Techniques for Enhancing Creative Thinking

Most people think storytelling is just for writers and filmmakers. But the best business leaders know better. They use stories to close deals, inspire teams, and build movements. After studying how the best in the world communicate, I noticed something fascinating. They don't wing it. They use specific frameworks that turn messages into movements. 💡 The Pixar framework? It turns any change story into something memorable. "Once upon a time, retail was only in stores. Every day, people drove to shop. One day, Amazon changed everything." Simple. Memorable. Powerful. 💡 Simon Sinek's Golden Circle works because humans buy into purpose before products. Start with why you exist. Then show how you're different. Finally, reveal what you deliver. Watch how Apple does this in every launch. 💡 The StoryBrand approach flips traditional marketing. You're not the hero. Your customer is. You're just the guide helping them win. 💡 The Hero's Journey isn't just for movies. It brings founder stories to life. The call to adventure. The obstacles faced. The transformation achieved. We see ourselves in their struggle. 💡 Three-Act Structure works because our brains naturally think this way. Setup. Conflict. Resolution. Beginning. Middle. End. It's how humans have shared knowledge forever. 💡 ABT (And, But, Therefore)? It's beautifully simple. Here's the situation AND here's the context. BUT something changed. THEREFORE here's what happens next. Clear thinking in three beats. These aren't scripts to memorize. They're lenses to see through. Each one helps you connect differently. Each one moves people in unique ways. The magic happens when you know which framework fits which moment. And sometimes, when you blend them together. Which one are you trying this week? ♻️ Repost if this resonates with you. Follow Desiree Gruber for more insights on storytelling, leadership, and brand building.

🧠 “How We Brainstorm And Choose UX Ideas” (+ Miro template) (https://lnkd.in/eN32hH2x), a practical guide by Booking.com on how to run a rapid UX ideation session with silent brainstorming and “How Might We” (HMW) statements — by clustering data points into themes, reframing each theme and then prioritizing impactful ideas. Shared by Evan Karageorgos, Tori Holmes, Alexandre Benitah. 👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾 Booking.com UX Ideation Template (Miro) https://lnkd.in/eipdgPuC (password: bookingcom) 🚫 Ideas shouldn’t come from assumptions but UX research. ✅ Study past research and conduct a new study if needed. ✅ Cluster data in user needs, business goals, competitive insights. ✅ Best ideas emerge at the intersections of these 3 pillars. ✅ Cluster all data points into themes, prioritize with colors. ✅ Reframe each theme as a “How Might We” (HMW) statement. ✅ Start with the problems (or insights) you’ve uncovered. ✅ Focus on the desired outcomes, rather than symptoms. ✅ Collect and group ideas by relevance for every theme. ✅ Prioritize and visualize ideas with visuals and storytelling. Many brainstorming sessions are an avalanche of unstructured ideas, based on hunches and assumptions. Just like in design work we need constraints to be intentional in our decisions, we need at least some structure to mold realistic and viable ideas. I absolutely love the idea of frame the perspective through the lens of ideation clusters: user needs, business problems and insights. Reframing emerging themes as “How-Might-We”-statements is a neat way to help teams focus on a specific problem at hand and a desired outcome. A simple but very helpful approach — without too much rigidity but just enough structure to generate, prioritize and eventually visualize effective ideas with the entire team. Invite non-designers in the sessions as well, and I wouldn’t be surprised how much value a 2h session might deliver. Useful resources: The Rules of Productive Brainstorming, by Slava Shestopalov https://lnkd.in/eyYZjAz3 On “How Might We” Questions, by Maria Rosala, NN/g https://lnkd.in/ejDnmsRr Ideation for Everyday Design Challenges, by Aurora Harley, NN/g https://lnkd.in/emGtnMyy Brainstorming Exercises for Introverts, by Allison Press https://lnkd.in/eta6YsFJ How To Run Successful Product Design Workshops, by Gustavs Cirulis, Cindy Chang https://lnkd.in/eMtX-xwD Useful Miro Templates For UX Designers, by yours truly https://lnkd.in/eQVxM_Nq #ux #design

What do Albert Einstein, Paul McCartney, and Virgina Woolf have in common – besides being highly influential figures in their respective fields? All three revealed that some of their most creative ideas came to them whilst they were walking or sleeping. Ok, so what’s the brain up to this time? Why should disengaging help #creativity? In 2014, a group of researchers at Stanford measured the positive effects of mild physical activity on creativity – and found that walking boosted creativity by between 50-80%. 👉 When students took a brisk walk around the college campus or walked at a relaxed pace on an indoor treadmill facing a blank wall – their performance on a test of creativity called the “Alternate Uses Task” improved by a whopping 81%! The AUT tests “divergent thinking,” which is the ability to explore many possible solutions, including blue sky or out of the box thinking. 👉 Walking outdoors produced the most novel and highest quality analogies, indicating that walking had a very specific benefit in improving creativity. 👉 Furthermore, walking made people more talkative, resulting in roughly 50% more total ideas being produced compared to when sitting. In other words, just going for a short walk led to a massive increase in creativity. Or, in the words of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, "All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.” Sleeping on it seems to have a similar creativity-enhancing effect as physical exercise. How many times have you come back to tackle a seemingly insurmountable problem after a sleep – or even a nap – and the pieces seemed to fall right into place? Studies have found that during the phase of sleep known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, the #brain is able to make new and novel connections between unrelated ideas, which is a key aspect of creativity. This state of sleep allows for the free association of ideas, which can lead to creative problem-solving and the generation of innovative ideas upon waking. REM sleep is thought to contribute to "incubating" creative ideas, as the brain reorganizes and consolidates memories, potentially leading to creative insights. Both physical exercise and sleep are mood-enhancers, which may contribute to enhancing creativity. Research suggests that positive moods can enhance creative thinking, making it easier for individuals to think flexibly and come up with innovative solutions. Positive emotional states often increase cognitive flexibility, broaden attention, and allow for more associations between ideas, which are key elements of creativity. Turns out, there are practical ways to spark more ‘Aha!’ moments in our lives. The next time you’re struggling to think of a solution to a problem, try taking a walk or sleeping on it – the evidence-backed cheat-codes for unlocking creativity!

The #1 mistake I see in client relationships? (It took me years to learn this) Confusing contact with connection. Most professionals think staying “top of mind” means constant contact. So they: ❌ Send generic check-ins. ❌ Ask for meetings without clear value. ❌ Share the same articles everyone else does. Then wonder why response rates keep dropping. 20+ years in client relationships has taught me: The best way to stay memorable? Show up as someone who genuinely cares about them  (and their success). Instead of asking: ❌ “How do I stay visible?” Ask: ✅ “How do I show I care?” Here are my favorite 6 ways to show you care: 1. Spot Opportunities They Might Miss ↳ Share competitor moves and market shifts before  they hear it elsewhere. 2. Be Their Connector ↳ Introduce them to people who can help them grow. 3. Offer Insights They Can Use Immediately ↳ Send relevant research they can apply right now. 4. Celebrate Their Successes ↳ Spotlight their wins like they’re your own. 5. Invite Them Into Your World ↳ Include them in events and conversations that matter. 6. Check In With a Personal Touch ↳ Reach out with no agenda, just genuine care. Here’s the truth: Most people only show up when they want something. Top performers show up because they genuinely care. Because they know when someone’s ready to buy, they don’t research who’s available. They call those who’ve already proven they care. Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your take on it in the comments below. ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don’t feel like selling. Want the full cheat sheet? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e3qRVJRf 

What do you do when someone on your team is brave enough to criticise you? Me? I promote them as soon as possible. Why? Because in high-performing companies, innovation thrives when teams feel empowered to challenge ideas respectfully. As a leader, fostering a culture of constructive dissent can unlock your team’s full potential and fuel spectacular business growth. Here are 5 techniques I use to build openness and encourage dialogue: 1. Encourage continuous feedback Don’t wait for annual reviews or formal discussions. Make candid feedback a regular part of daily operations — through check-ins, town halls, or anonymous surveys. The more often feedback is shared, the less intimidating it becomes. 2. Model respectful dissent How do you react when your ideas are challenged? Leaders should actively invite differing viewpoints and listen with an open mind. When leaders encourage respectful dissent, it signals to everyone that diverse perspectives are truly valued. 3. Reward honest opinions Recognise those who respectfully challenge the status quo. This reinforces the idea that fresh thinking is an asset, not a liability. (Fun fact: The US State Department has an annual Constructive Dissent Award, given to those who courageously stand by their principles.) 4. Be transparent in decision-making After making a decision, explain the reasoning behind it. Even if someone’s idea isn’t chosen, knowing their input was genuinely considered strengthens future buy-in and trust. 5. Align after discussion Once a decision is made, the team must unite behind it to make it work. Remind everyone that while debate is healthy during the process, whole-hearted execution is key to success. You really can criticise your way to success. A culture of constructive dissent leads to smarter decisions and a more productive team. The key? Making sure every voice is heard and valued. Do you agree? Promise not to fire you if you don't!

If your AI brainstorming starts with an AI prompt  such as “give me ideas about for X,” you’re limiting your imagination.  I learned this while working through IDEO U’s Human-Centered Design and AI certificate program, which keeps reminding me that AI only supports creativity when humans stay actively involved. To test this, I ran a small experiment tied to my design challenge: how can nonprofit professionals use AI to augment their thinking so their work becomes more strategic, creative, and human-centered? Here’s what happened. When I began with human-only ideation (my own brain or a brainstorming session with other humans), the ideas were grounded in mission, constraints, and real community needs. When I switched to AI with a clear creative direction to generate ideas, I asked for absurdity.  AI delivered: costume-based learning scenes, dramatic falling sequences, Play-Doh brains, even a human–AI tango. These weren’t solutions or a waste of time. They were creative provocations that loosened up the tight mental space we often operate within. The best ideas emerged only after I cycled through several layers of human grounding, AI variation, and human synthesis. It felt like a club sandwich of thinking modes. Humans brought mission and ethics. AI widened the possibility space. Humans shaped meaning. The infographic (created in Nano Banana) shows the practices that made this work: 💡Begin with human insight. 💡Give AI a clear creative direction. 💡Separate idea expansion from idea selection. 💡Use reflective checkpoints. 💡Treat AI as a partner, not a replacement. This experiment makes me think that the real value of AI in nonprofit brainstorming is less about efficiency and more about expanding imagination. When humans guide the process, AI becomes a thought-partner for more human-centered creativity. What would open up in your work if your organization treated AI as a creative partner instead of a shortcut?

One of the clearest signals of whether a transformation is working isn’t in the plan - it’s in the conversations happening in your teams. So pay close attention to the frequency of healthy debate, constructive challenge and openness to new and divergent ideas that takes place. If the frequency is low… …there is the risk of creating the illusion of performance because people readily ‘understand’ each other, agree on everything, collaboration seems to flow smoothly and there is a collective sensation of progress. However, the opportunity cost is teams gets trapped in their own paradigms, opportunities get overlooked, risks ignored - and ultimately their output becomes derivative not innovative, performance diminishes as opposed to improving and compounding. If the frequency is high… …there is a level of psychological safety that allows for team members to be more objective, to speak up with relevant ideas, to constructively challenge each other, and bring their diverse perspectives and experiences to the table - in the knowledge it won’t be held against them. This opens up the opportunity of reframing the paradigm, and connecting different perspectives and ideas. Ingredients for creativity, innovation, resilience and performance. You see homogeneous teams might feel easier, but easy doesn’t translate into Performance. Here are a few ideas to experiment with your teams… 1. Intentionally foster a team environment that replaces scepticism with intellectual curiosity, an open and learning mindset.   2. Consider how you can create a ways of working that allows all ideas and perspectives from everyone in the room to be heard. 3. Encourage dissenting perspectives. Surrounding yourself with people who are willing to disagree with you and challenge your perspectives and each other. 4. Consider whether you may need to invite others to that creative or idea generation meeting to ensure you get a broader perspective. 5. De-stigmatise failure through sharing past mistakes and celebrating lessons learnt. 6. Institutionalise a team culture of healthy candour. Candour is one of the key attributes to improving the quality of output, levelling up creativity and enabling effective collaboration. What would you add? #transformation #culture #psychologicalsafety

Innovation is the lifeblood of progress, but it doesn’t happen by chance. It’s cultivated in environments where team members feel safe to share ideas and challenge the status quo. Creating a culture of innovation means nurturing an environment where bold ideas can flourish. It’s about openness, diverse perspectives, and the freedom to experiment. When people feel empowered to speak up, creativity thrives, and true innovation follows. So, how do you create such a culture? 1️⃣ Embed a Growth Mindset: Encourage continuous learning and development across all levels of the organization. Provide resources for professional growth and celebrate learning milestones, fostering an environment where knowledge and skills are constantly evolving. 2️⃣ Facilitate Cross-Functional Collaboration: Break down silos and encourage teams from different departments to work together. Cross-functional projects can bring fresh perspectives and spur innovative solutions that wouldn’t emerge in isolation. 3️⃣ Implement Structured Feedback Mechanisms: Establish regular feedback processes focused on constructive criticism and actionable insights. Ensure psychological safety so team members feel secure, viewing feedback as an opportunity for growth rather than critique. 4️⃣ Encourage Calculated Risks: Promote a culture where calculated risks are welcomed. Empower your team to explore new ideas and approaches without fear of failure. Recognize and reward innovative efforts, even when they don’t result in immediate success. By embedding these principles into your organizational culture, you can pave the way for continuous growth and success. Let’s create spaces where innovation is not just an aspiration but a tangible reality. #Leadership #Innovation #FutureOfWork

Who needs sleep when you can overthink! Few days back I attended a talk by Ankit. We have been friends for almost two decades now, did some stupendous trips together (A month in Switzerland in 2008 was the highlight). During all this time, we had a lot of friendly banter, discussions on almost all topics under the sun. However, this time, Ankit Jhamb, #yourblackcoffeeguy spoke on something which resonated deeply with me as UX enthusiast. As UX designers, we thrive on creativity, empathy, and problem-solving. Our passion for perfection and innovation can often lead to overthinking, which can stifle creativity. Sharing few pointers inspired by Ankit's talk, on how designers can clear that mental traffic and put ideas into action: 📍Move Your Body A hyperactive mind is often a sign of an inactive body. Regular physical activity can help reduce mental clutter.If you're stuck on a design problem, take a break and go for a walk or do a quick workout. This physical movement can refresh your mind and provide new perspectives on the issue at hand. 📍Identify Overthinking Time Zones Overthinking tends to occur in specific "time zones" – moments when your mind is more prone to ruminating, such as before sleeping, while commuting, or during breaks. Recognize these patterns and create strategies to distract or redirect your mind. 📍Write It Down Overthinking often manifests as mental chitter chatter. One effective way to manage this is by writing down your thoughts. If you're grappling with multiple design ideas, jot them down in a notebook. This practice helps you process and prioritize your ideas & also reduces mental noise. Creating a mind map can be particularly useful for visualizing and organizing complex thoughts. 📍Ask the Right Questions When you catch yourself overthinking, pause and ask, "What am I thinking?" This technique can help you become aware of your thoughts and manage them more effectively. When you're overthinking a design decision, ask yourself, "What specific problem am I trying to solve? What is the most important user need here?" This focused questioning can help clarify your thoughts and guide your design process. 📍Embrace Imperfection No design is ever perfect, and striving for perfection can paralyze progress. Embrace iterative design – test, learn, and refine. Instead of agonizing over the perfect color scheme, create a prototype and gather user feedback. 📍Collaborate and Seek Feedback Collaboration can reduce overthinking. Share your ideas and prototypes with your team. Constructive feedback can provide new perspectives and validate your design choices, helping you move forward confidently. Conduct regular design critiques where team members can offer suggestions. 📍Break Down Tasks Overthinking often stems from feeling overwhelmed. Break your tasks into smaller, manageable steps and prioritize what's most important. Create a task list for a design project and tackle one item at a time.

Smart Teams Make You Stronger. Having talented people on your team isn't something to fear - it helps everyone succeed. As a second-line manager at just 27 years old, I learned this firsthand. Leading a growing team in a fast growing industry. meant hiring people who were more experienced and smarter than me, including direct reports 8-10 years my senior. What seemed intimidating at first actually accelerated my leadership growth. That experience taught me a crucial lesson: surrounding yourself with brilliant minds isn't a threat—it's your greatest advantage. 5 Ways to Embrace Team Diversity 1️⃣ Value Different Experience Levels → Learn from seasoned perspectives: My older team members brought wisdom from previous roles I hadn't encountered yet → Balance fresh thinking with proven methods: New ideas work best when combined with tested approaches 2️⃣ Recognize Your True Role as Leader → Focus on removing obstacles: I learned my job wasn't to be the expert, but to clear paths for the experts → Build connections between specialists: Help team members with different skills collaborate effectively → Set clear vision, then step back: Define what success looks like, then let your talented team find the best path 3️⃣ Make Space for Better Ideas Practice active listening: The best solutions often came when I stopped talking and truly hear my team Credit generously: Publicly acknowledge when someone's idea outshines yours Ask more questions, give fewer answers: "What do you think we should do?" became my most powerful phrase 4️⃣ Build Confidence Through Trust → Delegate meaningful work: Show trust by giving important tasks to those with the skills to excel → Accept different approaches: I found team members often reached better outcomes when using their own methods → Share the spotlight: Invite team members to present their work directly to higher management 5️⃣ Embrace the Growth Mindset → Admit what you don't know: Saying "I need your expertise here" strengthened rather than weakened my leadership → Measure success by team outcomes: I learned that my growth as a leader should be judged by our collective achievement 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 Working with team members smarter and more experienced than me wasn't just good for the organization—it dramatically accelerated my own leadership development. What initially felt uncomfortable became my greatest competitive advantage. Research backs this up: teams with varied skills and experience are 35% more likely to outperform their competitors. That early experience taught me the most valuable leadership lesson: surround yourself with exceptional talent, embrace their strengths, and you'll all rise together. Ask yourself: Would you hire someone whose brilliance might intimidate you? Your answer reveals whether you're ready for truly exceptional leadership. ♻️ Share this to help leaders level up. Follow Adeline Tiah 謝善嫻 for content on leadership and future of work.