Sometimes a team’s creative results can be enhanced by offering them a new perspective. Take the brainstorming process, for example. Think about the opposite of what you want and see what happens. The tool is called a contingency diagram and this is how it works.
Imagine that your team is supposed to brainstorm ideas to increase customer loyalty. Rather than looking for ideas to improve loyalty, the team looks for ways to decrease customer loyalty. Trying to improve employee morale? Brainstorm ideas to destroy morale.
The power of the tool is in its ability to harness negative energy (cynicism, sarcasm, hostility, etc.) and use it to spark creativity. If your team is of this type, it is very difficult to generate enthusiasm by brainstorming. By giving them the opportunity to unleash their negativity, you will witness amazing creativity.
Once the team has filled the wall with ideas for lowering morale or driving customers away, you are ready to begin identifying possible solutions to your problem.
Ask the team to go over the list and come up with ideas for solving the problem. Many solutions can be found simply by reversing the ideas on the list. Others can be discovered through interesting patterns and combinations of negative ideas. In any case, the list of “bad” ideas is a tremendous stimulus to generate “good” ideas.
The next time you’re faced with the same old problems and a team tired of trying to solve them, free the team on ways to make the problem worse. It will be fun, energizing and most of all … effective.
