Role Storming

We have all used Brain Storming (or mind showering as some would like us to call it) but have you ever developed brain storming into Role Storming?

Developed by R. E. Griggs in 1985 he suggests that Brain Storming is significantly enhanced if you and your team pretend to be someone else during the process.

The reason why this may work for you is that it enables you to switch perspectives which can be creatively provocative and it may act to reduce inhibitions. Silly ideas generated by yourself can be subconsciously embarrassing but if you suggest to your team silly ideas that your role play character would produce it becomes more acceptable.

The suggested process:

1. Use a Brian Storming session to purge the first set of easy, obvious ideas.

1. Identify someone you know well, a friend, someone you respect, someone from history even, someone from public life. Why not role play your key competitor’s Managing Director?

1. Take on their role, beliefs and attitudes. Use the statement “My person or I would suggest….

1. Brain Storm or use other idea techniques while role playing.

Repeat the process a number of times using different characters

It may sound childish, but creative thinking is only successful when you allow yourself to think out of the box and drop your beliefs and attitudes.

Following on from this is a full blown War Game, which we believe is one the best and most interesting management tools out there.

Graeme Dixon, Director of www.Cast:csi.co.uk, a Professional Recruitment company specialising in MBA level placements and Professional Services Director of www.aimstrategic.com, one of the UK’s premier Competitive Intelligence practitioners.  Midlands Chairman of the Association of MBAs, Graeme has nearly 10 years Military Intelligence and 14 years Professional Recruitment and Headhunting experience.