What If Proposals: A Fun and Informal Approach to Brainstorming
Do you ever find yourself stuck in a rut when it comes to brainstorming ideas? Maybe your team’s ideas seem to be recycled from previous sessions, or you’re struggling to come up with any fresh ideas at all. This is where ‘what if proposals’ come in as a fun and unconventional approach to generate creative and unique ideas.
What are What If Proposals?
What If Proposals, also known as ‘What If’ statements, involve posing a question based on a hypothetical scenario to provoke thought and generate ideas. These scenarios can range from the absurd to the more practical, but they all encourage team members to think outside the box. What If Proposals can be used to generate new product ideas, marketing strategies, or even employee benefits.
Why Use What If Proposals?
Traditional brainstorming methods can often lead to stale or repetitive ideas. What If Proposals on the other hand, provide a fresh perspective on a topic that can lead to innovative and exciting solutions. This approach, with its emphasis on imagination and whimsy, promotes a creative thinking process that can result in more daring and original ideas.
Creating What If Proposals
To create a What If Proposal, start with a ‘what if’ statement about the topic you are brainstorming. For example, “What if our software could be controlled with hand gestures?” Then, utilize this scenario to generate new ideas and explore innovative approaches for your product or service. It is important to encourage all team members to participate and contribute their own ideas based on the given scenario.
Examples of What If Proposals in Action
One well-known example of What If Proposals in action is the “Hackathons” at LinkedIn. During a Hackathon, LinkedIn employees are encouraged to brainstorm new and innovative ideas using hypothetical situations. One of these hypothetical situations was “What if LinkedIn were an operating system?” This led to an exploration of how LinkedIn could expand its functionality beyond just being a networking platform.
Another example is Lego Group’s development of its “Lego Serious Play” program. This program encourages team members to use Lego bricks to create models that represent their ideas based on various What If Proposals ranging from “What if our product was eco-friendly?” to “What if our product was designed for children with disabilities?”
Conclusion
Using What If Proposals is a fun and effective way to generate new and innovative ideas whilst allowing team members to think creatively. Encouraging team members to think outside the box and embrace imaginative scenarios can lead to exciting and truly unique ideas. So, next time you find yourself struggling for inspiration try using What If Proposals to unlock creativity and bring a fresh perspective to your brainstorming sessions.
