Some last minute tips for ideas generation
Here are my top three tips for holding an effective ideas generation session - helpful if your group is still searching for its big idea or just needs a last minute injection of creative thinking!
1. Get everyone involved. Encourage everyone to share their ideas. Someone might have jotted down a gem of an idea in their notebook, but if they’re too nervous to speak up then you’ll never know about it!
2. Ban negative thinking. In an ideas generation session all ideas are good ideas. Quickly dismissing an idea as ‘bad’ or ‘impossible’ might hold others back from sharing their ideas – and a ‘bad’ idea might be the one that sparks a brainwave from someone else.
3. Find a fresh perspective. Try getting your group together in a different setting from your usual meeting place – a different perspective can help to encourage fresh thinking. Or if you’ve already identified a problem that you want to solve, then get together in a setting that helps you to focus on that problem.
You should also check out Doug Richard’s advice on how to come up with good ideas.
Remember that the deadline for entering the Big Green Challenge is Monday 3 March - so even if you’ve not yet finalised your ideas, it makes sense to start your application as soon as possible.
Where do you come up with your best ideas?
Our recent survey found that the shower or bath is the top place for creative thinking! I think this shows that sometimes your best ideas happen when you’re not trying too hard to be creative and instead just let your mind drift and wander.
I find that getting out into the fresh air helps me to think about things from a different perspective and often come back from a walk in the park charged up with ideas and plans. Wherever it is that you do your best thinking, just make sure you’ve got a pen and paper handy so that your moment of genius doesn’t slip away!
The Big Green Challenge is about groups and communities taking action together, so once you’ve got an idea, share it with other members of your group. It’s often easier to build on an idea that’s already on the table than to think up something completely new. Take a look at these tips on how to get your community organised from our Green Angel Dick Stawbridge.
Where do you come up with your best ideas? Leave a comment to tell us what sparks your creativity.
A mountain of unused ideas
Vicki’s post earlier today mentioned that 80 per cent of people think they’ve had an idea that would change people’s lives for the better, but few people take their idea any further - creating a ‘mountain of unused ideas’.
Our survey also showed that four fifths of those questioned believe that ordinary people can make a big difference to serious problems like climate change. Who knows what we could achieve if these untapped ideas were brought to the surface?
The factors that stop people from following through with their idea include lack of money, not having enough confidence, a fear of failure, or simply not knowing where to start. Have any of these been obstacles to making your ideas happen?
More than half of the people we surveyed said they’d be motivated to act on their ideas if financial backing or reward was available, while being able to change people’s lives and help the local community were seen as the most important end results of having good ideas. People at our regional events said that the Big Green Challenge prize fund was a great way to focus people’s attention.
Why not get together with your group, dig out your thinking caps, switch off any negative thoughts about your creativity and make an idea happen!
Learning about energy efficiency with the Energy Bike
This photo was taken at the London launch event for the Big Green Challenge. The lime green contraption is the Energy Bike - an exercise bike that enables people to power electrical appliances with their legs.
The concept behind the Energy Bike is that the more energy an appliance uses, the more difficult it is to pedal, giving people a very physical lesson in energy efficiency!
We’re used to seeing facts and figures about how much energy can be saved through small actions like switching to energy efficient lightbulbs and leaving appliances on standby, but creativity and fun can also play a role in educating people about energy efficiency. I think the same principle applies to putting carbon savings into practice, so if you’re thinking about entering the Big Green Challenge, think creative!
Sarah Beeny
Sarah’s Big Green Challenge top tips
1. Think creatively! I always try and come up with new ways of dealing with problems in my work. The best ideas are those which are innovative
2. Do you belong to any kind of group, club, society or association? Speak to the people you see regularly and encourage them to get involved
3. Take a look at what’s around you. Have you seen a good ‘green’ idea and thought you could make it better?
4.Think about the barriers to ‘going green’ - what is it that stops you from taking up existing ideas?
5. Even if you don’t already take part community activities, pester your friends, family and colleagues to join forces with you to come up with ideas
6. Have you got a friend or colleague who’s always dreaming up good ideas? Well join them to think about climate change and make an idea happen!
7. Remember the winning ideas, that groups can prove work, will be rewarded with cash
8. Visit the website of NESTA’s Big Green Challenge to register, find out more and get some inspiration: www.biggreenchallenge.org.uk
9. Try and think beyond the obvious - turning off lights and walking rather than driving are good ideas for saving energy, but something more is needed to achieve a 60% reduction in carbon emissions within your community.
10. Try and get other groups in your community to take part, and turn it into a local competition.
