Every successful business depends not only on economists who routinely calculate every detail and put the company on crisis-free management, but also on marketers who generate new concepts and ideas. And if you are sleepy in the morning, did not sleep well at night, or even experience a personality crisis - what is the inspiration?
Motivation from the category of "pull yourself together and create" is useless when the brain is filled with pressing problems or even strikes against intense creative work. But life without inspiration and ideas is not life at all, but existence. So, by all means it is necessary to restore enthusiasm and generate new ideas. Below we will show you 10 effective methods of how to achieve this.
10. Synectics
The author of the idea proposes to base the decision-making process on the analysis of completely heterogeneous, and sometimes incompatible elements. The method also involves the use of analogies and comparisons, associations. For example, one of the engineers, observing a woodworm worm and making moves in wood, discovered the cesson method in the construction of underwater structures. Analogies can also be applied when the subject himself identifies himself with a future invention, for example, imagines that his hands are the blades of an ultra-new helicopter. With symbolic analogies, metaphors and allegories are given, it is possible to combine one object with the properties of another (wooden brains, steel endurance, etc.). Fantastic analogies imply a complete fantasy - to invent non-existent music or language to describe an object, to feel in a matrix without gravity, etc.
9. The method of focal objects
It involves the generation of fresh ideas by attaching to the original object the properties of other randomly selected ones. First you need to choose a focus object - one that requires perfection, improvement, innovation. Further in the special literature (book, magazine, encyclopedia, etc.), choose a couple of concepts about random objects, their characteristics. We connect the found properties with the original object, and modify the resulting options using associations. Decisions are evaluated in terms of efficiency, innovation and adequacy to the wishes of the customer.
8. Brainstorming
A popular area for generating new ideas in all modern teams. The whole team gathers at the next meeting, and everyone begins to quickly and efficiently propose any ideas that come to mind. They can be crazy, stupid and irrelevant, but at the same time they can inspire another person to the right thought and inspire. The leader captures the ideas of each person, and then organizes a calm discussion and vote, which allows to saturate the project with new nuances and details.
7. “Bus, bed, bath”
This method advises a creative person to draw inspiration from every place where he is. No need to lock yourself in a routine office and expect a muse to visit you there. Diversify your activities - go for a walk, go in for sports, take a bath with aromatic oils, play with animals. You never know where exactly a brilliant idea will visit you - in a bed, a bus or a bathroom, which is why the method got its name. Often, interesting thoughts arise shortly before going to bed, when consciousness begins to turn off, and unconsciousness takes over and "creativity". That is why it is important to have a notebook with a pen on the bedside table for quick fixation of "hot" thoughts.
6. The trap for ideas
Imagine that you are a catcher of your ideas and, armed with a scoop, are ready to chase after them, like butterflies. In fact, everything is a little simpler - you will need improvised tools: voice recorders, notes on the phone’s desktop, tablet and even your own hand. You must capture ideas anytime, anywhere they visit you. Even if the thought is raw, you can refine it later in a quiet place. But the main thing is to grab your “firebird” by the tail while it flies by (learning to catch metaphors).
5. The method of "mental cards"
A popular way professors at the university have resorted to. Drawing logical flowcharts and building causal relationships allows a person to better absorb the material. The same method can be transferred to the process of generating new ideas. For example, you can draw an object (subject) in the center of the sheet, to which creative thoughts should attach, and then start several branches of the development of events, from which, possibly, their associative branches will go in the process of work. At this moment, the figurative thinking of a person works, his right hemisphere, which is responsible for creating new ideas. The more detailed the events will be presented in the pictures, the greater the likelihood that you will suddenly be visited by inspiration. The author of the idea is Tony Busan, who described the method in detail in the book “Think With Your Head”.
4. Morphological analysis
The method involves dividing the global task of the project into a number of local ones, which have their own details and specifics, many elements and solutions. Each of the latter must be discussed in a team, building a detailed table where to indicate all the components of the object and their features. The leader clearly articulates the problem and identifies the important elements of the object, entering them into the table, and the team helps to evaluate all possible variants of events around it in order to choose the best. The way, by the way, is as old as the world, but effective in situations where ill-fated ideas do not want to be visited. Morphological analysis is often implemented using algorithms and computer software.
3. Edward de Bono's Six Hats Method
The method is used to generate and evaluate very unusual and unexpected ideas, in which it is important to take into account all the nuances and details, to consider a new situation in various planes. The creative process implies that each person in turn puts on 6 hats with a certain color. In a black hat, he considers the negative aspects of the idea. In white, he strictly compares facts and figures, operates with logic. Yellow allows you to analyze the strengths and advantages of the idea. Green stimulates the addition of creativity and creativity to the process under study. And red even allows you to consider the idea from the perspective of active emotions and the sensual sphere. The last blue hat is designed to summarize the work.
2. Indirect strategies
This method allows you to get out of obviously deadlock situations in the project. Special cards are prepared (you can find an electronic version) in the form of a deck. Each has a specific command. Team members are invited to take out these cards in turn and strictly follow their instructions. These can be cards with a similar meaning: “emphasize the shortcomings”, “use the previous idea”, “develop an idea”, etc. Cards can be made individually for each enterprise, taking into account its specificity and field of activity.
1. Decryption
This method is also based on imaginative thinking and associations. For inspiration you need an incomprehensible object - a tattoo, an inscription in an unfamiliar language, a psychedelic drawing, a hieroglyph, etc. The task is to start peering carefully at the image or text, trying to find the first associations with it. Do not forget to fix the ideas that come to mind - suddenly they can come in handy in professional activities. It is advisable to repeat this exercise every day, which will develop and strengthen associative thinking.
These are simple, but effective methods to quickly activate the mind and reveal to the world a new interesting idea.