Have you ever found yourself in awe of those individuals who effortlessly conjure up innovative ideas seemingly out of thin air?
More often than not, these individuals possess a unique strength known by Gallup's CliftonStrengths as Ideation. Ideation empowers them to excel naturally by generating a plethora of creative concepts and solutions.
So, what does this mean for you and your team?
How can you harness the power of Ideation effectively?
And perhaps most importantly…
How can you cultivate and nurture the Ideation talent within your team to elevate their engagement and productivity at work?
Understanding the Ideation Strength
Ideation isn't just about coming up with ideas; it's about the process of generating and exploring countless possibilities. Individuals with Ideation tend to think outside the box, make connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, and thrive in brainstorming environments.
Leveraging Ideation for Team Success
When faced with brainstorming sessions or encountering roadblocks within your team, consider the invaluable contributions of individuals with Ideation. Provide them with the freedom and space to "ideate" without the pressure of immediately finding the "perfect" idea. Remember, the more information they have, the more tailored their ideas become to your precise need.
Client Story:
We worked with a client that was struggling to see her Ideation as an asset. She questioned if she should speak up during project meetings. She didn’t want to be seen as someone who push her ideas on others, because previous teams discouraged creative brainstorming.
We first worked on changing her perspective that her Ideation was an asset to be brought to any table, team or strategic conversation. We talked about moments when her ideas acted as a key to either unlocking success or used to solve a problem. Once she began to see her Ideation as the asset that it was, the pressure fell off to turn it off during meetings. Next, we worked on maturing it. Not every meeting is a brainstorming meeting, so we can’t always throw ideas at the wall to see what sticks - and doing so in the wrong setting can overwhelm others. She worked on taking the position to sit and listen during such meetings, allowing the things being said to help act as a filter to know which idea could be the most impactful. As our client began practicing this in different settings, she found that not only did her confidence build but she saw how much confidence her team and leaders placed in her ability to contribute game-changing ideas!
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