28 July 2009 | Posted inBlog News & Updates, Cool Stuff, Featured
The Workplace of Ideas
I, for one, have some my best ideas late at night, on a fabulous vacation (see attached photo), or sharing a margarita with friends.
Steamboat Springs,Colorado - June 2009
Turns out that I’m not alone… Take a look at this study conducted by IDEA CHAMPIONS.
One of the things I found most interesting was that “In the Workplace” and “Sitting at Your Desk” don’t show up on the ”When do I Get my Best Ideas” list until #30 and #37. However, in the top ten were “Brainstorming with Others” and ”Collaborating with a Partner”… all seemingly related to work.
This got the Atlanta office chatting about different ways to work, collectively and individually, so that people can work when they actually have their best ideas and in a way that inspires their best ideas. Essentially, how do we better tap into the “Best Ideas Top 30″? Over the course of the summer, Atlanta has been actively participating in new ways of working… flex time, group meetings outside the office, and various team building activities.
During the next few weeks (in addition to other posts), I will be blogging about the successes, obstacles, and stories of individuals, teams, and our office as we work towards the Workplace of the Future… the Workplace of Ideas.
I believe that because ideas don’t restrict themselves from occuring between 8:30 – 5:30 at our desks, that the workplace should embrace that.
As we share with you, please share with us… When do you have your best ideas? What inspires you?
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I get my best ideas whenever I’m removed from my normal surroundings. I had lots of great ideas when studying abroad a couple years ago – not to mention several TERRIBLE ones
. Also, when my mind doesn’t seem to cooperate, I like to find my way outside the city and to a lake house or something in that genre. Unlike many others, I don’t think that it’s the peacefulness of being in a quiet rural area that results in my ability to brainstorm, but rather the stark contrast from my normal urban life that springs my mind into action. This works especially well for song-writing mental-blocks, but I’m certain it would work for me in other areas as well.
Reading magazines on the plane, or when i get the chance to ride a train – those are my free passes to daydream – which happen way too infrequently these days!
In the shower is definitely one place for good thinking – I suspect that it has something to do with relaxation. Of course, sometimes the ideas aren’t so much ideas as “oh, crap…I forgot to do XXX.”
i’m a shower thinker too! although, as I’m falling asleep I get a bunch of ideas, but have never quite followed through with the idea of keeping a notebook next to the bed – so i’m constantly springing up out of bed and running to the computer in the next room to email myself… probably not the best for keeping those ideas feasible since when i’m super tired i just don’t want to carry them out!
how many times have you read those late night notes of brilliance to yourself and found that they still held up in the light of day?
quite often! i’m at my sharpest (and, groan, most dreamy!) when i’m just about on the edge of consciousness!
I *think my best ideas some when just observing people. How they talk, behave, interact, etc.. Not only is it relaxing that I dont have to participate, but that also is a luxury I dont have much. Usually if you are somewhere that people are expecting you to have great ideas then you have to participate, but one time, I would just like to observe. Sometimes if you’re participating you’re relating the words of the idea to the ‘topic’ of conversation, but sometimes it’s also about the demeanor and the context and not so much the words. Would this be considered collaboration? The observation of collaboration, or just simply Anthropology?
ps-Megan, welcome to the BLOG!
ok, case in point – just got into the office (yes, it’s 9:30, but just hang in there). Last night as I was drifting off I just couldn’t stop thinking about my most recent project… and then, about an hour after I first laid down BAM! it hit me! I eventually drifted off, but the idea was there. I must have had dreams about it all night, because i woke up an hour and a half before my alarm this morning and just went and drew for 2 hours before even getting ready for work – I guess for all of us (those who have commented) we’ve all got that ‘just kind of out of it’ thing in common…i guess as designers we’re trained to always have several pots just bubbling away on our many back-burners. Just when we least expect it one of them boils over!
Michelle… I LOVE it! I want to see these drawings!
Megan, this is awesome…welcome to the blog!
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Swimming laps! After a few minutes the body goes on autopilot and the brain is freed. It’s like a sensory deprivation tank. There’s something about water.