Igniting And Inspiring That Creative Spark

Toys are great tools for fostering an environment that inspires creativity, but if you aren’t comfortable bringing toys into the equation, you can create a similar atmosphere using something as simple as a whiteboard. The secret is not really in the toys - it can be anything that fans the flames of creativity by encouraging people to loosen up and think in different ways.

Oh, the magic of a big whiteboard! This one simple tool can transform one’s office into a gathering place for brainstorming and camaraderie. It’s very satisfying to clear off old things and truly starting with a blank slate. You don’t need one of the new fancy ones that are computerized and interactive, or allow you to print out what is written on them. Any simple board where you can post and erase items will do.

It’s exciting to gather in an office or meeting room to whiteboard a problem. There is such freedom in the whiteboard; it is so forgiving of mistakes, much more so than even a flip chart. Teams of people have been known to circle around one, each with marker in hand, contributing their perspective to the discussion. Whiteboards also seem to invite more collaboration than one person at a flip chart or capturing everything on a laptop does. For your next problem solving session, find a room with a whiteboard and bring some new dry erase markers with you. You won’t believe the engagement you just might kick off!

Once you’ve established an environment that is conducive to creativity, you can use one of two tools to help your team generate a great deal of ideas in a short period. The Mind Map is geared toward freeing up the left-brain thinkers; and Brainwriting is designed to give some structure and focus to right-brain thinkers.

In our next post, we’ll further discuss these techniques, their application, and how to implement them with your team.