Do you want to have idea power all the time?
Do you wonder how people come up with ideas?
Everyone can have idea power – with just a few tips, you too can generate ideas on a dime!
o Get past, “I’m not creative.” Listen, if you aren’t coming up with ideas everyday you are stagnating and shrinking. It’s not about being creative, it about idea power.
o It’s a frame of mind – idea power is comes from a commitment from you to be on a constant “lookout” for ideas and idea-stimulus.
o Have a wide-eye view of the world and the curiosity of a kid. Ask, “why?” and “why not?” And be sure to look at things beyond your normal view each day.
o Look for connections in the things that you notice. What can be connected to your brand, your ideas, your random thoughts? Connections will create new ideas that don’t exist.
o Color! Use colors to help you zig when everyone is green in the summer or white in the winter. Silver is the color of “light” beverages. What color is your idea and what does it stand for?
o EMBRACE CHAOS! It’s not going away. Learn to love it and then simplify it. In the chaos are thousands of ideas just waiting to be discovered.
o Collaborate with “builders.” Like the $10,000 Pyramid – you need to know a good “giver” or “receiver” of ideas. Maybe there is a really good brainstormer in your office that can help you build on your thoughts.
o Find TRANQUILITY. I’m not talking about a place to go to brainstorm. My tranquil place is my kids and wife. There the chaos stops when I remember they are the good thing in life that keeps me going. When you can find tranquility in your life, you’ll have a freer mind to generate ideas.
o Transformation. Now, after jotting down what you’ve seen in your wide-eye view it’s time to transform random ideas into real thoughts as they relate to your brand.
o Then it is time to look for themes of likeness to help you sort all the thoughts into “buckets.”
o Watch out where you generate your ideas. Is the conference room the best spot for your brainstorming? Probably not. Where do people that you know really lighten up and open up? Use that place – or transform the conference room into that place with creative stimulus.
o Get out there. Brainstorming is your opportunity to say “what if?” and “why not” since no one should be judging ideas until after you have finished brainstorming. Don’t be safe – push it!
o Unravel the layers of your ideas. Like a dress, made completely out of zippers, the opening of the layers will reveal and transform the dress and the person wearing it. This is a step you take with your team to see how powerful your ideas are – do they have extensions/tangents or a single focus?
o The single focus is what you need. Like an ice cube which has one purpose – to cool things, your idea should do one thing well.
Go get your ideas!
Embrace chaos. Find real tranquility. Make your ideas single-focused. You’ll find success this way.
