Be Less Zombie

19Catalytic Questions

Designing questions that provoke focused, creative eruptions.

Most brainstorms leave participants underwhelmed and frustrated. Bold ideas are shut down. Small ideas aren't edgy enough. Variations on old ideas come out yet again. And the ‘cool’ ideas don't actually solve the problem.

We'll talk more about developing better creative dynamics later. But one of the main causes of a low-voltage brainstorm is a dimly lit starting point.

The saying ‘we get what we ask for’ was never truer for innovation. One of the most powerful tools for predictably increasing creativity is designing great questions.

© Elvin Turner.

In fact, I believe that great question design is a genuine source of competitive advantage. Here's why.

When ‘catalytic questions’ emerge, a sequence of five important innovation outcomes is activated:

1. Increased strategic alignment – We provoke ideas whose intended outcomes clearly tie back to strategy.
2. More effective outcomes for managers – We calibrate idea generation to deliver the most appropriate kinds of ideas.
3. Less frustrating brainstorms for participants – Everyone is clear on the kind of ideas that we are pitching for, yet we have creative freedom to imagine wide-ranging solutions.
4. More creative ideas – We break the stupefying power of ...