When I’m working with clients, I’ve been known to confiscate and ban sticky note pads. Why? Typically, when they need to capture an important idea or bit of information, they grab the sticky pad instead of a note book and scribble scraps of information. What happens to the sticky note? It either stays in the pad, never to be seen again. Or, it winds up lost in the shuffle of papers and files—never to be seen again.
Many times, great ideas never come to light because they are either lost from the mind before they can be captured or the scraps of paper entrusted with a brilliant thought disappears. Here are a few ways to lose the sticky notes for good.
Take it to the clouds–the Internet– to Team up with Others and Be Creative on the Go!
Cloud computing solutions are the perfect place for creating and organizing your ideas because they are flexible and accessible from virtually anywhere. They are also great for brainstorming with a colleagues near and far letting you take turns and build upon your thoughts, and provide feedback to each other. Usually you’ll have access to an audit trail of who contributed what and how your ideas evolved.
Speak out loud!
You’ve got your cell phone handy at all times right? We can all talk faster than we type–so if you’ve got a great idea and no pen or paper, call into your voicemail and leave yourself a message.
Draw a Picture!
Do it where you can make use of it. Take advantage of programs that will let you diagram or mind map your throughts. Create visual representations of your thoughts so you can easily capture ad remember what you want to do.
Stop scribbling on sticky notes and make sure you capture your ideas in a way that you can take them from idea to reality.