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FINDING THE PROBLEM, IS HALF THE PROBLEM 

Often, when we are asked to facilitate brainstorming sessions, clients ask us to work with their teams and partners to solve a problem.

But as you will hear in this YouTube video by Kevin Systrom, the Founder of Instagram, the majority of the time … the problem is finding the problem … not the solution!

Most organizations aren’t sufficiently rigorous in defining the problems they’re attempting to solve, and articulating why those issues are important.

How many times have you seen a project go down one path only to realize in hindsight that it should have gone down another? How many times have you seen an innovation program deliver a seemingly breakthrough result only to find that it can’t be implemented or it addresses the wrong problem?

Many organizations need to become better at asking the right questions so that they tackle the right problems.

So … what are the RIGHT questions?

They are questions that dive deep below the surface. The ones that continue to ask WHY. The questions that make zero assumptions.

We like to use a system called ‘The Five Whys’.

It’s remarkably simple, when a problem occurs, you drill down to the root cause by asking WHY five times!

The technique was formally developed by Taiichi Ohno and was used within the Toyota Motor Corporation during the evolution of its manufacturing methodologies.

For kids, ‘why’ questions help them make sense of the world around them that they are just beginning to learn about. These ‘why’ questions also help spur and accelerate learning.

Once again we can learn from our kids … and WHY NOT!?

We would love to hear from you! Leave us a comment down below or tag us on social media.

For brainstorming tips, presentation and storytelling skills, or keynote speaking pointers be sure to follow Barefoot Brainstorming on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn OR see us in action on  Youtube and Instagram!

THIS BRAINSTORMING STRATEGY HELPED STEVE JOBS GENERATE HIS MOST CREATIVE IDEAS

I didn’t know this about Steve Jobs until I read this article. I would encourage you to read it! It is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a true genius.

There were 2 ‘AHA’ moments for me in the article.

The first one was the fact that Jobs came up with his most brilliant creative ideas while walking.

Science suggests that walking is useful when brainstorming ideas. According to research from Stanford University, walking boosts creative thinking by an average of 60 percent.

“Walking opens up the free flow of ideas,” the researchers write in the study.

For anyone who has ever been in one our brainstorming sessions, this is exactly why we ask people to stand to share their ideas, to walk to post their Post-It notes on the large idea board, and to participate in a scavenger hunt on foot after lunch!

The second fact that struck me in the article was that Jobs hated wearing shoes!

‘Earthing or grounding’ are also scientifically proven to have a positive effect on the brain and creative thinking.

Now that the weather is glorious, try taking a page out of Steve Jobs’ book … literally and figuratively … kick your shoes and socks off and take a walk!

It feels wonderful and it just might lead you to your next big idea!

We would love to hear from you! Leave us a comment down below or tag us on social media.

For brainstorming tips, presentation and storytelling skills, or keynote speaking pointers be sure to follow Barefoot Brainstorming on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn OR see us in action on  Youtube and Instagram!

BORN A GENIUS – PART TWO – HOW TO REDISCOVER AND RECONNECT WITH YOUR INNER GENIUS

Last week I wrote about my new keynote ‘Born A Genius’ … this week I would like to continue the conversation by focusing on what we can do to rediscover and reconnect with our own personal inner genius.

Like snowflakes and fingerprints we are all born with a genius which is completely unique and our own.

If you flip through old photo albums, there you will find the keys to unlock and reconnect with your inner genius!

What did you love to do more than anything in the world when you were young? What could you spend hours doing where you would literally lose yourself in your genius?

Close your eyes and return to a younger, simpler time when you naturally gravitated to, and did what you loved most.

Your genius can be anything … it doesn’t have to be art … it can be numbers, puzzles, languages,travel. It can even be unicorn sandwich making!

The point is … It doesn’t matter what it is … as long as it matters to you!

And, it also doesn’t matter who knows. It doesn’t matter if the world doesn’t notice what you are doing. It’s not about recognition, accolades, and praise. It’s not about being the best. It’s just about being you … the authentic you … the genius you!

The genius within us needs to be an integral part of who we are as adults. It needs to be honoured, and it needs to be nurtured.

The farther away we get from our genius … the more unhappy … and depressed and yes even sick we can become!

In her book entitled ‘The Top Five Regrets of the Dying’ Bronnie Ware writes the number one regret is as follows:

I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

So please don’t ever let anyone tell you who you are, or who you aren’t. Own your genius and find time to spend with it as often as you can!

We would love to hear from you! Leave us a comment down below or tag us on social media.

For brainstorming tips, presentation and storytelling skills, or keynote speaking pointers be sure to follow Barefoot Brainstorming on Twitter, Facebook, and  LinkedIn OR see us in action on  Youtube and Instagram!