The Secret To Productive Problem-Solving? Your Colleagues
By Lisa Bodell for Forbes
In a study published by Scientific American, researchers discovered that psychological distance can increase your ability to be creative. In other words, the further away a problem seems, the easier it is to solve. As CEO of a company that equips thousands of leaders and employees with proven innovation techniques, I’ve personally witnessed the science behind this study.
In negative work cultures, it’s tough to shift people toward a mindset of possibility. Employees who’ve been with the company for years are often the same people who tell me that “nothing ever changes” and “innovation is impossible here.” Pessimistic environments like these provide ideal conditions for a technique called From Impossible to Possible.
Whether you’re grappling with a specific business problem or you need to equip employees with creativity techniques, this exercise was created for stubborn challenges (and stubborn perspectives). Start by inviting employees from all levels of the organization and include at least one leader who’s empowered to make change.
At the outset of the meeting, assign invitees to teams of 3 or 4 people, taking care to produce an even number of teams. If you’re conducting this exercise remotely, simply divide the entire group into Team A and Team B. Then, ask everyone to collectively agree to focus on one of the following areas:
· What will never happen in our industry?