How I combine critical, creative, and design thinking to solve challenges

Transformation doesn’t happen by chance, it happens by design. ‎ ‎Before every session, we spend quiet, intentional moments preparing, reviewing notes, mapping strategies, and creating a space where you can feel heard and supported. Whether you’re meeting us for the very first time or coming back to build on past wins, this behind-the-scenes work is what makes each consultation impactful. ‎ ‎Whether it’s a meeting, a presentation, or a fresh start to your day, the quiet preparation you put in is what sets you apart. ‎ ‎Question for You: ‎What’s one small routine you use to prepare before something important? Share it below, you might inspire someone to level up their own preparation. ‎ ‎ ‎#PreparationIsPower #HighPerformanceHabits #BehindTheScenes #LeadershipDevelopment #AccountabilityCoach #PeakPerformance #SuccessStartsHere #ProductivityTips

Rethink Brainstorming: Unlock Creativity in Business We’ve all been in a meeting where someone says, “Let’s brainstorm this.” But how often does that spark truly breakthrough ideas? Spoiler: rarely. Brainstorming was never meant to be a chaotic free-for-all. At its roots, Alex Osborn’s classic tool brainstorming was designed as a disciplined process: first diverge (generate many ideas) and then converge (narrow and refine). Done right, it fuels innovation, strengthens collaboration, and gives businesses a real competitive edge. In our latest article, Dr. Tanya Knudsen and I take a fresh look at brainstorming—what’s been forgotten, what still works, and how to adapt this powerful creativity tool for today’s hybrid and digital world. From virtual collaboration challenges to the role of skilled facilitators, we explore how to reignite brainstorming as a driver of innovation and growth. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/dMTwb3QG #Creativity #Brainstorming #Innovation #CreativeLeadership

Most people see constraints as blockers. In design strategy, they’re the frame that makes the picture possible. Constraints help us maintain focus, prioritize better, and cut out the endless options. Constraints turn “what ifs” into “what matters”. They don’t stifle creativity, they focus it. And that focus amplifies the outcome. ✅ You get to align your team around what’s achievable ✅ You prevent scope creep and waste of resources ✅ You sharpen creativity into more original solutions You can’t ignore constraints, that’s a recipe for disaster. Wishful thinking is not a very effective design strategy. Leaning into the constraints, learning from them and building on top is what allows projects to take shape, with clarity and momentum. #WordOfTheWeek #DesignStrategy #Constraints

The older I get, the more I value constraints. It used to feel like they are blockers in the path of my creative freedom, when in reality they are just as valuable as every bit of the design brief. They are guidelines for focus, and excellent conversation starters when teams feel oddly silent. Yes, not every constraint is a "gift", but learning to embrace them has been a process I wasn't prepared for as a young designer. How things change once you step into #DesignStrategy.

We often think of habits as something to fight. But sometimes the smarter move is to design them intentionally — schedule them, reduce friction, give them their space. That’s true for individuals. It’s just as true for organizations. Corporate habits — the meetings, the digital tools, the language we use — form whether we like it or not. The question is: Are we aware of them? Do they strengthen our strategy and vision? Or do they quietly pull in another direction? This is why Story, Design and Technology can’t be separated. Story → why it matters. Design → how it feels. Technology → how it comes alive. Habits grow quietly, but we can choose whether they shape us — or we shape them.

The journey of Exponential Transformation starts with effective frameworks like Design Thinking. Learn how to leverage these frameworks for your organization’s growth. Explore the insights here: https://wix.to/fmzcsaC #DesignThinking #GrowthMindset #LeadershipDevelopment

A Voice I thought I'd Lost: Post 3: Designing for Voice at Work Once I started questioning the belief that “voice = writing or speaking,” I began to notice something else: That belief doesn’t just live in me. It’s all around us — in how teams run, how meetings flow, and how we define leadership. Now, thanks to my learning journey with Master of Science in Learning & Organizational Change at Northwestern University I'm noticing patterns, how I interpret silence, and how I think about the systems we build and inherit at work. Instead of asking how to get more people to speak up. I am sitting with different questions: What does silence mean at the end of a meeting? What could curiosity look like…without needing to speak? And what if we’re all learning a new way of voicing ourselves — together? I’ve stopped assuming silence means disengagement. Sometimes it’s processing. Sometimes it’s resistance. Sometimes it’s just…space that hasn’t been made safe or clear enough yet. This behavior change journey started with a personal goal. But it’s evolving into a design lens — one that helps me see where expression is supported, and where it’s quietly squeezed out by speed, assumptions, or culture. Now I’m paying closer attention. To who speaks. To who doesn’t. To how ideas show up — not just in words, but in sketches, gestures, backchannels, and even pauses. Because if we’re designing for sustainable change, we need to design for more kinds of voice. Not louder. Just more real. What’s one small way your workplace supports — or stifles — expression? And how might you redesign it? #OrganizationalDesign #VoiceAtWork #InclusiveLeadership #ChangeDesign #MSLOC #BehaviorChange #TeamCulture #LearningInPublic #PsychologicalSafety

Ever notice how small tweaks can make a big difference? Sometimes, it's the subtle refinements—like adjusting a shadow or adding a touch of blur—that elevate a project from good to great. It's a reminder that attention to detail matters. That extra effort, even in seemingly minor adjustments, often yields the most impactful results. What small refinements have you found to make the biggest difference in your work? Would love to hear your experiences! #designthinking #creativeprocess #detailsmatter #innovation #productivity

Your strategic plan is a ghost. It haunts the Q4 kickoff deck, but it has little influence on how your team actually works. Why? Because culture eats strategy for breakfast. And your culture is nothing more than the sum of your daily rituals. You’re stuck in the feature factory not because your goals are wrong, but because your rituals are designed for a different purpose:  → Your weekly demo rewards a long list of shipped features, not impact.  → Your design critique produces safe, incremental changes, not bold moves.  → Your planning session defaults to adding more to the backlog, not questioning the "why." These rituals are the invisible design of your culture. And that design is perfectly tuned to ignore your new strategy. You can't install a new culture with a PowerPoint. You have to embody it with new behaviors. The solution is to stop preaching the strategy and start prototyping the culture. Instead of another all-hands to "drive alignment," try running a single "Ritual Prototype" for two weeks: ✺ Old Ritual: Hour-long demo celebrating "what we shipped." ✺ New Ritual: 20-minute "Impact Review" where each team answers: → What was our most important goal this week?  → What did we ship to achieve it?  → What did we learn from the result? This isn't just a new meeting format. It's a small, intentional provocation designed to embed a new "meme" into your team: one that values learning and impact over sheer activity. Strategy doesn't scale. Rituals do. What's one team ritual you have that's secretly undermining your strategic goals? __________ I use Systems Thinking to help leaders solve complex product and team challenges. On Substack, I explore the deeper layer: Memetic Design. ✺ Follow me Jake Redmond, MBA for more on strategic design.

Minimalism isn’t about having less. It’s about making space for more. More clarity. More focus. More of what actually matters. In business and in life, we often drown in: Too many tools Too many meetings Too many priorities The result? Burnout, confusion, and wasted energy. Minimalism flips the script. It asks: What can I remove so I can give my best to what’s essential? Here’s how to practice minimalism in your work: Audit your tools → Keep the ones that truly drive results. Simplify your calendar → Fewer meetings, more focus. Prioritize clearly → One needle-moving task per day. Declutter your content → Speak simply, deliver value directly. When you remove the unnecessary, you uncover the extraordinary. What’s one thing you could eliminate today to make space for better results?