Archive for December, 2007

An example of ineffective strategy is a dry, one-inch-thick report that people only refer to when they need some market numbers, or a PowerPoint slide deck full of esoteric whiz-bang charts put together by a team of consultants.

Powerful strategy is the living, breathing force behind the actions of an organization.  It is the bridge that connects people from where they are to where they want to be.  It’s bold — definitely not business as usual — because it continually changes how the organization sees itself and transforms it into what you want it to become.

How can we bring this kind of life and boldness into our strategic planning efforts? I propose that creativity is the key to this, and that there are a variety of tools and techniques that are well suited to engaging people and tapping into their creative juices.

Mind Map Brainstorming. The word brainstorming has become an ubiquitous term for creative thinking. The core principle of brainstorming is to suspend judgment during the generation phase of thinking. Analysis, prioritization, and judgment take place after ideas are generated. This frees the mind to make connections and abstractions, shift perspectives, and explore alternatives without the constraints and structure that judgment brings. Unfortunately, typical group brainstorming sessions fail to be productive for a variety of reasons — judgment creeps in, ideas are not tracked, connections are not supported, etc. How can brainstorming be made more effective? I find that facilitated sessions with mind mapping software provide tremendous advantages over typical brainstorming sessions. Ideas can be captured and tracked with total freedom of association. Through powerful yet simple visualization, new ideas and connections are encouraged. At the end of a session, the group has a map of all the ideas generated in the session, which encourages further connections and ideas to develop after the meeting.

Improvisation. If you’ve ever seen an episode of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”, you know what I mean by improvisation. It’s the practice of acting and reacting, to create in the moment and in response to one’s environment. Techniques of improv are widely trained in the entertainment arts (music, theater, and dance), but it is not well known that it can be a powerful tool in business planning. Its secret lies in suspending judgment and accessing the creativity of the present moment. There is no time to censor or evaluate, only to respond and build. It’s interesting to note that the mental and emotional states needed to practice the art of improvisation are very similar to those of Zen, and many of the same concepts are used in both practices. When people who have a thorough understanding of their disciplines practice improvisation, the result can be the invention of new thought patterns, new structures, or new ways to act. I use improv to help groups develop a more creative vision by asking them to improvise what their organization could be like at some point in the future, and capture their thinking in a tool called a Cover Story Vision. The result can often include nuggets of creative possibility that are fresh and bold.

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Even though most of us would agree that it’s a good thing to bring more creativity into our strategic planning efforts, much of the time very little attention or effort goes into actually making it happen. This month’s practice is about taking stock of your organization’s efforts at bringing creativity into strategic planning. You can do this exercise for your part of the organization, or for the organization as a whole, whichever you choose.

Take some time this month to look at how strategic decisions are made in your organization, and how much real creativity is infused in the process. You may want to use the Creativity Toolbox article to survey what kinds of tools and practices your organization uses on a regular basis.

What creativity practices are you or your organization good at? Which do you use regularly? Which do you think your organization would benefit from using more frequently or with more skill?

Consider taking some steps to bring more creativity into your strategic planning. Decide which tools or practices you want to bring in, and identify resources to help you do that. It could make a big difference in how your organization determines its direction, and ultimately in its long term success. You could even consider making some New Year’s resolutions around this topic!