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Right-Brain Meetings 

In the mid-twentieth century, Professor Roger Sperry conducted a series of brain studies that ultimately promoted the theory of lateralization of brain function—that the two hemispheres of the brain direct different functions of body and thought.  From these studies grew the idea that the “left brain” directed more analytical thinking while the “right brain” directed more creative thinking. This theory has been criticized by scientists as being too broad and simplistic, but now that “left brain v. right brain” has entered the workplace lexicon, it almost doesn’t matter.

Right-brain meetings—the latest office trend—are similar to the directive “think outside the box,” which is really just a call for new or creative ideas. Right-brain meetings require you to forget or ignore past practices and procedures, and come up with innovative ideas that will help distinguish your company from the competition. The point of the meeting is to stimulate the right side of the brain and spark creativity.

Here are a few ways to best stimulate that creativity.

Design

Set aside one conference room in your workspace as a right-brain meeting place. Paint the walls with brightly colored paint. Furnish it with beanbag chairs and coffee tables instead of conference tables and task chairs – some companies even use hammocks. A comfortable and casual setting allows those who have gathered to disassociate themselves from the often rigid world of business and settle into a more creativity-friendly environment.

Fun and games

Creativity is sparked when the brain has room to roam. Concentrating too hard on a specific objective can stifle creativity.  Carl Jung’s theory of the collective unconscious suggests that we are most creative when we engage our mind in other activities while letting our subconscious mull over the question at hand.

To this point, introduce an objective at the beginning of the meeting, then engage the participants in a related activity that doesn’t directly ask for a specific result. Word association is a popular choice, as it allows participants to focus on related concepts while pushing them to come up with new ideas. 

There are no bad ideas

This is true of right-brain meetings for the simple reason that participants should keep self-editing to a minimum. Someone may have a great idea that they hold back because it’s “too out there.” Discouraging this kind of thinking is essential to produce desired results.

Don’t press for results right away

If you set up a meeting to come up with a new name for a Web site, don’t expect to have the name by the end of the meeting. Take note of all the ideas gathered during the meeting and allow participants to submit more after the meeting is through. Putting a short deadline on the creative process will create the stress that, more often than not, stifles creativity.

What other things have you done at your office to discover creative ideas?