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Generative thinking for business leaders

Someone recently came to me asking for help, saying, “All of our Brainstorming and Strategicmeetings generate lots of discussion, but we seldom really create any concrete action. We don’t get full value for the time taken out of the business by our highest paid people!”

A common enough complaint. It may sound strikingly familiar to you. In the current environment, we need to be thinking, creatively, coming up with fresh ideas to leadmore effectively and build business. So how do we avoid the common pitfalls, and how can we ThinkFast in order to translate that thinking into decisive actions that get results?

The secret rests with Generative Thinking. And this is not just for those one-off group brainstorming sessions. No, this is to create a culture of “generative thinking”, of ideas, of opportunities, and of ways to put them into action.

The key is to have a clear Vision, and a Master Plan of how you are going to get there already laid out. That is the wallpaper against which all your Generative Thinking takes place. That done,we are left with the need for regular thinking to ensure you stay on track, and take advantage of opportunities, as well as creating fresh opportunities. Which is where Generative Thinking comes in…

The four cornerstones of Generative Thinking are…

1. Time

Unless you set aside the time to think on a regular basis, strong thinking habits will never be maintained. It’s no good sitting down once a year to “think about ways of improving the business and the way we do things” to find that you stumble. Like any muscle, the Generative Thinking muscle will a trophy with lack of use. Exercised often, it will become strong. Setting aside time in yourdiary, on a regular basis, to think, without distraction, is one of the most important “meetings” you can have.

2. Space

Find an environment which is away from your normal work space. This will help you get away frombeing in managerial or bureaucratic mode. A change of room, or even a separate comfy chair willhelp.Certainly, find a place where you can relax will help because you are more likely to access the Theta Brain Waves which fuel creativity.

3. Topic

Many people set aside the time and space to think, but then find themselves thinking about low-grade topics, or getting side-tracked into dealing with minor business issues. So choosing your topicsfor Generative Thinking in advance is critical. Have some questions formed which will open up the session. Such as “If we had a magic wand, and we waved it over the Despatch department, how would wewant that to run?” Or it may be that you simply have a specific issue or opportunity that needs some decision time. So the topic could be: “sorting out the website”, or “creating a strategic alliance with xyz ltd.“The rules that apply to any meeting also apply here. The object of the exercise is not “to discuss”or “to think about”, but “To decide”. The thinking is simply the vehicle that allows you to take decisions and commit to action.

4. Tools

It is imperative that we have some thinking techniques which allow you to capture the ideas as they are generated. So, Tony Buzan’s Mindmapping, or Edward deBono’s “Thinking Caps”, or any number of tools will help. Most people think in pictures. And these don’t have to be works of art… they can be very basic. The Stratagrams (Strategic Diagrams) I have devised and used many times are there to generate thought and harness opportunity. And always think with a pen in your hand.

Finally…

Generative thinking is not about sitting back allowing the thoughts to come to you and then hopingthat one day you may get round to implementing ten percent of the ideas. It’s about generatingaction, through thinking. Right after the session, take point one of the resulting action plan and activate it. Do something immediately to get things on the move. That single action sends the signal that you have committed to the change.It also takes practice… Start now, you’ll never regret it.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Phil Olley .