The creative process starts with a problem, challenge or opportunity and ends with a solution. But how do we get to that solution? Where do ideas come from?
Ideas are born out of connections. These connections form when we immerse ourselves in the problem, challenge or opportunity area - or domain - and develop a deep rational and emotional understanding of this domain. Often, connections form unconsciously and come to the surface fully formed as ideas - occasionally appearing to come out of nowhere. This kind of idea generation can be difficult for organisations to foster. Businesses tend to prefer a more formulaic, conscious, cognitive approach. We call this 'directional' thinking.
Traditional 'directional' thinking tries to force creativity down a path, seeking the 'right' answer only and discarding 'wrong' answers before they have time to grow and develop. This type of thinking is typical in organisations, where rational, step-by-step processes are preferred, as a means to control and manage outputs. However, it is limited by the single direction it pursues, it is overly pragmatic and solution orientated. In our view, 'directional' thinking leads to predictable ideas - mostly an extension of 'what we do already'.
We coach individuals and teams to open up to 'connective' thinking and feeling. In this way they are able to incubate insights and allow ideas to develop in the unconscious, and leap to the conscious mind in eureka moments, as well as to use lateral thinking techniques to consciously pursue ideas via indirect routes. This approach leads to genuinely innovate ideas.
It's the type of thinking and feeling, free from constraints, that identifies ways to break new ground rather than than recover existing territory.