Creativity is vital for improvement and I ask this question during
creativity sessions to help raise people's awareness of their own
thinking. An
article in the Globe and Mail cites recent research (
Abstract)
providing evidence to why the answer to this question is rarely "in a
meeting". It may not surprise you that the answer is typically
something like "in the shower", "when cutting the grass", or "driving a
quiet road". NO ONE has ever volunteered: "in a meeting". But that's
exactly where we're called upon to do some of our best thinking!
Back to the research. I'll cut to the chase with a quote from the author:
"When
your mind wanders, a different kind of thinking occurs. When you aren't
trying to solve problems deliberately, it provides more mental space,
you make connections and let your mind go wherever it wants," said
Prof. Christoff. "Driving is the perfect activity for letting your mind
wander because it is highly automatized and requires only a small part
of our attention. When you daydream, you may not achieve your immediate
goal, say reading a book or paying attention in class. But your mind
may be taking that time to address more important questions in your
life." The research method is actually a fascinating application of fMRI for those who are curious - way over my head.
Next
time your team needs better thinking, leave the meeting and defer until
everybody gets a chance to daydream on it. I'm now a Daydream Believer
(sorry, couldn't resist).