Ideation and Innovation

Set aside some quality time, use a space away from normal working environment and plan an Ideation and Innovation Session, or even just walk and talk outdoors to discuss new ideas. Involve members from different teams, leveraging their experience and expertise and solicit different viewpoints.  Early involvement creates more buy-in.  

Let your minds be free flowing, your thinking to be creative. Allow new ideas, alternatives and different concepts to be generated. Don't constrain your thinking by questioning the validity of the idea at this stage - remain open minded as to the possibilities and allow your team to be free from self conscious and self doubt - no idea is a silly one mentality.

An idea is probably quite nebulous at first and not clearly defined. It’s a seed that has just been planted. How it grows and shapes itself, develops over time.  People will have vary different view points at this stage, which is good as it allows the idea to be shaped and looking at it from different lenses..  Ideas will need more defining and refining.

Seeing the big picture is like a jigsaw puzzle with many pieces. 

The more complex it looks makes solving the jigsaw much harder. The more pieces it has, means longer to complete.  At first its a 1000 pieces all jumbled up, some we can see, but have no idea where they fit in the bigger picture, some are completely hidden and need to be uncovered.  You start finding straight edge pieces, the top priority being corner pieces.  Then pieces with obvious detail or colour.  Those with less detail are left in the box for later, there place in the jigsaw becoming clearer in time

Ideas are like the jigsaw pieces. They need order, structure and time to be understood as to where they fit into the overall plan. Some ideas are obvious, some obscure and need to time to surface. Cornerstone ideas to be worked on first, and need to be prioritised