What makes The MultipleMind Method special
It is a
complete system |
- It is a tried-and-tested process. It is more than simply an idea generation procedure.
- It ensures there is clear and precise thinking at the start and hardheaded and pragmatic thinking at the end to ensure ideas are turned into reality.
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It
turbo-charges imaginative thinking |
- Most people and organisations are nowhere near as creative as they could or need to be. Creative thinking is an ability we are all born with.
- But for many people the skill has gone to waste. Historically imaginative thinking has been much maligned in favour of logical thinking and analysis. These left brain ways of thinking have been seen as more important and better because of the way that our economy and the world of work has evolved over the last two centuries.
- The MultipleMind Method reawakens and
reinvigorates the powerful but dormant
creative abilities that everyone has.
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| It is
proven |
This powerful approach brings together:
- timeless wisdom and inventive thinking
principles;
- the attitudes and
techniques used by
history’s great entrepreneurs, thinkers,
artists and inventors; and
- current scientific evidence on how the
creative mind works.
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Quite simply, it works ... every time |
- You cannot predict the exact outcome
that will come from using The MultipleMind Method, but you can predict that it works. Eureka ideas
will be originated.
- It's similar to teaching someone to read and write. You can predict that the skills will be useful, but you cannot predict what they will write and read with the skills.
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The MultipleMind Method multiples mind power
 Original
and valuable ideas are rare. The odds on anyone coming
up with a Eureka idea or solution are quite small.
However, you significantly increase the chances of coming up
with a Eureka idea when you open up your mind
with the two components of The MultipleMind Method
and use:
- the multiple thinking styles of your own mind –
we call this
Colourful Thinking
- a multiple number of, and a wide range of,
other people’s minds – we call this
Crowd Creativity
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What is Colourful Thinking?
These days many people spend the majority of their
day thinking in a frenetic, fast-paced and superficial
way.
For them, this kind of high-intensity and speedy beta wave thinking has
become habitual and is a way of life. Beta wave thinking
has its place. For example, when it comes to analysis
and action-planning. But if you spend too much time
engaged in it you feel tired and stressed. DayTime Thinking as we call it, is not
conducive to generating ideas.
Slow, deeper and quieter forms of thinking are. As
individuals, effective creativity comes adding other
thinking styles into the mix. It’s like thinking in
colour instead of in black and white. Other colours of
thinking are as follows.
- The deep thinking which occurs when brain
wave frequencies slow down and intensify. This
happens when you sleep. We call this NightTime
Thinking and it can be used to generate ideas and
solve problems.
- The insights and inspirational thoughts
which come from theta wave thinking, which we
call DayBreak Thinking.
- The reflective and intuitive thoughts which come
from alpha wave thinking, which we call DayDream
Thinking.
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What is Crowd Creativity?
People have the ability to be extraordinarily
inventive working on their own. However, each of us has
a limited amount of knowledge, skills and experiences to
draw on for inspiration.
Science shows that two or more heads are better than
one. If, that is, the ‘multiple minds’ work together in
a particular way.
You can’t just assemble a group of
people and expect a high level of creativity as a
result. Anyone who has ever been to a business meeting
knows this to be true only too well! Hidden agendas and
antagonisms can immediately derail creativity.
There is a scientific basis to group creativity. We know
from studies that certain conditions need to be in place
for a group of people to be highly creative.
Crowd Creativity is the set of 14 attitudes and aptitudes
for connecting and coordinating brainpower that will
enable any group to collaborate effectively and generate
a constant flow of original and valuable ideas.
One of these attributes is diversity. The greater the
diversity, the greater the creativity. There are always
different paths and approaches. The MultipleMind Method
uses diversity in a very powerful way.
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The 7-Step Process
Great ideas don’t manifest themselves in a random
way. Creativity needs to be approached in a deliberate
and purposeful way.
There are 7 steps in the MultipleMind Method. Each one
builds on the previous one, so steps should not be
skipped. Sequence is an important part of The
MultipleMind Method.
There is a time and a place for
each type of thinking. For example:
- critical thinking is not suitable at the idea
generation stage as it suffocates creative thoughts;
and
- critical thinking is required after ideas have
been generated in order to assess them.
The initial steps lay the groundwork for later
success. Blocks are removed and appropriate creative
thinking techniques are identified.
Clarity is power but, too often, creativity efforts fail
because the objectives are vague. The brain thrives when
there is precision. It is a like a ‘heat-seeking
missile’ so time is spent defining the creative
challenge.
The aim of the rest of the process is to come up with
ideas, evaluate them and to build plans to bring the
right idea to fruition.
It is a powerful, inspiring,
enjoyable, and mind-expanding expedition. Participants
in the process escape their work-a-day world during
these stages. Very often people mentally and creatively
stagnate and feel burdened down. The MultipleMind Method
removes the shackles and opens up their mind. They
rekindle their creative spirit and get in touch again
with their belief that wonderful things can happen. They
become a fountain of new ideas.
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Ideation Groups
 MasterMind
Ideation Groups is a concept we sometimes use when we conduct
innovation and creativity projects for our clients.
An Ideation Group is a way of injecting a huge boost of
creativity into a project.
Colourful Thinkers is the name we give to members of the
MasterMind Ideation Groups we put together. They are a
diverse group of people. They vary in age, background,
skills and thinking styles.
- Some are predominantly left brain thinkers which
means are typically logical, practical, and
cautious. They focus on facts and figures, the
present and the past and are good with words.
- Some are predominantly right brain thinkers
which means they are typically imaginative,
emotional and focused on the big picture. They are
often visual, impulsive and daring.
- Some of our Colourful Thinkers balance
their use of left and right brain thinking styles.
All of our MasterMind Ideation Group members are specially trained in an approach to group
idea generation which we call Crowd Creativity.
What all Colourful Thinkers have in common is that they are
fascinated by ideas. They explore ideas and are always
curious as to why things are the way they are and how
situations can be improved. They are always looking for
connections and solutions. They are adept at looking at
situations and problems in new ways. They bring energy
and insight to idea generation and problem solving
situations.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Surely you could be waiting forever for the right
idea or solution to emerge?
The brain responds well to deadlines so time limits are
often put in place. Big ideas can sometimes take time to
emerge, however. It’s almost as if these Eureka Moments
bide their time until the effort has been put in.
How do you know if an idea that comes out of this
process is the right idea?
You’ll know! Illumination as we call it, is the Eureka
Moment. There are three tell-tale signs that an idea or
solution is ‘the one’.
Isn’t this just brainstorming by another name?
This is not a hit-or-miss assortment of bizarre or
stereotypical creative thinking techniques like
brainstorming. In fact, the brainstorming technique as
most people understand it, is not even used at the idea
generation stage of The MultipleMind Method process. It is not
true that to have great ideas all you have to do is let
your natural creativity out of its shell. There is much
more to it and The MultipleMind Method includes the
other dimensions to creativity.
Why is fun part of the process?
You can achieve more when people are inspired and there
is a sense of fun involved. Creativity is triggered by
these states of mind. There is a scientific basis to
this.
For example, most humour is based your thoughts being
taken along a familiar and logical path and then
jumping off down unexpected and illogical path – and
this is where the punch line appears. Creativity has the
same basis as humour.
We’re in the middle of an economic downturn. So
surely creativity is a luxury and not a necessity in
these kinds of circumstances?
It may be counterintuitive, but when times are tough the
approach of pushing on instead of holding back has a
greater chance of success. The MultipleMind Method works
in any economy.
Whether you’ve noticed it yet or not, we’ve entered a
new era in business history. In the west we’re saying
goodbye to the Information Age and we’re welcoming the
Inventive Age.
What is this period going to be about? In short, it is a
time when creativity, innovation, design and empathy
skills will become increasingly important. No less a
figure than Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the
Federal Reserve Board, said as much in a speech as far
back as 1997: "The growth of the conceptual component of
output has brought with it accelerating demands for
workers who are equipped not simply with technical
know-how, but with the ability to create, analyze, and
transform information and to interact effectively with
others."
There is a wealth of evidence that innovation leads to
increased productivity and huge competitive advantage.
Lets not forget what this is all about. Ideas and
solutions. Its about doing things better. How can that
be something you stop doing because of an economic
downturn?
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