This article originally appeared on Forbes.
Innovation is more than a checklist. It’s a vibrant journey, bursting with collaboration, strokes of genius and a collage of viewpoints. If you’re itching to sprinkle something fresh into this mix, it’s time to bring in the wild card: avatars. They’re more than a mere digital face swap; using avatars turbocharges your online personas. The result? A dynamic culture of innovation that champions every voice, enhances teamwork and develops diverse perspectives, all while cranking up the creativity dial.
Let’s dive into the pivotal advantages of integrating avatars into your innovation strategy, supplemented by three fun examples illustrating how avatars can be leveraged:
Flattening The Hierarchical Landscape
Avatars push ranks to the sidelines, spotlighting ideas instead. Imagine an intern’s avatar pitching an idea that gets a nod from the avatar of a senior executive. With job titles taking a back seat, innovation can ring loud and true. Fresh, trailblazing solutions rise without any baggage related to rank.
Strengthening Bonds Across Business Units
Avatars can ease departmental tensions, paving the way for new relationships and interdepartmental collaboration. Think of what can be achieved when the marketing and production avatars start co-creating! Because avatars conceal real identities, you can start to pool wisdom from every nook of the organization.
Fueling Candid Conversations
Avatars serve as digital armor for those participating in open discussions. The CFO’s avatar might candidly admit a budgeting challenge, opening the door for innovative solutions. Hidden behind their virtual veil, participants can unleash groundbreaking ideas, making for clear, enriching brainstorming.
Harvesting A Medley Of Ideas
Entering avatar mode is like hopping into an innovation playground. A participant, usually shy in boardroom settings, might surprise everyone with a game-changing idea under the guise of their avatar. Liberated from their day-to-day selves, participants question norms, opening the gates for a broader, richer pool of ideas.
Boosting Engagement And Creativity
Avatars sprinkle magic dust on the innovation journey. Using them is akin to joining a virtual masquerade ball, where every mask hides an idea maestro. With these whimsical online personas, there’s an infectious sense of enthusiasm, revving up creativity. It’s important to note that, while avatars can offer a mask during an innovation event, every idea should be credited back to its real-world genius, melding innovative thinking with due recognition.
Three Fun Examples Of Avatars In Action
Here are three fun examples of avatar-powered use cases that you can leverage in your own meetings and innovation events:
1. Harnessing Inner Strengths
Participants, as their avatars, can unveil latent talents that could add value to a project. For example, a finance employee might reveal a knack for illustrating complex ideas through simple sketches. Showcasing talents in a fun environment boosts morale and uncovers untapped resources, leading to potential innovative solutions.
2. Rethinking Systems
Avatars, each representing different workplace goals, can dive into existing processes, reimagining them creatively. For example, an avatar symbolizing speed and efficiency might suggest ways to streamline a slow-paced process. The added layer of creativity here, combined with the distance from standard roles, encourages out-of-the-box thinking, revealing dormant avenues for innovation and enhancing productivity.
3. Ideas Clash In The Virtual Ring
You can hold a vibrant debate session where avatars spar over preplanned, pressing topics, leading to comprehensive insights. Friendly competition and lively banter under the guise of avatars can encourage sharing opinions that are usually held back, leading to more holistic solutions and innovative strategies.
Best Practices
Based on my experience working with clients, here are three best practices for leveraging avatars:
- Define Clear Guidelines: Establish clear guidelines for avatar use, including purpose, expected behavior and limitations to avoid confusion and miscommunication.
- Provide Training: Make sure all participants are comfortable and adept at using the technology required to participate in avatar-powered activities by providing training or resources.
- Implement A Feedback System: Collect feedback after the event to make necessary adjustments and enhance the effectiveness of using avatars in future events.
When considering implementing avatars in your own meetings or activities, consider the following questions:
- What are the objectives of the exercise, and how can avatars help achieve them?
- How will the use of avatars impact the dynamics of the team or the discussion?
- Are there any potential challenges or barriers that could arise from using avatars, and how can they be addressed?
- How can we ensure that the use of avatars is inclusive and does not alienate any participant?
- What metrics or indicators will we use to measure the success of the exercise and the impact of using avatars?
Avatars combine the serious intent of professional innovation with the delightful energy of animated personas. If you’ve been seeking a method to bring more innovation and fun into your workplace, then avatars might just be the twist you need.
Ludwig Melik
CEO at Planbox and author of the Future-Fit Manifesto. I help organizations build a sustainable culture of innovation. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.