Brainstorming

Every so often you write a blog and you think, “Hmmm…  How would I feel if HR or a recruiter read this?”  (This is a sure sign it will be a great post.  It’s also a sure sign that you’re either a risk-taker with a sense of humor or a reckless internet idiot.)

S0 with that out of the way…

Last week over dinner, I decided to use the collective power of those around my kitchen table to solve a particularly vexing work problem: Award Ceremony Theme Night.

Every year our entire field organization heads to Sin City for a week of meetings, training and late night schmoozing.  On one of those nights we host a theme party where everyone must come in costume and sit through several hours of awards.  I posed this pivotal question to my collective think tank: Jake, Nake and James.

“So, we need to come up with a good party theme for my work.  What do you guys think?”

James: “How about Heroes and Villains?”
Me: “Nice.  I like it.  What else you got?”
Jake: “How ’bout a chocolate party?”
Me: “Mmm.  I better write these down.”  (I get some paper and a pen.)
“How ’bout a vampire party?
A preppy party?
An informal formal?
90’s!”

The ideas were coming left and right… according to a book I just read on innovation, the secret to brainstorming is “plussing” or adding to an idea.  And then:

Jake: “How ’bout a sausage party!”

Aaaand, that’s the beauty of brainstorming…  C’mon Teenage Jake, I can’t just let these gems pass us by.

If you’re from HR or happen to be a future recruiter googling my cyberspace shenanigans, this is just a reference to a Bavarian festival— Oktoberfest if you will.