What Are The Five Steps In The Strategic Planning Process?

Creativity, as has been said, consists largely of rearranging what we know in order to find out what we do not know. Hence, to think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted.

– George Kneller

Creative ideas lead over experience and existing winners. It cuts every limit to success.

Stop doing the same thing over and over, stop imitating what others did.

Most inventions or creative ideas evolve when men are alone, while day dreaming during their leisure time and when their mind is relaxed and full with positive energy. Neurobics or brain exercises help in improving creativity.

When the ‘weaker’ of the two brains (right and left) is stimulated and encouraged to work in cooperation with the stronger side, the end result is a great increase in overall ability and … often five to ten times more effectiveness.

– Professor Robert Ornstein

Here are five steps which will help one to develop creative thoughts or ideas.

1. Break the routine. Think differently, take a different route. There are many methods to do a task and we tend to choose the most comfortable option for us. For example, try working on the computer without using a mouse. For some it’s impossible, some quickly take help and masters the basic shortcut keys. Breaking routines make us think, we are in a new world then, we discover new things.

2. Put in waste. Put existing working ideas in the waste basket. List them and strike it out and self command your brain loudly, to keep those ideas away.

3. Think in other point of view. Put your self in others shoes. Think as they think. Repeat step 1 & 2 from their view. If you are from insurance industry think in way a person thinks in software industry. Try to identify some objects or processes in software industry and find similar objects or processes in your industry. Cross link and look for new ideas.

4. Give life to objects. You will have objects related to your thoughts. They may be non living things. Give life to them and see what they may have to say. For example, a credit card, what worries or feeling can it have if it was a living thing? Can it help you in financial planning? When you are confused on certain transactions can it guide you to take a suitable decision for you? You have seen non living things talking in animation and cartoon movies. Let your imagination run wild. Visualize it!

5. Link visuals to purpose. Your purpose may be to develop a new product and / or new feature to an existing one and benefiting the customer. When you link the visuals to purpose shoot out as many questions you can and seek many answers for each questions – ‘what if..’, ‘when..’, ‘where..’, ‘how..’, ‘why..’. Ask open questions. For example, ‘what if my credit card be my financial advisor or my mentor?’ At the end of the process your mind will be filled with hundreds of ideas. List the best one and brainstorm it. Do SWOT analysis and reach on the best idea. A SWOT analysis is a breakdown of the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats. It takes in to account both external and internal environment. SWOT analysis is complete only, if we transfer strengths into capabilities by matching them with the opportunities in the environment.