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Out Of The Office Training

Currently, I’m working with an innovations group in the pharmaceutical industry facilitating creative sessions around brand equity and new product development. The pharmaceutical industry is plagued with legal and regulatory minefields making creative thinking a challenge.

During our first brainstorm sessions I notice my clients were exhausted. Almost crippled by in the box thinking, making it impossible for them to think of any new ideas or think differently about what they currently obtain.

What we needed was inspiration to continue to stretch and truly reach our creative potential. I don’t believe that inspiration is sufficiently served up in even the most compelling office environments, nor among the most creative cultures. So we needed to get out of the office some times.

I also believe when I’m happy, I am more creative and productive.  Armed with this knowledge and an exhausted team of scientists, brand planners and brand managers we headed to an improv class at “Magnet Theater”. Nothing gets people more energized and thinking creatively then laughing for three hours.

We learned numerous improv techniques that are direct links to working in a creative brainstorm:
Be Specific: try to answer the who, what, when, where, why and how
Yes and: whatever your partner suggests try to add onto what is already being built
Object Work: since you don’t know the environment or object create it
Emotion: meaning of a scene changes entirely based on the emotional subtext

Next time you are stumped, I recommend getting out of the office to try and solve it.