Idea Champions recently conducted a poll to discover which catalysts spurred its clients’ brightest ideas. While many of them involved solitary activities or reflection, two of the top five — brainstorming with others and collaborating with a partner — reveal the power of team ideation in sparking creativity. A third top-five factor, being immersed in a project, arguably fits in that mold as well, assuming you’re not taking part in a solo endeavor.
The top 10 catalysts for best ideas:
- When you’re inspired
- Brainstorming with others
- When you’re immersed in a project
- When you’re happy
- Collaborating with a partner
- Daydreaming
- Analyzing a problem
- Driving
- Commuting to and from work
- Reading books in your field
Study authors Tim Moore and Mitch Ditkoff noted that forced physical teamwork from employees doesn’t tend to engender great ideas: “Rafting trips and ropes courses can work well to bond teams instinctually. But in this poll, we found all activities requiring physical exertion scored low as idea catalysts.”
Some of their recommendations for fostering a better collaborative environment for creative thinking:
- Let your team daydream and brainstorm
- Create a buddy system for people to explore new possibilities together
- Encourage friendships and fun in the workplace
- Don’t reject creative ideas out of hand
As a manager, leveraging the positive aspects of teamwork can help your employees get more inspired — and that can lead to innovation, better job satisfaction and performance, and more engagement.
