Harnessing Collective Input: Strategies for Infusing Greater Innovation into Your Daily Workflow

When faced with challenges, we can often struggle to break free from conventional thinking and approach problems from a fresh angle. However, by tapping into the diverse range of experiences, expertise, and viewpoints that others bring to the table, you can unlock a treasure trove of innovative possibilities.

By distributing the thinking process among multiple minds, not only can you save yourself valuable time, but you can also alleviate the sole burden of pressure. It’s a win-win. 

Here are five valuable tips to help you make the most of your brainstorming sessions and effectively harness the power of collective contribution: 

Identify the key ideas-people for the specific project.
Don’t just focus on top-tier executives; broaden your scope to get a complete picture. Take into account their professional background, personal insights, and even the advantage of having someone with limited exposure who can offer a unique, fresh perspective on the problem.

Ditch the desks for a moment.
Shaking up your regular surroundings is key to unlocking fresh perspectives. Round up your team and take yourselves out of your every-day environments to spark innovative thinking. This could be as simple as relocating to a shared working space or cafe or as grand as a weekend retreat. Any change of scenery will help sharpen your focus and breathe life into fresh ideas.

Be constructive and grateful for all contributions.
It’s essential to create a safe environment, where all ideas and comments are valued. As soon as an idea is shot down with a ‘flat ‘no’, the enthusiasm to share diminishes, and your contributors will be less inclined to input. There really is no such thing as a bad idea, so be sure to thank your team for their contributions. Big or small, it will motivate them to keep the ideas coming and take pride in their contributions.

Create ample opportunities to innovate.
Whether it’s one-to-one sessions or an ever-accessible platform for idea exchange, it’s important to create opportunities to idea-share outside of a brainstorming session. Why confine creativity? Our brains continue to tick over problems long after we’ve initially seen them, so it’s important not to limit idea sharing. Make sure those spontaneous ‘ah-ha’ moments have a readily available place to be captured and shared.

Build getting feedback into your day-to-day process as much as possible.
Again, remember that it’s not only the senior team’s feedback that is valuable. By fostering a workplace culture that appreciates transparency and helpful critique, you can foster the growth of those crucial insights, regardless of their source. It’s quite likely that a new perspective on your work will uncover fresh opportunities, innovative viewpoints, or even catch a simple spelling error.

At Studio Noel, these principles underpin all our creative endeavours. Interested in delving deeper? Talk to us about our ideation workshops.