"Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save." - Will Rogers

** Time is Money "Conceptlet":

We've all heard the saying, "Time is Money."  From a corporate creativity and/or innovation standpoint, time is indeed the fuel required to operate the money machine.  Creative solutions to problems result from a liberal allowance of time to:

• Define the problem
• Consider the problem
• Incubate potential solutions
• Combine potential solutions with others
• Prototype solutions

On far too many occasions, I have participated in "quickie" brainstorming.  What typically happens is that a problem is thrown on the meeting agenda and an extremely short brainstorming session, usually 10 minutes or less, is conducted where solutions are requested.  Few, if any, of the participants truly understand the problem.  Root cause is rarely defined.  Without the benefit of incubation, the ideas that are generated are strangely the same around the room.  This is because people were only allowed time to develop the most obvious and easy answers to the problem.

Let's be brutally honest.  Successful creative problem solving, especially for complex and chronic business problems, takes time.  In today's fast paced, reactionary business environment, time is something in short supply.  Everyone is overbooked.  Getting decision makers and creative problem solvers into a room for 3-4 hours at the same time is nearly impossible.  Impossible or not, it is required (I wish I could make this jump off the page)!!!

Problem solving teams need a solid understanding of the problem to be solved.  Root cause must be determined to ensure the right problem is being solved.  Once everyone is on the same page about what they are trying to accomplish, allow a period of time for incubation.  I usually recommend 3-4 days at a minimum.  Following incubation, conduct a 2-4 hour brainstorming session, using any number of techniques available to pull the ideas out of everyone.

Here is my preferred brainstorming session schedule of events:

1. Conduct a 1-2 hour meeting to define and validate the problem to be solved
2. Document the problem statement and provide to all participants
3. Schedule a 2-4 hour meeting slot (depending on number of participants and complexity of problem) about 3-4 days later for the brainstorming session
• The first part of the session is for idea capture
• The second part of the session is for idea combination and building
  
• The third part of the session is for idea selection, assignment and timeline for development
4. Schedule 30 minute follow-up conference calls once every week for the next 4 weeks to check on development status, celebrate successes, communicate failures and consider additional ideas that may have developed.

Obviously, you can shorten this time frame down dramatically, but do not be surprised if you continue to get the same old tired ideas you always have received.  However, if you understand how facilitated and collaborative idea generation really works, you will dedicate the necessary amount of time to increase the odds of innovative success.

Have a great week!!!