Reading Time: 8 minutes This is the “capstone” strategy for this series, because it is the strategy that can wrap around all the other strategies: use your strengths. It’s “normal” (though definitely not ideal!) not to think specifically about our strengths and how to use them well. This is largely because our business and social cultures value trying to … Read more
Reading Time: 6 minutes Most of the strategies we’ve covered in the series are based around doing our thinking in groups. In this post, we’ll look at a strategy for when it’s not feasible or appropriate to work with a group, or when you want to upskill your thinking abilities. We’re looking at why, when and how to get … Read more
Reading Time: 5 minutes So far in the series, we’ve looked at strategies that directly apply to our thinking. In this post, we’ll look at a strategy that helps manage the thinking process: use a facilitator. A skilled facilitator will free you up to focus on idea generation. They will also help you apply the strategies we’ve already covered: … Read more
Reading Time: 7 minutes We’re shifting focus slightly in this post, to look at a strategy that will keep our thinking and idea generation as broad and open as possible. This is one of the most vital keys of the thinking process: don’t prejudge your ideas. This approach is a perfect companion for the strategies we’ve already covered: having … Read more
Reading Time: < 1 minute Welcome to my series on “How to have great ideas”. On this page, you’ll find links to the articles I’ve written detailing strategies for having great ideas. As each new strategy is published, it will appear here, so check back regularly for new content, or sign up to my newsletter to be notified when new … Read more
Reading Time: 6 minutes An often-overlooked strategy for generating great ideas is to use a theme or vision to drive our thinking. You can use this approach in conjunction with the strategies we’ve already covered: having lots of ideas, reading, watching and listening broadly, carving out blank space, involving others and knowing nothing, being curious. How does a theme … Read more
Reading Time: 6 minutes This strategy sounds counter-intuitive, but the “know nothing, be curious” approach puts us on the pathway to developing fresh perspectives and gaining insights. And from that, we can generate great ideas. You can layer this strategy on top of the first four: having lots of ideas, reading, watching and listening broadly, carving out blank space, … Read more
Reading Time: 8 minutes So far in this series, we’ve focused on individual activities for generating great ideas – now we turn our attention to how to involve others in our thinking, as a way of developing more creative, robust and valuable ideas than when working alone. This doesn’t mean we give up on having lots of ideas, reading, … Read more
Reading Time: 9 minutes These days, we are more likely than ever to say that we don’t have any “blank space” in our lives. There’s no room for downtime when we’re so busy trying to finish our to-do lists, maintain a social life (whether online or in the “real world”), do our jobs and keep ourselves mentally and physically … Read more
Reading Time: 7 minutes Welcome back to the “How to have great ideas” series. My previous article covered the first strategy for having great ideas, which is to have lots of ideas. It’s worth reading that article first, to give you context for the second strategy: to read, watch, and listen broadly. Very few of us read, watch, and … Read more