Creativity is hard to come by in the workplace, but with so many people trying to recreate the wheel each day, according to ReadWrite, there are many ways to get your employees thinking outside the box during your next company meeting.
Think fast
Crank up the intensity of your next brainstorming session by turning it into a speed round. By applying pressure to creative thinkers, they will come up with numerous farfetched – and even crazy – ideas. While many will not be usable, one might serve as a jumping off point for a more realistic concept.
Start with the worst, first
Rather than asking for the team’s best ideas, shake it up and ask for the worst ones. Often, within a few minutes of sharing bad ideas, it will jolt someone’s creative juices for a great one.
Know your team
Familiarize yourself with the team – what are their likes and their dislikes? What makes them tick? You can use this knowledge to ignite a creative spark.
All hands on deck
Prompt each team member to come up with a creative solution to a problem. Don’t let your team criticize any ideas brought to the table. Instead, have everyone else build on it or deconstruct it to a more streamlined solution.
Keep it light
Laughter is the best medicine for a creative block. Rather than shun humor, embrace it and encourage employees to engage in some light-hearted banter. Morale will spike, and it will loosen people up.
Go for a stroll
Sometimes a conference room isn’t the best place to talk shop. As an alternative, pair up team members and have them go for a walk outside. Their conversation will eventually circle back to the problem at hand and they could come back with a million-dollar idea.
Incentivize
No problem is too big to mount, especially if there is a reward on the line. Get their brains working overtime on a solution by offering a fun incentive.
A fun atmosphere is great for creative problem solving. Let McVeigh Global Meetings and Events plan your next company meeting – we’ll help get the ideas flowing.