea of options contributed to the rise of General Motors, which built its business on the many options it offered its customers. Believing that you already know all there is to know stifles creativity. Instead, maintain an open mind where new possibilities exist and new combinations may be formed.

• Curiosity may have killed the cat, but ideation projects run by idea hunters who are not curious will surely suffer the same fate. The trait of curiosity encourages idea hunters to search outside their own areas of expertise for ideas. The invention of Velcro is a good example. Velcro was invented by curious scientists who thought to study nature for undiscovered methods of adhesion. The common burr, as everyone who has ever pulled one off of their pants leg will immediately recognize, became the model for this immensely successful new product.

• Immersion refers to an idea hunter’s ability to remain devoted to his task, to focus and concentrate without becoming distracted by other matters. Few inventors can match Thomas Edison’s ability to immerse himself in his work. Loath to leave his work, Edison often slept in his West Orange, NJ “invention factory.” In his search for a stable filament for the electric light bulb, the untiring i...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Five Steps to Ideation
• Chapter 2: 20 Ideation Tools and Techniques
• Related Resources