Giving up control is often tough but sometimes necessary, no matter how important certain tasks might seem.
01 Seek help
It’s not an order, nor are you asking for a favour – it’s work. Asking someone for help typically gets a positive reaction.
02 Tell them why
Provided they say yes, it’s important to explain why you’re asking so they have a rationale. Your reason might be that they need to get better at something, for instance.
03 Ask for acceptance
Confirm they’re willing to do it so that they’re more likely to listen and consider solutions. If they haven’t, they may listen defensively, formulating reasons it can’t be done.
04 Listen to concerns
Concerns need to be accepted and validated. As you aim to ease their fears, the employee will again be listening proactively rather than from a defensive viewpoint.
05 Set deadlines
Set up some clear deadlines along with any reporting that may need to be done. This is generally whatever you might have had to do before.
06 Offer yourself up
Ask what they need from you – be that skills or resources – but be careful not to say yes immediately. Always avoid making false promises.
07 Engage at the right level
Ask your employee how often they want to touch base – it will clarify the frequency of your catch-ups and give them some autonomy in how things move forward.
Getting together, thinking creatively and generating original ideas is essential stuff – here’s how to do it.
01 Clarify the aim
Be narrow in your ambition. Identify the problem as accurately and succinctly as possible and remember the aim: to create as many ideas as possible.
02 Choose the right peeps
Consider who are the more creative and vocal members of the team – only necessary and relevant people should participate. Between four and seven people is a solid number.
03 Allow for prep
Give participants enough info to prep beforehand – preferably a few days – and ask them to come with rough ideas. They’ll feel more comfortable and it’ll avoid wasting time.
04 Take a break
Make sure that people have a break – ideally, a physical one – before the session to keep minds light and energy levels high.
05 Outline guidelines
State at the beginning that the session will be no longer than 20 minutes and there’s no need to evaluate ideas. Restate the objective and bring it up whenever people go off track.
06 Encourage all ideas
Obvious but important: nothing is wrong. You want as many ideas as possible so stay positive and encouraging.
07 Keep a visual record
Keep a visual record of the ideas generated, on a whiteboard or notebook. Being able to see ideas allows for participants to build and piggyback upon them.
08 Bring energy
Consider yourself the electricity source keeping this thing moving. Don’t be neutral, static or unmoved. Be demonstrative and expressive – clap, raise your voice, speak animatedly.
09 Direct the convo
Ensure there are no lags in the conversation or silence. Encourage other participants who aren’t as chatty or are slightly more thoughtful. Avoid having a few voices dominating.
Olly Olsen, co-founder of workspace operator The Office Group, outlines his tips for perfecting the walk and talk.
1. Structure is key
Create an agenda beforehand, which includes talking points and prompts to guide the discussion. Record on a mobile so that after, a team member can write up the notes.
2. Keep it small
Have walking meetings in smaller groups or one-on-one to ensure there’s a flow to the discussion and an opportunity for everyone to participate.
3. Choose a destination
It’s always a good idea to pick a destination where the meeting pauses or ends. This ‘goal’ will ensure the journey (and the meeting) doesn’t feel aimless.
4. Use it for the brainstorm
Studies point to walking meetings improving divergent thinking, a key ingredient for creativity
5. Or to build relations
Research shows that walking meetings can break down barriers between co-workers. It’s a great way to put employees at ease.’
How to see your blindspot
How can you get a different perspective on your business when you’re so close to it?
1.
Acknowledge that everyone struggles with proximity and will feel its effects at some point. It’s not a reflection of your creative potential.
2.
Invite newer employees or junior staff to your next brainstorm or problem-solving meeting. Take advantage of their fresh perspective.
3.
Interview a creative professional from another industry; ask them about their creative process to refresh the way you look at problems.
4.
Give your company a fake name and pretend you’re a new disruptor that’s just entered your industry. How would you structure your business?
5.
Brainstorm with kids! Break your challenge down into the simplest, most-relatable form, and then recruit the little people in your life to help you solve it.
