10. THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
* There is one final component that is conducive to great idea generation, and it is tonal rather than practical: the attitude of the attendees has to be right. And that means setting the right tone.
* Getting this right will depend on who you invite, their predisposed views on the subject matter, their mood on the day, and the manner in which you direct and control them.
* You can devise your own Rules of Engagement to reflect your company culture, but the main features should be common to most good working environments.
* To be strongly encouraged are: ignoring the past, productive listening, brevity, and a serious approach to the subject, but not to one’s own ego.
* To be strongly resisted are: absenteeism (if you don’t turn up, or are late, you should have no say in the decision), jargon of any kind, showing off or holding court, and cynicism.
* Be aware that there is a distinct difference between cynicism and pragmatism. Extremes are to be avoided in idea generation. Freewheeling, impractical ideas are as useless as the immediate killing off of every new suggestion.
* Finally, as we saw with the Third Place Triangle, try to create a relaxed mood. It leads to better ideas.
EXERCISE: If you are conducting an idea generation session, it is your job to set the tone. Plot the exercise from the moment you call it to your desired outcome. Review how you would like your participants to perform. Write down your expected behaviour, and make sure that all your communication about the job, including your performance on the day, reflects this.
