Innovation, Ideas and Creativity with Dr Jo North 
Ideas are what new business growth is all about. But how do you plan for and get your team fired up to generate more ideas? How can you get the people around you to be more innovative and creative so you get the ideas that will bring the business growth your so desire?

That's where Dr Jo North from the Big Bang Partnership comes in. She's this week's guest on The Next 100 Days podcast.





You can find Dr Jo North at The Big Bang Partnership

 
Jo is a regular in Gibraltar
Jo was just back from helping a Gibraltar based business transform their business thinking with innovation and creativity. It was there that she lost her voice. So the recording is Jo with a rather squeaky voice.
Not Change for Change's Sake
Jo does not do change for change's sake. It is about continually evolving and differentiating. The ideas that businesses have are the things that set them apart. For Jo, it is about staying ahead of the curve and continually evolving.

People are often so busy doing their day job. So it is a challenge to think differently about what you are doing. It means you may need to change processes. It is about a mindset. If you can see the vision, it helps.

How can things be different?

What does Jo do to help people get better at Innovation?
First of all, Jo explains a little about how the mind works.

WE CAN ALL BE BETTER THINKERS.

Sometimes we think the best route to get from A to B is the direct line. If you choose that route then you will only get the most OBVIOUS solution. Your ideas will be at their most obvious!
So, what is an idea? 
An idea is when two thoughts come together for the first time. How do you have ideas? They come from your head. So the stuff you put into your head, will effect the thoughts you have. The quality of questions we ask, really helps out thinking.

http://thenext100days.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Better-Ideas.mp4

 
What are the types of questions that we should be asking ourselves?
Ideas come from questions that you ask yourself that are:

open ended
start with HOW
such as How could we? How might we?
What if?
How could we reduce the time to market by 6 weeks?
Asking these questions creates possibilities in minds.
What if we did this?
Play around with different solutions - not committing yourself, just giving yourself permission.
Also, Wouldn't it be fantastic if...(then complete the sentence)

FREE RESOURCE ALERT
Go to 

Get Jo's DIY Team Away Day Toolkit Takes you through the agenda and how to do an away day.

Sticky Dot Voting....nothing to do with Brexit...one of 200+ creative techniques that Jo uses. The ideas are on the walls, you have so many votes to spend and you stick your dots against the ideas you like best. (Remainers will follow you around and peel off your dots though!)
How to sift the ideas you come up with?
Jo advises using a simple How hard or Difficult it will be plus the potential returns from the idea using 2x2 matrix (Ease of Implementation/Potential returns).

This is explained in the DIY Away Day Toolkit.
Your Brain
Careful, the brain takes the path of least resistance. So, you need to get yourself into a place or state of mind where you are relaxed. You need to relax your FRONTAL LOBES. They are gatekeepers of thinking. They stop neural connections around the brain.

Be relaxed and enjoy yourself. So when do you get your best ideas?

At the end of the day
In the shower
At the gym
Going for a walk (and sleep on it)
On the toilet

When we are busy we are not tuned into conscious. Kevin charges his clients for dog walking.
Techniques
SCAMPER? A checklist of actions to work through to FORCE you to think differently. Going offsite is part of the process. It changes the mentality.

Ask and answer those great questions we talked about earlier.
Another Technique is ERRC
What can you

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