– Use Your Brain for Creativity and Innovation Lifetime Optimization – Brain Health and Coaching Clinic

 Need innovation….  Need new ideas….  Want to get creative….  Need to figure something out… Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

 Brainstorming, right?  We all know traditional brainstorming…  Get a group together…  Throw out ideas….  Write them on a white board…  Withhold judgment ….  Come up with a great idea! Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

 It’s fun!  There’s a great group dynamic.  It generates new ideas.  It’s free from criticism.  Everyone is amazed afterwards. Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

 Wrong with brainstorming……  It doesn’t work!  That’s right -if the goal is to come up with more and better ideas….it doesn’t work! Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

Research consistently shows that if you take two groups….. Have one do traditional group brainstorming (TGBS) Have each individual in the other “group” work independently….. The non-brainstorming “group” will consistently come up with more and better ideas! Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

 If we think about how the brain works, it starts to make sense.  The first problem with group brainstorming …….is the group!  The first idea affects everyone’s brain!  Their brains create an unconscious filter, and it creates a frame for the next ideas.  The range of creativity is limited. Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

 Problems with traditional group brainstorming start even before the group does  Participants expect to be creative, regardless of their prior activities  Participants start the process stressed out, focusing on other things  Their brains are prepared for almost everything except creativity Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

Group dynamics also affect traditional group brainstorming Non-judgmentalism is the goal, but it is not easily achieved If the person or people with the most power don’t like an idea, others realize it Sometimes this is unconscious Conscious or unconscious, it affects the participants likelihood of generating similar ideas Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

 Research consistently shows that facilitated groups are more creative  Facilitator is external to process and dynamics  Facilitator guides participants to engage in each element of the process, not just the elements that come naturally Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

 Poor priming… plus  Filtering….. plus  Power dynamics….. plus  No external facilitation…..  Leads to Groupthink! Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

 Creativity can be divided into divergent thinking and convergent thinking  “Divergent” thinking is focused on new ideas, and generating ideas that haven’t been thought before  “Convergent” thinking works out which ideas are likely most fruitful and how to implement  TGBS is focused on divergent thinking Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

 Groups are actually really good at refining ideas and moving toward implementation  This too needs appropriate strategies  TGBS doesn’t offer those strategies Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

 Prime your brain for creativity  Start with conversations that stimulate flow and creativity  What are you grateful for? What inspires you?  Frame the goal clearly  Start with individual idea generation  Swap ideas for further idea generation  Use random input to switch brain tracks  Group process to identify promising ideas  Separate session to refine and implement Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

 Serious Creativity – Edward de Bono  6 Thinking Hats – Edward de Bono  Group Genius – Keith Sawyer  A Whack on the Side of the Head – Roger Van Oech Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved

 Brain-stirring session  Random selection of participant business problem for group idea generation  Experience the first part of the stir  Contact us for more information  Lifetime Optimization Lifetime Optimization- Portland, Oregon- Copyright All Rights Reserved