Keep Innovation Jams Small and Focused

Bringing together people from different backgrounds to creatively brainstorm a problem — otherwise known as "jamming" – has become a popular way to unearth new ideas. Although the process is widely hyped, many companies struggle to make it work. Here are three rules of thumb to help:

• Let participants choose.
  It's a mistake to assign people to a challenge. You'll see much more creative energy if you let participants decide which problems to work on.
  
• Keep the team small.
  Don't let everyone get involved. Instead, create teams of no more than four. This size affords diversity but also allows the team to engage quickly.
  
• Clearly define the problem.
  Make sure everyone understands the business, technological, and other challenges involved so each team member isn't trying to solve a different problem.
  
  For more, please click the link below:
  
  http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/01/learning_how_to_jam.html?cm_mmc=email-_-newsletter-_-management_tip-_-tip042213&referral=00203&utm_source=newsletter_management_tip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tip042213