Now There's an Idea!

​Now THERE’S an idea!
Creative thinking is a trait often found in successful people, but can you develop an ability for having bright ideas? Sure you can! Here are Rocket Sky’s six top tips…
1.Be alert for inspiration even in the least obvious places
Great ideas can come from all sorts of unexpected sources, so look well beyond your field of expertise or industry. Explore widely and, importantly, read widely. 
2.Jump on ideas as they occur
We have all had ideas that struck us as brilliant in the moment, but how many did we forget as soon as we become distracted by the nuts and bolts of life? Get in the habit of jotting down ideas as they occur. One successful businessman of Rocket Sky’s acquaintance told us how he recently developed an idea he’d initially scribbled in his ideas journal back in the mid-90s. That bit of scribble has just opened up a hugely profitable international deal. 
3.Brainstorm
There is real value in team brain-storming sessions. Do it regularly – and on everything from the best place for the team Christmas party to client presentations. Get your team accustomed to collaborative thinking. Sharing ideas is a common denominator in successful people.
4.Create a culture of ‘idea seeking’ within your organisation
Champion out-of-the-box thinking. There will be some crazy, unworkable and downright bonkers propositions, but a gem of an idea can often be found in even the most outlandishly-filled melting pots.
5.Be original
Reinventing the wheel is often harder than coming up with a brand new concept. If you can think of a way of re-jigging an old idea then you can probably come up with something new. Dig a bit deeper.
6.Don’t be too quick to make decisions 
Apart from being thorough in processing the pros and cons, taking things at a more relaxed pace allows additional ideas time to bubble away and then rise to the surface. Of course there are times when swift decisions need to be made but, where possible, build ‘slow burn’ time schedules.
Further reading: 
How to Have Great Ideas: A Guide to Creative Thinking by John Ingledew 
How to Get to Great Ideas: A system for smart, extraordinary thinking by Dave Birss