In this episode, hosts Merv Jersak and Tim Jerome delve into brainstorming, mind mapping, documenting lessons learned, and fostering innovation through meaningful questioning and team empowerment. Additionally, they discuss the importance of celebrating wins, recognizing contributions, and the thoughtful application of various project methodologies. Their insights aim to rekindle creativity and improve team collaboration and overall project success.

Main Take-Aways

Tips, tools, and techniques for enhancing your creativity and innovation, both important skills for delivering effective solutions for your customers:

1)     asking meaningful questions, requesting ideas, brainstorming

2)     documenting lessons learned

3)     celebrating innovation

4)     prioritizing creative ideas

5)     empowering team members and providing autonomy

6)     choosing the optimum methodology

7)     having a process of continuous change management

8)     the power of “thank you”

Show Notes

Today’s Project Managers Coffee Chat: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Creativity and Innovation

00:54 Tim begins with the first tip, that of asking questions, requesting ideas, and writing them on a whiteboard. Merv adds a variation to this brainstorming technique which he calls round robin.

02:38 Tim goes on with the description of a tool for innovation that he calls mind mapping. Merv agrees and suggests that this tool is also useful in virtual meetings.

05:10 Merv speaks to the importance of documentation, particularly in collecting lessons learned, as an invaluable tool for determining what went well and what could be improved upon on your project. This type of documentation then serves as a jumping off point for further creativity and innovation.

05:51 Tim elaborates on his first tip regarding questions by adding the qualifier “meaningful”. This adds clarity to creativity.

06:52 Merv encourages you to celebrate innovative ideas and the results of innovation on your projects. Recognize the innovators.

07:40 Tim like to build a prioritization step into idea creation to ensure that the ideas most benefiting your project are implemented first.

08:31 Merv recommends that you empower team members to try creative ideas and provide them with the autonomy to do so.

11:45 Tim and Merv then go into a detailed discussion on the benefits of collecting lessons learned throughout the project to keep on contributing to the creative solutioning on your project.

15:23 Merv describes the need for project managers to extend your creativity and innovation in choosing the optimum methodology for delivering your projects.

17:43 Merv then suggests that you provide a continuous process of change management, not only to deal with inevitable change that naturally occurs on projects, but to offer avenues for creative solutions.

18:51 Merv concludes the podcast by discussing the power of saying thank you.