Opening up more options is always a better thing than limiting your choices. However, this takes some time and, I would argue, brainstorming works better in collaboration than alone. Working with someone else helps stimulate your thinking.
When I brainstorm an option, I like to pull out visual tools. A Google Sheet for working financial scenarios helps with sensitivity analysis. A mindmap can visually show all the interconnections and lay of the land. An org chart to visualize various functions and roles.
From there, through dialogue, brainstorming through creative solutions and opportunities can become fun. And some of the best practices include:
- Define constraints. Constraints help your mind move from the infinite to the possibilities.
- Think about who. There are people that have solved your problem before. Steal like an artist.
- Think bigger. What could options outside of your box of thinking look like? What if you had access to more capital, more influencers or more networks?
- Resourcing. What does it take to make your idea real? Work through the numbers and use that to start formulating your action plan for funding, hiring and development.
You can always modify your plan, however, don’t limit yourself to small thinking. If you want some help getting to bigger ideas and plans, connect with me to define and get your next goal.
