A Hodgepodge of Thought

A homogeneous workplace doesn’t work when you’re an agency attempting to develop a concept that will disrupt the market. Creativity only thrives in spaces that are a hodgepodge of thought.

From time to time, depending on the complexity of the concept, 3Seed will have an afternoon creative session. It pulls together everyone in the company in order to inspire our creative minds. We never know where an idea will come from. It’s why no one is excluded. An idea can be sparked by the most insane – or the most mundane – comment.

The thing that we realize is that people, who come from different backgrounds, who are at different stages in life, who embrace differing societal roles, all look at a problem in a different way. That’s when the process works best.

And believe me, it does work. Many times, I’ve been stuck creatively. Often, it wasn’t until I talked to someone who wasn’t connected to the project in any way that the REAL idea presented itself.

To do a creative right takes some practice, but here are 5 things you can do to get the most out of your own creative session.

Start with a creative icebreaker. Get your participants in the mindset of thinking creatively and perhaps even being silly.
Don’t give your own thoughts until the end. The leader must take a back seat or you risk stifling the session.
Encourage interaction by asking open-ended questions. And ask for input to the problem in different ways.
Never dismiss ANY idea. Even if the idea isn’t really feasible or on topic, it can still spur creativity.
Don’t settle on an idea in the meeting. This allows creative thought to continue for several days after.

The next time you need to come up with an idea, solve a problem, or develop a plan, try bringing your team together. Get their input. It just might be the spark of inspiration you need to arrive at the answer.