Idea generation tools for the lonely head

@randahtaher2014

There is a strong correlation between the quality and the quantity of ideas. We all know that. But what to do when you are sitting alone and need to generate lots of ideas?

Don’t worry about not being competent in the subject matter you are trying to solve. Einstein once said, sometimes imagination is more important than knowledge.

Here are some simple ways, each can be done in 5 minutes or less, and require nothing but a pen and paper to produce a lot of ideas to solve one problem.

A simple change of words or the order of words in a problem statement will stimulate your imagination by adding new dimensions. Suppose you want to increase sales. See how you can change perspectives by changing the verb:• In what ways might I increase sales?• In what ways might I attract sales?• In what ways might I develop sales?• In what ways might I extend sales?• In what ways might repeat sales?• In what ways might I stop sales?Notice the last question has a negative aspect. By thinking in the opposite way, you can rid your mind from all the reasons why you cannot make sales. And when you set to plan, plan the opposite.Give as many ideas to the different questions as you possibly can.

1. CHANGE THE WORD

Deliberately ask stupid questions to shock your mind out of its original patterns. Then suspend judgment and use that statement to generate ideas. Here’s how to do it:

Make a crazy statement (examples: people should fly to work, we should eat for free in restaurants, people need to sleep standing up). Examine it :

– Consequences of the statement– What the benefits would be– What special circumstances will make it a sensible solution– Principles needed to support it and make it work.– How it would work moment-to-moment– What would happen if a sequence of events was changed

The more outrageous your statement is, the more creative your ideas to try and make it work. It’s worth a try.

2. PROVOCATIVE STATEMENT

Take a step back to look at the bigger picture.Place your problem in a bubble (draw it) and then produce the ideas or solutions that you can think of for this problem. Next, move that problem into a bigger area or category. Come up with ideas or solutions for that bigger issue. Repeat another time if needed and then choose the level at which you find an inspiring solution.

3. CONCEPT FAN

Are you solving the right problem? Or is it a symptom of it? Write your problem down, and ask yourself “why” do I need to solve it. Write your answer then ask again, why (for the second statement) and write the third response. Do it 5 times for a higher level of abstract thinking. Now go back to the initial statement, and ask “how”. Ask “how” for each of the “why” questions. Once you’ve asked all the questions, you can decide on the level of abstraction you want to generate ideas for. You can also generate ideas for more than one level.

Here’s an example. The first “steps” WHY are in blue, the second steps HOW are in orange

4. FIVE WHYS AND HOWS

There are a number of ways to decompose a challenge to smaller workable bits. One can decompose it based on sequence of events. If it’s a product to be used, then what are the steps to use such product (from needing the product, to looking for it, finding it, using and then releasing or archiving it). If it’s a service, then what are the steps needed to complete the service? For example, how to make our morning routines go smoother and maybe faster. We note the steps and then we find a way to combine, shorten or eliminate unnecessary ones

5. DECOMPOSITION BY SEQUENCE

What if you were the very same idea you are trying to come up with. What if you were the project you’re trying to complete at work. How does it if feel to get close to a “dead” line? How could you be easier to handle? Who do you need to speak with when you are happy? When suffering? Imagine yourself a watch or a chair. How could you become more attractive? More comfortable? How can you make others want to be around you, and you only?

6. IMAGINE YOU ARE THE PROBLEM

Roger von Oech advices in his Creative Whack Pack that the key to metaphorical thinking is comparing unrelated concepts and finding similarities between them. What similarities does your idea have with cooking a meal? Conducting an orchestra? Building a house? Raising a child? What can you compare your idea to?

7. CREATE A METAPHOR

Explain your problem to a 5 years old. What would you say? Explain it to your great grandmother. How would you relate? Simplify your language to get a clearer image of what you’re up against.

8. SIMPLIFY

Write a random list of jobs that are as far from your immediate life as possible. A nurse, a truck driver, an architect, a fire fighter or a winter sports Olympian. State your problem as you see it, then re-state it thinking how would that person in one of those professions see it. Then generate ideas from his/her point of view.

For example, if your problem is managing the overloaded sales for a particular product, you can ask, how would a nurse manage  an overloaded ICU unit, giving each patient what they need, when they need it? how would a truck driver manage an overloaded vehicle or an overloaded street? how would a fire fighter mange to take care of a full “overloaded” building that has a fire alarm set and no sign of fire, yet. Write ideas for each new hat you are wearing, then re-group all ideas and see which ones you can alter or change or use as it is for your overloaded sales problem

9. PUT ON THEIR HAT

Use what you know about nature in imagining your problem from its perspective. Choose an animal you are familiar with, and ask yourself how would this animal solve your problem? Do the exercise another time and choose a plant, and then a third time and chose an insect. This is called biomimicry. Repeat for as many of natures’ gifts you are familiar with. Count your ideas.

10. LET NATURE SOLVE IT

…….  Now that you have a number of tools to work with, let me know which one did magic for you and which did little.

You can find me on twitter @randahtaher LinkedIn

ae.linkedin.com/in/randahtaher/

Cheers!