What do you do if your team is struggling to generate innovative ideas?

When a team struggles to generate innovative ideas, facilitators can employ various techniques to stimulate creativity. Encouraging brainstorming sessions with diverse perspectives, using techniques like mind mapping or the SCAMPER method, and creating a supportive environment where all ideas are valued can help spark innovation. Additionally, incorporating structured problem-solving frameworks like design thinking can guide the team in generating novel solutions to challenges.

When teams struggle to provide innovative ideas, I like to ask members to throw out even the craziest idea (with no judgement from other members). Typically there is laughter, and the mood becomes more conducive to innovative ideas. There may be a small component of a "crazy" idea that can generate brainstorming and creative ideas.

Es importante sumar una pausa para mirar el propósito con que el líder del espacio propone avanzar en esta innovación. Dónde tiene sentido este trabajo para su perspectiva. Esto también ayuda a dar luz a los puntos ciegos de quien tendrá que poder impulsar conversaciones de transformación con su equipo.

Relatively simple things like time pressure, workload, or too many different projects/ideas on the go at the same time could stand in the way of your team's creativity. It could also be a deeper issue like a lack of perceived psychological safety, not seeing or understanding the importance or opportunity for creative problem solving on a specific issue, or a track record of creative ideas being ignored. It would be worth checking in with your team members to understand what is standing in the way and what might be needed to make creativity safe and possible.

D'après mon expérience, quand l'équipe n'arrive pas à générer des idées innovantes, souvent il y a un problème relationnel et/ou de dynamique de groupe qui frêne. Il est alors essentiel de prendre le temps d'identifier ce frein : est-ce une tension entre individus ? Est-ce la présence d'un manager négatif ? Est-ce le non alignement avec le but final du projet d'innovation. Ou alors, des préoccupations externes qui empêchent l'équipe d'expérimenter (une annonce de changement organisationnel ou de fusion par exemple). Je n'hésite pas alors à arrêter la démarche d'innovation définie, pour 'libérer les tensions' (crever l'abcès)', avant de pouvoir reprendre, si possible, la stratégie initiale.

a few things I find helpful is: - do creative warm up exercices that help to get into flow with imagination and creative thinking - remind of the brainstorming rules - it helps participants getting the permission to think freely - make participants take different perspectives - like that of a 6 year old kid or a rock super star - always properly frame the problem that should be solved with the ideation session

Giving enough prep time, changing the location or context, bringing in someone with a very different perspective or experience, changing mediums (e.g. digital whiteboard / paper / art / drawing / dramatization), reverse-ordering contributions (from least experienced/senior to most) could all help to change up your brainstorming in a positive way. Brainstorming in your normal Zoom / Teams / physical meeting room in the middle of your normal weekly team stand-up or huddle is probably the least creative brain and physical/virtual space to be creative in, especially without the right framing and/or preparation.

One fantastic tip in brainstormingly differently is using the creative technique 'as if'. Ask people to generate ideas like stereotypical caracthers such as Superman, Wonderwoman, your neighbourg, the mother in law, your gnadfather, Mac Giver and so on. Thinking as if they were carachters help people to overcome thinking habits with no censure and to be higly creative while having fun. The secret of the excercise is in using well know caracthers (people must be able to identify behaviors and thoughts) and avoiding controversial caracthers (politicians for instance of very negative ones like dictators). Try and you will be surprised by the outcome in idea generation! ;)

One of the most important problem in innovative team dynamic is when the team has a common backgroud (trainings, experience and culture) that prevent them to really think differently. They will have different ideas, but in the same semantic universe. In this case it could be useful to let the team explore the issue/problem/subject with people from different area of the organization. If not possible it is useful to use playful scenarios that bring the team in a radically different context by means of simulation games.

Encouraging or having diversity doesn't automatically equal innovation and fresh ideas. More than anything, leaders and managers need to facilitate brave spaces where people can show up (in whatever way they want to show up) and: A) Ask tough questions B) Disagree C) Offer other ideas D) Everyone builds on each other's contributions

This is an often under-utilized but very powerful tool for creative problem-solving, in line with Plato's "our need will be the real creator" (or 'necessity is the mother of invention'). If everything is possible, it can be hard to nail things down into something practical, or even know from which end to start tackling the problem. Use time, resource, space or other constraints to push your team to come up with 'creative practical' solutions to a problem.

It can also be worthwhile to allow for some recharge time, and/or weekly/monthly dedicated creative time (think of Google's famous 20% time). If you've really tried everything else and it is still not coming, leaving a problem alone for a period of time and then coming back to it as a team can provide both useful new perspective and innovative ideas or jumping off points.

Uno no puede poner su inspiración en otros, sino que acompañar a que brote desde cada miembro del equipo su motivación y empuje para el trabajo. El desafío esta en construir espacios de confianza y encuentro entre quienes vayan participando

Feeling stuck while collaborating as a group? Get up! If you've been stuck in a conference room conversation all day, and the conversation is starting to get stale, this can be an amazing tool for revving up the group and jump-starting innovative thinking. As a facilitator, ask the group to move their chairs to a circle next to the conference table. Or conduct an activity that puts them into small groups around the room. Or one that encourages movement like pointing, pairing, etc. By changing the visual and physical elements of the participants' experience, you can spark new ideas, unlock collaboration, and wake up the room.

In my experience to come up with fresh ideas it helps people a lot to calm their minds before starting with ideation. This can be achieved by mindful exercises, going for a walk, taking a shower. Another important thing is that ideation is not a one-time-shot. The best ideas come from many ideas and many ideas come from continously creating new ideas. Limiting ideation to the one-time-event of a workshop is not enough to really become innovate.

Two simple things that work for me: 1. Go for a walk and take the idea with me. Fresh air, a change of scenery, exercise, and some quiet time to think and reflect can go a long way. 2. Have a conversation about the problem/idea with someone who has no direct experience of or expertise in the issue. They will most likely ask questions and make observations that will spur new perspectives, along with forcing you to think and talk about it in simpler or more fundamental terms.

Use different lenses and perspectives from different settings. Apply innovative ways to assess situations and be unafraid to step out of the box.