The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away. — Linus Pauling, winner of Nobel Prizes in both peace and chemistry
What do you do when you need an idea and you need it quick? Hire a consultant? Delegate? Panic? Throw up your hands in despair? Say “no” to all of those answers! You have within you a creative genius ready to help you at a moment’s notice. You just need a few suggestions to help prime the pump. As master idea generator Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Don’t lose hope. Help awaits. Just grab a pen and notebook, roll up your sleeves, complete the exercises below and voila, brilliant answers! You had it in you all the time.
What is the biggest challenge you’re facing? Phrase it as a question in at least five different ways. For example:
“How could we improve employee retention?”
“What would be the best way to improve employee retention?”
“Why the heck can’t we keep our good people?”
“Why are people leaving our company in such large numbers?”
“How can we attract employees who want to stay?
You get the idea. After you’ve generated your list of questions, circle the one that’s most compelling. It will be the one that jumps out at you. Remember when you were in school and the teacher asked a question and you knew the answer? It will make you feel like that. Now… answer the question and come up with a great solution.
You may not know the exact solution to the problem you’re facing. However, there are several ways of focusing on the solution. Ask yourself questions like these: “How will I know the problem has been solved?” “What will I accept as verification? “ “How will I feel when my problem is solved?” “How will my life (business, team, etc.) be different when this issue is worked out?” “What will success look like?” If you can begin to focus on the outcome you desire, your intuition will be able to provide you with the most advantageous path to get there.
Fill in the blank with the name of someone you admire. It can be a former or current boss, your neighbor, your mother or father, a religious figure. It doesn’t matter who you choose as long as you view them as possessing the qualities you need to make this decision. Close your eyes and imagine you are this person. How would they approach your issue or problem? Jot down all the ideas that come to you, even if they seem silly, weird or impossible. Those are usually the best!
One of the most difficult parts of generating new ideas is that it seems to send your inner critic into high gear. If your inner critic sounds anything like mine, you’ll hear such things as, “That’s a dumb idea.” “That won’t work.” “Who do you think you are?!” Let me hasten to add that your inner voice (intuition) and your inner critic have nothing in common. Intuitive messages are usually kind, calming and make you feel hopeful and optimistic. The inner critic does the opposite. Artist and poet William Blake stated, “All great inventions, ideas, businesses and solutions were once simply an idea in someone’s mind. What is now proved was once only imagined.” In order to find those great ideas, make friends with your inner critic. Tell him (or her) they have a role in helping you evaluate ideas once you’ve given them time to develop. Respect your creative process. Let your thoughts percolate for a period of time before you assess them. You have within you a rich resource for creative problem solving. It’s called your intuition. Learn to trust it!
Lynn A. Robinson is a bestselling author, speaker and leading expert on the topic of intuition. She’s a sought-after consultant who uses her own highly-honed intuitive skills to provide businesses with accurate, on-the-spot insights into goals, decisions and strategies. Robinson also teaches intuition development skills to entrepreneurs and corporate executives who want to enhance their effectiveness. Her latest book is TRUST YOUR GUT: How the Power of Intuition Can Grow Your Business. She can be reached at 800-925-4002 or Lynn@LynnRobinson.com. Her website is http://www.LynnRobinson.com.
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