How can you make brainstorming fun?

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Brainstorming|How can you make brainstorming fun?What is brainstorming?

Brainstorming is used as a method to generate ideas to solve a problem. It is a creativity technique done in groups to find a solution for a specific problem. It puts together the list of ideas given by the member in a free-thinking environment. Brainstorming is popular mostly in design teams because they have to think out of the box and in every direction. By brainstorming, we can cover the problems with many ideas given by the members and can have many creative ways. You can have every imaginable solution to the problem.

Some rules that can help your team in brainstorming:

  • There should be a facilitator who can conduct the meeting.
  • Give a chance to everyone to give their creative ideas.
  • There should be a time limit given to them to think.
  • Let them ask questions from you about the topic, the clearer they will be about the topic, the more creative ideas you can get.
  • You can encourage weird ideas too, do not shut the person down, listen to them. Maybe you can consider their ideas.
  • Build on others ideas, make someone else’s idea more creative.
  • Do not make it a fish market, allow everyone to speak but one at a time.
  • Do not be negative or give immediate judgment.

Brainstorming can be fun for some people, but some people do not like it because they are too shy to speak or introverts. Extroverts can speak too much and can dominate the introvert. The leader of the team should lead it in a solution-focused environment. There are ways by which you can make the brainstorming fun like a pinboard, and everyone can participate.

Warm-up activity

Give their brains a little break. Your brain should be clear to generate creative ideas. You can give them the activity at the start that can help them in brainstorming. Ask your participants questions that can help them to open their minds. Give them a silly question like what will you do if your sunglasses were x-rayed vision, once they start thinking about the ideas, it means they are ready to be creative.

Outside of the box

Sometimes the office environment can be stressful, and it gets impossible to think creatively. Take your time outside of the office. Take them to a coffee shop, or an amusement park. Take them anywhere that can help them in generating creative ideas and can think outside of the box. Changing the environment of a person can help them in their creativity. It will be a fun and creative trip where everyone will be giving their ideas in a not so boring environment. Everyone can get comfortable and comfy in that environment, and no one will have that office pressure, they can have their time to clear their mind from other problems and think creatively.

Ask for the worst ideas

You always ask your team to give you good and creative ideas but now ask them to give the worst and terrible ideas for the situation. Write the problem on the board and ask them to start giving the worst idea they can think of. The ideas can be stupid, but maybe you can think of something creative from that idea.

  • It will create a fun environment; everyone can laugh.
  • A positive feeling around the meeting.
  • There will be no pressure and time limit.
  • People can get more comfortable.

Looking for a problem from an opposite perspective can help you a lot. It can give you real ideas, and you can always make them a little better.

Get colourful

Maybe it has been a long time since you and your team picked up some colours and markers? Give your team colour books and colour pencils. Even if they are not good with drawing or doodling, tell them that it should not be the perfect art piece. A study shows that doodling can help you to alert your mind. Doodlers perform 29% better than non-doodlers. Many people can start daydreaming while doing a boring task. Colouring can help them in being creative. So next time you get a lot of colour books and markers for your meeting.

Walls can talk

This technique is best for boring meetings. Write down the problems or project your team needs to work on each wall. Write questions on the walls. Give your team members the pad of sticky notes and tell them to walk around the room, see the problems and write any solution that is coming to their mind anonymously. Set a time limit of 10 to 15 minutes. Encourage creative thoughts. In the end, you can gather everyone’s suggestions and can work on it as a team. You can ask the team member to vote for a better idea.

Bring an outsider

Your team consists of mostly the same people. There is a group of the same people with the same minds every week. The same ideas, same patterns, and disagreements. Everything repeats it selves when you are with the same people every week. Why not change it a little bit? Bring an outsider in the meeting. We all know a designer will only think like a designer, by bringing another person who is not known to the environment can give their honest opinions and ideas, and he can be work as your customer. You can know your customers’ point of view. You can bring any person from your office, but he should not be the person who knows your work, that is how that person can come up with unique ideas from an entirely different perspective.

Be different

Choose any of the ways you want to make your meeting fun and creative. No one likes to sit in a boring meeting and generate ideas like the old style. Take them out, make them think out of the box, give them colours, help them get comfortable. These things can surely help your team to get creative and you can and the best ideas. Everyone loves a little bit of weirdness. Get that creative person out of you and start brainstorming!

Conclusion

Brainstorming is often considered difficult particularly for people who are not creative; however, if all the above-mentioned approaches are adopted, one will be able to expand his/ her thinking capacity and be able to brainstorm the ideas.

The best fidget toys to relieve stress and anxiety at your office

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Fidget Toy|The best fidget toys to relieve stress and anxiety at your officeWe live in a fast-paced world with cut-throat competition. Companies try their best to be number 1 in the league. This does not come without a cost. Every individual in the office must give their 100% to stay ahead in the game.

From leadership to the employees, everyone is in constant pressure and stress. Since offices can’t put an end to the work problem, they have introduced stress toys to help the employees combat stress.

Being constantly under pressure can harm us, deteriorate our health and affect our ability to enjoy and even work efficiently. The office often overwhelms us and we can’t manage the work-life balance in our lives. We don’t take stress seriously but when it becomes chronic, anxiety can deteriorate the quality of life and severe our personal and work ties.

There are many ways professional workplaces try to lower the anxiety of their employees, they might be excursion trips, exercise or yoga. All these things take time and most are practiced away from the workplace. To relieve pressure and lower the stress that office workers experience, it is worth trying some stress games that, in addition to entertaining, allow us to improve well-being and restore psycho-emotional balance.

Toys to relieve stress

Our brain is a powerful tool and when it spends too much time stressing over our worries it can damage itself badly. The problem is the brain itself does not realize the amount of stress it is in.

It is not crazy to think that small toys or simple games can be good allies against stress. Several investigations indicate that fiddling with small devices can generate benefits in restless people who feel anxiety since it can help them focus on what they are doing and even serve as a boost for their creative ideas. Fidget means small and frantic movement which we unintentionally make while stressed. The fidget toys come with options to choose the best suitable stress relieving fidget toy for you.

Here we will tell you the best fidget toys which come with many options and are the best allies against the stress. These fidget toys also help adults with ADHD.

They are basically small “toys” to keep your fingers moving and relieve tension. They are simple and come with options to choose varied and in different materials. They have the most varied formats, from plastic disks that allow wheel spin or press switches to metal tops.

Fidget Spinner

Fidget spinners were the most popular fidget toys. The people who were not going through a stressful period had a fidget spinner as well.

They became famous among kids, teens, and adults likewise. It gave a calming effect to the user and surely relieved anxiety. The Fidget Spinner has become the ultimate global entertainment. It’s all the rage in schools and even presidents use it.

Fidget spinners are of different materials, such as plastic or steel, they are formed by a central axis with two, three or more arms, which rotate. Due to the equal weight distributed to the arms, the fidget spinner rotated for quite a while and helped people regain their calm.

Fidget Cube

It is a gadget in the form of a cube that, in each of its six faces, has a different mechanism oriented to calm the nerves. Completed with buttons, wheels, levers and even a metal sphere, its creators ensured that the different fidget options in the fidget cube allow releasing tensions easily and efficiently without disturbing anyone.

Although they vary in different versions, a fidget cube has buttons that click, a sphere which you can rotate, a wheel, rotating gears and a switch to press it as many times as you want.

You can have fun with it, calm your nerves or simply stop biting your nails. And the best thing is that everything in that fits inside your pocket.

Epic Pen Spinning

This toy, which also works as a pen, is elongated and has counterweights at its ends to turn it around and do impossible tricks with the fingers of the hand.

Pin Art

A Pin Art screen, Pinscreen, Needle screen or Rod screen, is a device that allows you to form images by moving very thin cylindrical rods, guided by a suitable mesh and held in a frame.

The Pin Art screen was patented by Ward Fleming and in its beginnings, back in the ’80s, it was considered a “toy for executives”. It is a mechanical, simple and fun game that today is in a lot of homes. Only with how to press or sink fingers, faces or objects, a small 3D sculpture appears.

Coloring books

Coloring books have proven to be an excellent stress-relieving option. Coloring had always been something exclusive to children. In an increasingly fast-paced world, the need to sit down and distract the mind became an adult demand and mandalas became an ideal anti-stress option.

Mandalas are circular designs that symbolize the notion that life never ends and has been used for centuries as a spiritual tool in the East. Today they are fashionable in the West and many recommend them as a resource to relieve tension and improve concentration by painting and coloring these drawings.

Stress putty

Stress putty is like slime but less runny. It is an excellent option to relieve office stress and anxiety. They come in different colors and textures as you can even customize them by adding Styrofoam balls or glitter.

Fidget pen

How many of us repeatedly press the button on the end of our ball pens without even realizing that the sound it makes can be a nuisance for all the other employees? That is why a fidget pen is the best option for such people as it can give stress relief and also does not make any sound.

Fidget toys manufacturers have to keep a number of things in consideration like it should not make sounds that can disturb others. They should be lightweight so the users can easily take help from stress toys to relax and relieve the extra office stress and last but not least, it has to be easy on the pocket.

Work in a stress-free environment

Chronic stress can lead to several psychological and physiological ailments. Individuals and offices have to take care of the employees by managing other factors that might lead to access to stress and anxiety.

Fidget toys, helpful colleagues and an understanding leadership can help in creating a stress-free environment for the people in your office and keep the employees happy.

Ways to Boost Employee Morale

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Employee Morale|Ways to Boost Employee MoraleIn a world where we are constantly working hard and striving to be the best versions of ourselves, it’s integral to keep the atmosphere of a workplace in its most positive state and morale at its highest level possible. A lot of employers struggle with this, especially as there is no one solution to please everyone. All employees are different and respond to different things so while it’s ideal to try and tailor morale boosters to each specific employee, this becomes near impossible when the number of employees in one workplace reaches double, triple, or even quadruple figures. Small businesses may find this easier as there are usually a smaller amount of employees to look after; but even then, choosing the right method to boost morale can be tricky.

Naturally, employees who are happy are more likely to perform better. This will only benefit the business so surely it’s a given to make an effort to keep employees happy, right? In order to do this, below are a few ways to help boost morale in the workplace and hopefully keep the large majority of your employees happy.

Praise

It’s a proven fact that children who are personally praised by an authoritative figure for doing well, perform better in school, in extracurricular activities or at home. So, why should this be any different for adults? Receiving praise for doing well is always a good feeling and makes one feel like they’re excelling. A more personalised method of praise like an in person interaction, works wonders and is easier for small business and large businesses. It only takes a few words, a smile and a gentle pat on the back on a regular basis to boost morale.

Team Building Activities

Whether it’s a team building retreat or an activity one day that involves getting all employees together and encouraging space for a friendly competitive spirit to come out can prove to be both fun and beneficial for your employees’ ability to work together. The fun side of it is also likely to boost morale and improve chances of employees genuinely enjoying their jobs.

Bonuses

Not all businesses are able to give every employee a bonus at the end of the year, but it is a great incentive to perform well on the job. It can also make employees feel like they are appreciated, which is incredibly important.

Showing Gratitude

Being thankful for someone’s hard work and actually showing genuine gratitude for it is so simple but works wonders for an employee’s motivation and morale in the workplace. Whether it’s being grateful for the extra work they agreed to do or for not making a fuss about having to do some employee drug testing, showing gratitude for your employees can go a long way.

7 Healthcare Industry Trends for Employers to Keep a Lookout For

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |healthcare industry trends|7 Healthcare Industry Trends for Employers to Keep a Lookout ForThe United States is under pressure to hire at least 2.3 million health care workers by the year 2025. Part of this need is fueled by the growing aging population. With these persistent shortages in the health care sector, there’s a need for stakeholders to focus on innovative ways of bridging the gap in human capital.

As a healthcare provider, you must pay attention to the healthcare industry trends. You don’t want to be caught flat footed as patterns related to administration and labor in the health care sector shift rapidly. Here are some of the key trends you can look out for in 2020.

1. Artificial Intelligence

No industry can speculate about the future without touching on the impact of artificial intelligence. The health care sector is not an exemption. AI will change how you run your routine activities for the better.

AI will also have a critical impact on opening the avenue for people and technology to connect. You can expect notable improvements in healthcare delivery through this convergence. Consequently, there’ll be easier monitoring and analysis during the process of health care delivery.

You can expect to have the best tools to handle patients as AI revolutionizes the sector. Artificial Intelligence will also help in curing the current shortage of health professionals in the United States. But are you ready for this significant shift?

You may need to prepare your organization for the transformation that AI will have in the industry. Part of this prepping may include recruiting tech-savvy employees. You may also need to invest in research to ensure that you’re up to date with the technological advancements in the sector.

2. Out of Hospital Care

Your approach to health care is about to change in a way that will disrupt routine operations. In-patient services, as we know them, often involve admission into a health care facility during the time of treatment. But with the evolution of digital health, out of hospital care may soon ouster the in-patient procedure, albeit not entirely.

The rising costs of in-patient care have become a constant barrier to medical access. Such concerns are fueling the growth of out of hospital settings as patients seek alternative care.

Digital health platforms have become critical drivers of this health care evolution. Devices, such as the RPM devices, telehealth platforms, and mHealth applications, will define the future of out of hospital medical services.

You may need to keep track of such healthcare industry trends and invest in digital health if you’re keen on remaining relevant. Employers may need to train their staff on the relevance of digital health. You may also need to focus on the recruitment of employees with the capacity to steer the digital health transformation process.

3. The Emergence of Block-Chain

How much data is in your possession currently? Well, most health care providers grapple with the large volumes of data in their databases after years of record keeping. Records are an essential part of the health care delivery process, considering the delicate nature of the health care industry.

But this data storage headache will be a thing of the past soon. The introduction of the block chain system will revolutionize how you store digital data and significantly reduce your space-related concerns. Blockchain systems ease the process of storage, retrieval, and distribution of data.

You no longer have to worry about the transfer of data across the various departments within the organization. With blockchain, you also don’t have to worry about the limitations of compatibility. Such efficiency in data sharing will improve health care delivery processes.

As blockchain systems become commercially available, employers in the health care setting will need to train their staff on the operational dynamics of the systems. Employing highly innovative individuals will be crucial in making blockchain systems a useful tool.

4. Innovations in Care Models

The traditional patient was a passive observer with fewer expectations from caregivers. But the current and future patients have a common characteristic. They are overly involved in the healthcare provision process.

Such a trend will lead to a higher demand for transparency as the ecosystem changes. You may need to orient your staff towards embracing future-focused care models, which focus on personalized products. Such models will ensure that the organization stands out as being in touch with the health needs of modern patients.

You may need to invest more in virtual care technologies. For instance, modern virtual techniques are critical when handling matters related to consultancy. Such models ensure that you remain responsive to your patient’s needs.

5. The Demand for High Capacity Human Talent Will be among the Key Healthcare Industry Trends

The wave of technology and innovations is unstoppable. But as you focus on your investment in research and design, you must also think about recruiting top talent into your organization.

It would be best if you had such exceptional human talent to keep the wheel of innovations and stellar performance going. But most health care providers grapple with how to attract top talent in the healthcare field. Once you figure out how to address this common concern in the US healthcare system, you’ll be on a path to higher levels of efficiency and quality health care delivery.

6. Voice-Based Virtual Assistance

The United States’ aging population will continue to increase as more baby boomers hit 65 years and above. Health care for these elderly individuals will move more towards home care as chronic ailments affect their mobility.
As such, more healthcare providers are moving to invest in virtual assistants, with the capacity to provide health care support to the elderly at home. As voice assistants move towards handling more sophisticated health needs, you may need to focus on training and skills enhancement to ensure that your organization remains relevant.

7. Virtual Health Care Management

No one thought the health care delivery process would get here, but this trend may catch up sooner than you would think. As telehealth becomes an ever so present reality, the focus will now move towards virtual management of health care.

Imagine owning a health care facility without the intrigues of a physical footprint? Well, this may become a probable outcome soon. But you’ll need to invest in the right people to handle such a sophisticated functional approach.

With more medical schools offering courses in such futuristic health care trends, finding a suitable virtual health care manager will require a thorough recruitment process.

Out With the Old And In With the New

The only constant thing in any industry is change. As the health care sector moves into a new decade, these seven healthcare industry trends will make a critical difference. You may need to take cognizance of such patterns and prepare your organization for the effects the trends will have on service delivery.

Explore our other posts for more insightful content.

Automation as a Means of Increasing Human Potential: Which Traits and Skills Will Automation Help Promote in Human Workers?

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StrategyDriven Talent Management Article | AUTOMATION AS A MEANS OF INCREASING HUMAN POTENTIAL: WHICH TRAITS AND SKILLS WILL AUTOMATION HELP PROMOTE IN HUMAN WORKERS?Automation will not replace jobs outright but augment and enhance them by streamlining and simplifying certain repetitive or low-value tasks. In the case of the machine operator, manual labor and routine tasks are most likely to be automated, while management, team-building, employee training and production supervision may now find themselves moved into priority roles. Likewise, our professional’s routine and computational tasks may find themselves automated, making room for other priorities like management, employee development and technology upskilling.

When used properly, automation doesn’t kill jobs; it rearranges their structure. And in the most outcome-driven scenarios, it improves their structure by creating more opportunities for human workers to focus on high-value tasks that cannot be automated.

Another way to look at automation is as a time-creation engine: automation manufactures time. Every man-hour it takes on is a man-hour gained. That man-hour can be subtracted from a company’s balance sheet and treated as a cost savings, or it can be reassigned to a high-value task that could not, until then, be budgeted for. Thus, each man-hour assigned to a machine creates an additional man-hour that can be assigned to a capable, high-value human worker. When we mentioned that automation should be additive rather than subtractive, this is what we mean: a hundred man-hours freed by an effective use of automation could be treated as a cost saving, but doesn’t it make more sense to maximize the value of that gain in one hundred man-hours, and reinvest it in the company? Apply it to solving a problem, improving a system, building a new revenue stream, designing the next killer app?

The lowest hanging fruit in the business world is finding ways to cut costs. This isn’t to say that running a lean organization doesn’t have its advantages. Cutting costs and trimming fat in ways that ultimately help companies perform better are always wins. But the reflex to cut costs just because you can isn’t necessarily the best way to drive towards market leadership. Sometimes, re-tasking resources from low-value to high-value tasks makes more sense than throwing them away.

A case in point: digital transformation, technology disruption and the monumental task of rebuilding businesses for a 21st-century digital economy are not the types of challenges that companies can hope to address successfully by cutting costs and cutting corners. Smart, agile companies know how to unlock their own parts and move them around at will. They are modular. Job descriptions and departments evolve. IT managers at these companies aren’t operating the way they were 10 years ago or 5 years ago, or even a year ago. Every aspect of the business is in a state of constant change and adaptation. Automation for these types of companies, which are typically digital leaders, isn’t used to shrink the number of employees. It is used to free up capital to hire more people, and free up human workers to focus on more high-value and meaningful tasks.

About the Authors

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Olivier BlanchardStrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Daniel NewmanThis article is adapted from HUMAN/MACHINE: The Future Of Our Partnership With Machines by Daniel Newman & Olivier Blanchard. Daniel is the principal analyst of Futurum Research and the CEO of Broadsuite Media Group. Oliver is a senior analyst with Futurum Research, where he focuses on the impact of emerging and disruptive technologies.

For more information please visit https://www.koganpage.com/product/human-machine-9780749484248