This post is about think tank methods. Think tanks are considered a form of collective intelligence consisting of a group of people that are knowledgeable about the think tank topic and usually are professionals that write, read, and research the topic or problem (Pope, 2019).  Sometimes think tanks may be independent or affiliated institutions that act like a bridge between policymaking and academic communities with the purpose of serving in the public interest. Think tanks consist of experts in their different professions who are not afraid to challenge each other. Each one has a different opinion to offer.

            Two known models for think tanks are the “one roof” think tank model and the “without a roof” think tank model (Think and Knowledge Tank, 2019). The “one roof” model is when a diversified group of people come together in one place face to face, and this model of think tanks work together when interactive conservative facilities intensify thought processes (Think and Knowledge Tank, 2019). The “without a roof” model is more effective than the other model as it does not require funding for travel and building rental cost (if applicable) as it does not require the team to come face to face.  This model spends more funds on costs for research and utilities and equipment is not paid by the think tank organization.

            During my research for this assignment, I found five think tank techniques that enhance innovation. I chose to write about two of those techniques. Those two are as follows (Think and Knowledge Tank, 2019):

• Think Backward (aka Backward Planning) – this technique is a good one to use for difficult tasks. This technique has the team focus on the end decision or result and work backwards to build what it takes to make that result or decision. You know what you want to end up with, but you need to make constructive steps or thoughts to achieve it. For example, if the team already know what the answer to the problem is, but they do not yet know how to reach that result, they can use the backward planning technique to go backwards and build up to that result.
• Create an Internal Incubation Fund – this technique has funds set aside that encourage the team members to chase ideas that usually are not covered in the budget and for them to network. The motivation for this is to have team members discover something that would help the project or arrive at a good solution that might not have been discovered if the incubation fund had not existed.

           The most successful think tanks are ones that use proactive approaches to problem-solving. This is because these types of teams do not wait until a big problem is on the table if they can prevent it. Sometimes they look for possible problems in the future and prepare preemptive solutions in case these problems do happen. This is especially helpful for organizations as policymakers may need this type of solution if issues arise. The research and solutions would already be there.

Reference for blog post photo is listed below.

References

Hernandez, M. (2018, January 13). Image from Website. Retrieved from M Hernandez: https://mkhernandez.wordpress.com/2018/01/13/think-tank-methods/

Pope, L. (2019, July 12). What Is a Think Tank, How Do They Work, and Are They A Nonprofit? Retrieved from Learn Hub: https://learn.g2.com/what-is-a-think-tank

Think and Knowledge Tank. (2019, July 6). Think Tank Methods. Retrieved from Think and Knowledge Tank: https://thinkandknowledgetank.home.blog/2019/07/06/think-tank-methods-3/