TEXT: TLFeBOOK
  
  About This Book
  Why is this topic important?
  We live in a world of turbulent change. New data. New people. New technology. New problems. We are bom-
  barded every day with something new. Realities shift faster than we can deal with them. In this turbulent
  world, traditional problem-solving methods no longer are effective in all situations. Routine, analytical
  approaches—the ideal of the Industrial Age—rarely work now. Instead, we must look for new ways to deal
  with change—creative solutions we can customize to ﬁt any situation. Above all, we need new solution
  options, rather than relying on “the tried-and-true.” The more solution options we have, the greater the odds
  that one will achieve our goals. Conventional brainstorming is not sufﬁcient. Groups need exposure to diverse
  idea generation approaches and training in how to apply them.
  What can you achieve with this book?
  More organizations than ever now offer training in how to use idea generation methods. This should be a pri-
  ority, since it obviously is more beneﬁcial over time to train employees how to apply skills themselves, rather
  than a single spoon-feeding of the steps needed to implement one or more idea generation activities. It is
  better if employees also can learn how to use some of these methods and incorporate them into their prob-
  lem-solving activities. Every training session that can teach employees how to apply even rudimentary skills
  obviously can be valuable in the long run. Thus, a unique aspect of this book is its duality in providing step-
  by-step guides to 101 idea generation methods while simultaneously providing participants with training in
  how to use them. As is fairly well known, practicing a new skill within a relevant domain can enhance signiﬁ-
  cantly participant learning and applied behaviors. That is, the training is more likely to “take” if it uses chal-
  lenges faced by the participants. As a result, many training sessions also can serve as idea generation events
  that deal with speciﬁc organizational challenges—the perfect “value-added” component!
  How is this book organized?
  This book is divided into three parts: (1) Getting Started, (2) Individual and Group Activities, and (3) Group
  Only Activities. The ﬁrst section discusses the broad-reaching importance of idea generation, and the organi-
  zation of idea generation activities (Chapter 1); major creative thinking principles (Chapter 2); and the gener-
  al nature of problems, problem solving, creativity, and a guide for selecting activities appropriate for different
  situations (Chapter 3). Part II includes activities originally designed for individuals, but re-engineered for
  group use. Finally, Part III presents original group activities based on either brainstorming or “brainwriting”
  (silent, written idea generation within a group) procedures. The same format is used for each exercise. Major
  headings include: Background, Objectives, Participants, Materials, Supplies, and Equipment, Handouts, Time,
  Related Activities, Procedure, Debrief/Discussion, and Variations (if applicable). Because all of the activities are
  geared toward group idea generation, the Objectives and Participants sections will contain identical informa-
  tion. Many of the activities also will have identical information for Materials, Supplies, and Equipment,
  although there are exceptions.
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  About Pfeiffer 
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  w w w. p f e i f f e r. c o m
  TLFeBOOK
  
  To my daughters,Sarah and Laura,and my granddaughter,Chloe
  TLFeBOOK
  
  A r t h ur  Va n G u n d y , P h .D.
  101
  LLLL
  Activities for
  Teaching 
  Creativity and
  Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  Published by Pfeiffer
  An Imprint of Wiley.
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  Certain pages from this book are designed for use in a group setting and may be reproduced for education-
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Repro-
  duced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
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  Printed in the United States of America
  ISBN: 0-7879-7402-1
  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
  VanGundy, Arthur B.
  101 activities for teaching creativity and problem solving / Arthur B. VanGundy.
  p. cm.
  Includes bibliographical references.
  ISBN 0-7879-7402-1 (alk. paper)
  1. Creative ability in business.
  2. Creative ability—Study and teaching.
  3. Creative thinking—Study and
  teaching.
  4. Problem solving—Study and teaching.
  5. Organizational effectiveness.
  I. Title: One hun-
  dred one activities for teaching creativity and problem solving.
  II. Title: One hundred and one activities for
  teaching creativity and problem solving.
  III. Title.
  HD53.V357
  2004
  658.3′1244—dc22
  2004015676
  Acquiring Editor: Martin Delahoussaye
  Director of Development: Kathleen Dolan Davies
  Editor: Rebecca Taff
  Senior Production Editor: Dawn Kilgore
  Manufacturing Supervisor: Bill Matherly
  Printed in the United States of America
  Printing
  10
  9
  8
  7
  6
  5
  4
  3
  2
  1
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Contents
  Acknowledgments
  xi
  Getting Started
  1
  Chapter 1:Creativity and Problem Solving
  3
  Why Use Creativity Techniques?
  4
  Generating Creative Ideas
  4
  Creativity Training in Organizations
  4
  A Typology of Idea Generation Activities
  5
  Chapter 2:Six Key Principles for Encouraging Creativity
  11
  1. Separate Idea Generation from Evaluation
  12
  2. Test Assumptions
  15
  3. Avoid Patterned Thinking
  14
  4. Create New Perspectives
  16
  5. Minimize Negative Thinking
  17
  6. Take Prudent Risks
  18
  Chapter 3:Linking Problems,Solutions,and Activities
  21
  Deﬁning Problems
  21
  Problem Solving
  23
  Creativity and Serendipity
  23
  A Few of My Favorite Activities
  24
  A Guide for Selecting Activities
  26
  How to Evaluate and Select Ideas in a Group
  29
  Getting Ready:Different Uses Warm-Up Exercise
  30
  Activity Selection Guide
  32
  Individual and Group Activities
  37
  Chapter 4:Basic Idea Generation:“No Brainers”
  39
  1. Bend It,Shape It
  40
  2. Brain Borrow
  44
  3. Copy Cat
  47
  4. Dead Head Deadline
  50
  5. Get Crazy
  52
  6. Idea Diary
  55
  7. Mental Breakdown
  57
  8. Music Mania
  61
  vii
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  9. Name Change
  65
  10. Stereotype
  68
  11. Switcheroo
  71
  12. Wake-Up Call
  73
  Chapter 5:Ticklers:Related and Unrelated Stimuli
  77
  13. Excerpt Excitation
  79
  14. Idea Shopping
  84
  15. A Likely Story
  88
  16. PICLed Brains
  92
  17. Picture Tickler
  97
  18. Rorschach Revisionist
  101
  19. Say What?
  105
  20. Text Tickler
  111
  21. Tickler Things
  115
  Chapter 6:Combinations
  119
  22. Bi-Wordal
  120
  23. Circle of Opportunity
  123
  24. Combo Chatter
  127
  25. Ideas in a Box
  130
  26. Ideatoons
  133
  27. Mad Scientist
  137
  28. Noun Action
  140
  29. Noun Hounds
  143
  30. Parts Is Parts
  146
  31. Parts Purge
  150
  32. Preppy Thoughts
  153
  33. SAMM I Am
  156
  34. 666
  159
  35. Word Diamond
  162
  Chapter 7:Free Association Activities:“Blue Skies”
  167
  36. Brain Mapping
  169
  37. Doodles
  173
  38. Essence of the Problem
  177
  39. Exaggerate That
  181
  40. Fairy Tale Time
  184
  41. Idea Links
  189
  42. Imaginary Mentor
  193
  43. Lotus Blossom
  196
  44. Say Cheese
  199
  45. Sense Making
  201
  46. Skybridging
  204
  47. Tabloid Tales
  207
  48. We Have Met the Problem and It Is We
  211
  49. What if ...?
  214
  viii
  Contents 
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Chapter 8:Grab Bag:Miscellaneous Activities
  217
  Backward Activities
  50. Law Breaker
  218
  51. Problem Reversals
  221
  52. Turn Around
  225
  Just Alike Only Different Activities
  53. Bionic Ideas
  229
  54. Chain Alike
  234
  55. I Like It Like That
  238
  56. What Is It?
  241
  Group Only Activities
  245
  Chapter 9:Brainstorming with Related Stimuli
  247
  57. Be #1
  249
  58. Blender
  252
  59. Drawing Room
  255
  60. Get Real!!
  258
  61. Idea Showers
  261
  62. Modular Brainstorming
  264
  63. Pass the Hat
  268
  64. Phillips 66
  272
  65. Play by Play
  274
  66. Rice Storm
  278
  67. Spin the Bottle
  282
  68. Story Boards
  284
  69. That’s the Ticket!
  287
  70. What’s the Problem?
  290
  Chapter 10:Brainstorming with Unrelated Stimuli
  295
  71. Battle of the Sexes
  296
  72. Best of...
  299
  73. Brain Splitter
  302
  74. Force-Fit Game
  306
  75. Grab Bag Forced Association
  309
  76. It’s Not My Job
  311
  77. Rolestorming
  314
  78. Roll Call
  317
  79. Sculptures
  321
  80. Super Heroes
  325
  Chapter 11:Brainwriting with Related Stimuli
  329
  81. As Easy As 6–3–5
  330
  82. Brain Purge
  333
  83. Group Not
  335
  84. Idea Mixer
  338
  85. Idea Pool
  340
  86. Museum Madness
  342
  ix
  Contents
  TLFeBOOK
  
  87. Organizational Brainstorms
  344
  88. Out-of-the-Blue Lightning Bolt Cloudbuster
  346
  89. You’re a Card,Andy!
  348
  90. Your Slip Is Showing
  351
  Chapter 12:Brainwriting with Unrelated Stimuli
  355
  91. Altered States
  356
  92. Balloon,Balloon,Balloon
  360
  93. Bouncing Ball
  364
  94. Brainsketching
  366
  95. Doodlin’Around the Block
  369
  96. Greeting Cards
  372
  97. The Name Game
  376
  98. Pass the Buck
  379
  99. Post It,Pardner!
  382
  100. Puzzle Pieces
  385
  101. The Shirt Off Your Back
  387
  References
  389
  About the Author
  391
  Pfeiffer Publications Guide
  393
  x
  Contents 
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Acknowledgments
  I
  would like to thank the four Pfeiffer personnel who were instrumental to the develop-
  ment of this book. First, I would like to thank Laura Reizman for her help in working
  with all of the details involved in marketing this book, as well as other administrative
  tasks. Next, my gratitude to Kathleen Dolan Davies in handling all of the production
  aspects with great skill and, especially, patience. Special thanks go to Dawn Kilgore for
  once again helping with ﬁnal production elements. Finally, I cannot thank and praise
  enough acquisitions editor Martin Delahoussaye. He played a pivotal role in working
  with me to “birth” this project during its initial conceptualization and then in working
  out the overall structure and format. All of these people, who work in a relatively high-
  stress business, were an absolute delight to work with. Thank you all.
  xi
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  Getting Started
  L
  L
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  Chapter 1
  Creativity and Problem Solving
  Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality,
  overcomes everything.
  —George Lois
  B
  efore applying any of the activities presented in this book, it ﬁrst is important to
  establish some context. This chapter provides an overview of the importance of idea
  generation methods, a typology of the different types of activities, and information for
  facilitators on how to use them
  Rapidly changing environments with complex and diverse elements require ﬂexible
  and innovative responses. Rigid operating systems are ineffective in such environments.
  Flexible systems, in contrast, are characterized by multiple solution possibilities. Creative
  solutions can provide ﬂexibility by increasing our options and helping us cope and adapt.
  The more ideas we have, the more solution avenues will be at our disposal. New ideas
  can open up new worlds, new insights, and new ways of doing old things. Creativity, in
  short, can help us reinvent ourselves and our organizations.
  Some management theorists advocate “reinventing the organization.” To start over,
  organizations must test assumptions about their processes and procedures and devise
  new ways of doing things. In effect, there must be a “defeat of habit,” as advertising exec-
  utive George Lois notes in the quote at the beginning of this chapter. These new begin-
  nings, however, require new ideas and new ways of looking at things—in effect, creative
  perspectives.
  LLLL
  3
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Why Use Creativity Techniques?
  Organizations need creative perspectives and solutions to conceive new product, service, and
  process ideas, marketing strategies, and ways of allocating and using resources. Creativity is
  the magic word that can turn around an organization, company, division, or department.
  Many organizations, such as 3M, Frito-Lay, and Texas Instruments, have introduced
  systematic creativity activities into their training and production processes with outstand-
  ing results. Frito-Lay, for instance, reports documented cost savings over a four-year period of
  almost $600 million due to their creativity training programs (Morrison, 1997). Although all
  may not achieve such spectacular outcomes, we can improve our current products, pro-
  grams, services, and processes more dramatically than we ever imagined.
  There is nothing mysterious about creativity; it’s just a matter of applying the right attitude
  and technology in a climate receptive to creative thinking and new ideas. The technology of cre-
  ativity techniques can multiply and magnify human brainpower in organizations.
  Unfortunately, much of this brainpower typically is underused and underappreciated.
  We often take our most important and useful resources for granted. Whether because of
  familiarity or simply lack of awareness, we fail to harness creative minds. Or when we do
  use this brainpower, we lack the techniques to leverage the mind’s full potential whether
  working alone or in groups.
  Generating Creative Ideas
  Many of us don’t have the resources or abilities to generate the creative ideas we need.
  This is especially true in the business world with its complex, ever-changing environ-
  ments. Competitive pressures require faster delivery of new products and services. In
  short, businesses are pushed to innovate before the competition does. Failure to do so can
  yield even fewer creative responses—and less ﬁnancial proﬁt. The need to innovate is not
  limited to the corporate world, however. Service, government, and nonproﬁt organiza-
  tions also can experience similar pressures to cope with changes
  in markets served or the regulations imposed on them.
  Organizations cannot count on internal “creatives” or cus-
  tomer input to solve all their problems; even traditional group
  idea generation has its weaknesses. Brainstorming, as practiced in
  many organizations, is about as effective as consulting a crystal ball.
  Even experienced brainstorming groups ﬁnd that the well runs
  dry after interacting with the same people year after year.
  Most individuals and groups in organizations occasionally
  need a brainpower boost to achieve “home run” or breakthrough
  ideas. And they need a number of methods in their idea toolkits.
  The more methods they can employ, the greater the odds of pro-
  ducing a hot idea. This need is where organizational training can help.
  Creativity Training in Organizations
  In recent years, organizations have turned to formal creativity initiatives to help ﬁll their
  “idea pipelines.” These pipelines are the conduits they use to maintain competitive
  advantage or achieve objectives through a constant infusion of new ideas. Many product-
  4
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  based organizations such as 3M and Procter & Gamble even try to generate an increasing
  proportion of their revenues through regular introduction of new products. Service and
  nonproﬁt or government organizations can do the same with their outputs, such as new
  ways to improve customer service or solicit donations. Fresh ideas clearly are the engines
  that drive organizational innovation.
  There are a number of ways in which organizations can become idea generation foun-
  tains. Formal and informal in-house idea generation sessions probably are most common.
  Outside consultants often are brought in to facilitate planned, formal sessions. Or some
  organizations designate employees responsible for the generation and dissemination of
  new ideas. Other organizations use in-house idea generation most of the time, but period-
  ically invite outside resources to help facilitate off-site brainstorming retreats. Of course,
  combinations of all of these also are possible.
  Due to difﬁcult ﬁnancial environments, more organizations are looking to internal
  trainers to lead such sessions. Once these trainers have received the appropriate training, they
  can deliver at least two services. The ﬁrst is the design and facilitation of idea generation sessions
  for selected groups of employees. These sessions can be scheduled several times a year or as
  needed. Thus, regular sessions might be held for issues of strategic importance—for
  instance, creating a new product line, service, or strategy to achieve a mission or vision
  statement. Similar sessions might be held whenever diverse input is needed for occasion-
  al tactical challenges.
  The second service is training in how to use idea generation methods. Many of the activities
  in this book can be used without the assistance of a trained and skilled facilitator. The
  step-by-step presentations of the activities can be implemented by most groups with a lit-
  tle study and practice. Of course, the ideal situation would be ﬁrst to provide training in select
  activities, monitor and provide feedback when groups use them, and then encourage groups to
  apply them on their own, remaining available for consultations as needed.
  A Typology of Idea Generation Activities
  Before looking at the activities, however, you might want to understand more about how
  they work. This knowledge should make them easier to use and easier to teach others to
  use, and also increase your understanding about creative thinking in general. If you don’t
  want this information and want to begin using the activities, move on to Chapter 4 (or
  chapters following it).
  It is important, however, to understand the distinction between individual and group activi-
  ties. This is because the difference can be misleading with respect to which activities to
  use. In fact, for the purposes of this book, the distinction is an artiﬁcial one, based on how
  the activities originally were created. Speciﬁcally, groups can use all of the individual activities,
  but individuals cannot use all of the group activities.
  This difference is because some of the group activities were designed originally with
  only groups in mind; others only for individuals. For instance, some activities involve
  passing idea cards or Post-it® Notes from one person to another. (You could try this as an
  individual, but you would probably feel a little silly!) Thus, activities that require interac-
  tion with other people must use other people. Some activities, in contrast, can be used by
  either individuals or groups. However, it is important to understand that ALL of the 101
  activities in this book can be used by groups and are presented for use by groups.
  5
  Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Individual Activities
  Individual activities can be classiﬁed in several ways. After reviewing the available activi-
  ties, I settled on ﬁve (numbers for the individual activities are in brackets):
  1.Basic Idea Generation (Chapter 4) require relatively little effort. An example would be
  asking a friend for an idea (Brain Borrow [2]).
  2.Related and Unrelated Stimuli (Chapter 5) generate ideas by providing some sort of
  stimulus to play against. Such stimuli might be related directly to a problem or unre-
  lated. Examples of related stimuli would be using the elements of a fund-raising cam-
  paign to solicit money for your nonproﬁt organization by using activities such as
  Bi-Wordal [22] or Combo Chatter [24]), both of which rely on words related to the
  problem. For the same problem, you also might play off of (free associate from) unre-
  lated stimuli, such as unrelated pictures (for example, Picture Tickler [17]), words
  (PICLed Brains [16]), and objects (Tickler Things [21]), and see what ideas result.
  3.Combinations (Chapter 6) blend or compare different problem elements and use the
  combinations and juxtapositions of elements to prompt ideas. Examples include
  Combo Chatter [24], Noun Action [28], and Parts Is Parts [30].
  4.Free Association Activities (Chapter 7) rely on each previous idea triggering a subse-
  quent idea to stimulate creative thinking. An example would be using the words
  “What if?” to help inspire ideas (What if. . . ? [49]). Or you might rely on exaggeration
  (Exaggerate That [39]) to help stretch thinking.
  5.Miscellaneous Activities (Chapter 8) represent two types of activities: backward and just
  alike only different. Backward activities reverse some aspect of a problem to produce a
  different perspective and, it is hoped, new ideas. Thus, a group might reverse
  assumptions about a problem (Turn Around [52]) and use the reversals as stimulators.
  Just alike only different procedures use analogies to generate ideas. Two examples are
  Bionic Ideas [53] and Chain Alike [54].
  Group Activities
  One way to classify group activities is according to whether they are brainstorming or
  brainwriting methods. Brainstorming, of course, refers to traditional verbal idea generation in
  a group. Brainwriting is a term coined in Germany that refers to the silent, written generation of
  ideas in a group setting.
  Brainstorming and Brainwriting
  All things being equal, brainwriting groups generate more ideas than brainstorming groups. One
  reason is that when we interact verbally, we are often not as productive as we might oth-
  erwise be. We criticize ideas when we should not, we feel inhibited, we worry about what
  other people will think of our ideas, and we become sidetracked with various issues and
  hidden agendas. More important, research suggests that the superiority of brainwriting
  over brainstorming is due primarily to the fact that only one person can speak at a time in
  brainstorming groups (Diehl & Stroebe, 1991; VanGundy, 1993). Brainwriting groups, in
  contrast, may have four or ﬁve people generating ideas simultaneously.
  If brainwriting yields more ideas than brainstorming, why even use brainstorming
  6
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  groups? The answer is that we are social creatures. Most of us would have trouble not
  talking for a long time. We clearly can satisfy more social needs in brainstorming groups.
  Moreover, some brainstorming activities provide a structure that offsets some disadvan-
  tages. Thus, if a group follows a technique’s procedures as written, it should be more successful
  than a traditional brainstorming group with no structure.
  To test these notions, I once conducted an experiment using six different types of idea
  generation procedures (VanGundy, 1993). Each procedure was tested using six categories
  of four-person groups:
  • Groups using procedure 1 generated ideas without any formal instructions.
  • Groups using procedure 2 generated ideas but were instructed to follow brainstorm-
  ing rules and defer judgment (as were all subsequent groups).
  • Groups using procedure 3 generated ideas using one brainstorming technique
  (PICLed Brains [16]).
  • Groups using procedure 4 generated ideas using a brainwriting procedure in which
  the group members did not see one another’s ideas.
  • Groups using procedure 5 generated ideas using a brainwriting procedure in which
  the participants did see each other’s ideas (Brain Purge [82]).
  • Groups using procedure 6 generated ideas using combinations of brainstorming and
  brainwriting activities. In addition, each group using procedure 6 contained two
  skilled idea generation facilitators.
  All the groups had 45 minutes to generate new snack food product ideas (which were
  evaluated later by a food products company). When ideas were counted, the groups
  using procedures 1 through 5 collectively generated about 1,400 ideas, and the groups
  using procedure 6 generated about 1,200 ideas. In fact, groups using procedure 6 generat-
  ed more than ten times as many ideas as groups using procedure 1!
  The results also suggested that groups using procedure 5 (brainwriting while seeing one
  another’s ideas) generated almost four times as many ideas as groups using brainstorming without
  instructions. There clearly are advantages to both using brainstorming and brainwriting
  procedures (as well as using skilled facilitators).
  Related Versus Unrelated Stimuli
  Another way to classify group activities is according to whether the stimuli used are related or
  unrelated to the problem. An example of a related stimulus would be using different parts of
  a coffee mug to suggest ways to improve it. Most combination activities are based on this
  principle. Thus, you might combine the handle with the base to spark an idea. In this
  case, you might think of an integrated handle and base cup warmer. You could attach dif-
  ferent cups and the coffee would keep warm even while the cup is in your hand.
  An example of unrelated stimuli would be using different parts of a coffee mug to
  suggest ways to improve a product such as a ﬂashlight or to improve customer service.
  For instance, the heat of a coffee mug might suggest adding a heated function to a ﬂash-
  light to serve as a handwarmer, and a mug holding a liquid might prompt the idea of a
  ﬂashlight with a small tube of water for emergencies. Or a coffee mug might suggest the
  idea of rewarding loyal customers with designer coffee mugs or to develop a customer
  7
  Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  service focus on “holding” onto “hot” customers by identifying them and devoting
  resources to retaining them. In general, unrelated stimuli are more likely to produce novel
  ideas than stimuli related to the problem.
  Organization of Group Activities in This Book
  The group approaches in this book have been organized according to whether they pri-
  marily use brainstorming or brainwriting and whether they use related or unrelated stim-
  uli. One chapter is devoted to each combination below:
  • Brainstorming with Related Stimuli (Chapter 9)
  • Brainstorming with Unrelated Stimuli (Chapter 10)
  • Brainwriting with Related Stimuli (Chapter 11)
  • Brainwriting with Unrelated Stimuli (Chapter 12)
  The different combinations possible are shown below:
  Stimuli
  Brainstorming
  Related
  Unrelated
  Brainwriting
  Related
  Unrelated
  This organization of the activities is more a matter of convenience than anything else.
  However, a few guidelines may help you decide which ones to use:
  • Use brainwriting activities (Chapters 11 and 12) if: (1) there are conﬂicts or major sta-
  tus differences among members of a group or (2) there is relatively little time, group
  members are inexperienced at brainstorming, and no experienced facilitator is avail-
  able.
  • All things being equal, use both brainstorming and brainwriting activities to offset the
  weaknesses of each.
  • If you want to generate unique ideas and the group is relatively inexperienced, use
  activities with unrelated stimuli (Chapters 10 and 12).
  • When selecting group activities, remember that any of the individual activities also
  will be appropriate for groups.
  Facilitator Guidelines for Working with Group Activities
  Before learning about group activities, you need to know a little about how to work with
  groups to generate ideas. Here are some points to keep in mind:
  • Use groups of about ﬁve people. Research has consistently shown that this is the optimal
  size for problem-solving groups. Four will often work well in trained groups or
  groups with a skilled facilitator. In a pinch, groups of six or seven will work under the
  same conditions.
  • Make sure all groups understand the basic ground rule of deferring judgment. Try to create a
  fun environment. Encourage playfulness and humor. Research shows that groups
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  9
  Creativity and Problem Solving
  characterized by laughter and humor tend to generate more ideas than their less
  humorous and playful counterparts.
  • Use as many activities as you can in the time available. Different activities can spark differ-
  ent ideas depending on the personalities and experiences of the group members.
  What works in one group may ﬁzzle in another. I can still remember a group member
  telling me that a certain technique wasn’t any good and that I should stop using it.
  Later that day, a member of another group remarked to me that the same technique
  was one of the best he ever had used. Go ﬁgure.
  • Above all, when using the activities or facilitating ideation sessions, always instruct
  participants to follow one basic rule:
  DEFER ALL JUDGMENT WHEN GENERATING IDEAS.
  This rule is essential for generating ideas and you should encourage them to reinforce
  this rule as they interact with each other. Emphasize that the more ideas they list, the
  greater the odds that one will resolve their problem. They won’t produce many ideas if
  they spend time criticizing and evaluating them. They should save evaluation for later,
  after they have listed all the ideas they can. You even might have participants repeat the
  following phrase aloud ﬁve times in a row:
  No evaluation with generation!
  No evaluation with generation!
  No evaluation with generation!
  No evaluation with generation!
  NO EVALUATION WITH GENERATION!
  TLFeBOOK
  
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Chapter 2
  Six Key Principles for 
  Encouraging Creativity
  When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being
  brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap.
  —Cynthia Heimel, writer and columnist
  T
  he activities in this book will help generate lots of ideas. There’s no question about
  that. Idea generation methods can’t do it all, however. They are just tools to help
  express our innate creative potential. To produce a lot of hot ideas, you need the proper
  frame of mind and a variety of stimuli to energize your creative brainpower. You can use
  this chapter for background information for yourself or trainees or you can just skip
  ahead to Chapter 4 if you’re ready to generate ideas or provide training on how to do so.
  To use and maintain this frame of mind, you need to understand a few basic creative
  thinking principles. These principles make up the attitudinal and psychological founda-
  tion of all idea generation approaches. You will understand your problems better if you
  can think more creatively, and you will generate higher-quality ideas when you apply the
  principles of creative thinking. However, really good creative thinking is neither simple
  nor easy. Therefore, the more you know about thinking creatively, the easier it will be.
  Our minds are reservoirs of ideas. What we know is the sum total of all we have expe-
  rienced and learned. The ideas are in there; all we have to do is get them out. However,
  we’ll never tap all the ideas inside without the proper mental attitude and approach.
  There’s no way we can recall everything. Moreover, we’ll never think of certain ideas
  unless we rely on different sources of stimulation. Our minds are free association tools as
  much as they are databases of ideas.
  Fortunately, we don’t have to recall everything to think creatively. All we have to do is
  combine our innate creativity with stimulation sources and creative thinking principles.
  Our knowledge and experience then will help generate the associations that lead to ideas.
  In this chapter we look at a few major principles of creative thinking. If you apply
  them when problem solving, there is no guarantee that workable solutions will result.
  You will, however, increase the odds that you’ll be able to think of more and higher-
  quality ideas.
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  We will look at six major creative thinking principles in this chapter:
  1.
  Separate idea generation from evaluation.
  2.
  Test assumptions.
  3.
  Avoid patterned thinking.
  4.
  Create new perspectives.
  5.
  Minimize negative thinking.
  6.
  Take prudent risks.
  1. Separate Idea Generation from Evaluation
  If you don’t remember anything else, remember this: when you generate ideas, separate gen-
  eration from evaluation. This is the most important creative thinking principle. You’ll never
  achieve your full creative potential until you apply this principle every time you generate
  ideas. The reason is simple: creative problem solving requires both divergent and conver-
  gent thinking. Idea generation is divergent; you want to get as many ideas as possible.
  Idea evaluation is convergent—you want to narrow down the pool of ideas and select the
  best ones. If you try to do both activities at once, you won’t do either one well.
  Effective problem solvers have learned to separate these two activities; that is, ﬁrst
  they generate ideas and then they evaluate them. Most “average” problem solvers use a
  sequential approach instead: generate-evaluate–generate-evaluate-generate, and so forth.
  These problem solvers commingle generation and evaluation. They rarely move on to
  think about another idea until they have analyzed the previous idea in all possible ways.
  The result is a limited number of overanalyzed ideas.
  For many people, such mixing may seem natural. They may use this method fre-
  quently because it is what they have always done. There is one thing wrong with this sys-
  tem, however: it is the worst way to generate ideas! Commingling generation and
  evaluation usually yields few ideas. It also creates a negative climate not conducive to
  creative thinking.
  Before beginning any idea generation session—whether alone or in a group—remem-
  ber that the best way to get ideas is to defer judgment. Save the analysis and critical thinking
  for later, after all possible ideas have been generated. Then and only then will it be time to
  evaluate the ideas.
  2. Test Assumptions
  Testing assumptions is probably the second most important creative thinking
  principle, because it is the basis for all creative perceptions. We see only
  what we think we see. Whenever we look at something, we make
  assumptions about reality. Optical illusions, one form of creative per-
  ception, depend on this phenomenon.
  Most psychology students, for instance, are familiar with the pic-
  ture that combines an old woman and a young woman (see Figure 2.1).
  Which of the two women we see depends on how we look at the pic-
  ture. How we look at the picture depends on the assumptions we make
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
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  about the stimulus elements in the picture (that
  is, the lines and their relationship to one anoth-
  er). If we assume one conﬁguration of lines, we
  see the old woman; if we assume another conﬁg-
  uration, we see the young woman.
  This picture was brought to the attention of
  psychologists by Edwin G. Boring in 1930. Cre-
  ated by cartoonist W.E. Hill, it originally was
  published in Puck, November 6, 1915, as “My
  Wife and My Mother-in-Law.” It is a classic.
  In one sense, optical illusions cause us to see
  one thing when something else may also be pre-
  sent. In a similar manner, people often have dif-
  ferent responses when confronted with the
  same stimulus. One person may look at a ﬂower
  and feel happy because it reminds them of a
  loving relationship; someone else, however,
  may look at the same ﬂower and feel sad
  because it reminds them of the recent death of a
  loved one. Both people in this example perceive
  the ﬂower, but they also “see” the qualities of either happiness or sadness. To know why
  we see these qualities, we must test assumptions.
  The same principle holds true when using idea generation activities. They present
  stimuli that elicit certain responses. Our particular response will depend on the assump-
  tions we make about a particular stimulus. The more stimuli we use, the greater the potential
  idea pool. When these stimuli and different individual reactions are used in a group, the
  potential quantity and quality of ideas is increased. More stimuli and more people yield
  more assumptions, which in turn yield more ideas. More ideas give us more options and
  more chances to resolve our problems.
  Everyday Assumptions
  We can’t be effective problem solvers unless we know how to test assumptions. Unfortunately,
  most of us aren’t very good at this. Every day we act before thinking through what we are
  doing or the possible consequences. In fact, we make so many daily decisions that it is
  impossible to test all the potential assumptions.
  For instance, the simple act of talking with someone else involves many assumptions.
  We must assume that the other person actually heard what we said and understood us,
  that the person’s nonverbal reactions indicate what we think they indicate, and that we
  can ﬁgure out any hidden meanings or purposes.
  Breakthrough Solutions
  Another reason testing assumptions is important is that it can yield perceptual breakthroughs. Test-
  ing assumptions can help us shift perspectives and view problems in a new light. As the
  philosopher Marcel Proust once said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking
  new lands, but in seeking with new eyes.” The result often is a breakthrough solution or, at
  the least, a new problem deﬁnition. There is an old joke that illustrates this point nicely:
  Figure 2.1 Wife and Mother-in-Law.
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  Six Key Principles for Encouraging Creativity
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  Two men were camping in the wilderness when they were awakened one morn-
  ing by a large bear rummaging through their food supply. The bear noticed the
  men and started lumbering toward them.
  The men still were in their sleeping bags and didn’t have time to put on their
  boots, so they picked up their boots and began running away from the bear. The
  terrain was very rough, however, and they couldn’t make much progress. The
  bear was gaining on them.
  Suddenly, one of the men sat down and began pulling on his boots. His friend
  couldn’t believe what he was seeing and said, “Are you nuts? Can’t you see that
  the bear is almost here? Let’s go!”
  The man on the ground continued putting on his boots. As he did this, he
  looked up at the other man and said, “Well, Charlie, the way I look at it, I don’t
  have to outrun the bear—I only have to outrun you!”
  And so, another problem is resolved by testing assumptions. In this case, both men
  originally assumed the problem was how to outrun the bear. When one of the men tested
  this assumption, a creative solution popped out. This single act provided that man with
  one critical extra option. His spontaneous creative thinking enabled him to gain an edge
  over his “competitor.”
  How to Test Assumptions
  In most organizations, this may all sound familiar. Sometimes all it takes is one extra
  option to give us an edge over our competitors or to resolve a difﬁcult-to-solve problem.
  In addition to using the activities in this book, you can get that competitive edge or solve
  that problem by testing problem assumptions. Of course, you can’t test assumptions
  about every problem. You can test assumptions, however, about problems of strategic
  importance or problems with potentially serious consequences. The lesson, then, is: be
  selective.
  So how do you test assumptions? Albert Einstein provides one answer: “The impor-
  tant thing is to never stop questioning.” Ask a lot of questions about whatever problem you’re
  trying to resolve. The more questions you ask, the better you will understand your problems.
  One way to enhance the questioning process is to use the basic journalism “ﬁve w” questions
  of who, what, where, when, and why. These questions can help us seek data more efﬁciently.
  For instance, you might ask the following questions: Who is the competition? Who are the
  customers? What does our organization do? What is our mission? Where can we make
  improvements? Where can we get data about our competition? When should we enter a
  new market? When are our customers most likely to buy our products? Why do people
  buy our products? Why do we want to enter a new market?
  Ask lots of questions and you’ll understand your organization and its environment
  better. If you have a better understanding, you’ll get more creative insights on how to
  improve it. It’s as simple as that.
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
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  3. Avoid Patterned Thinking
  Try this little exercise: Fold your arms the way you normally would cross them. Note
  which hands are on top of your arms. For instance, my left arm lies under my right hand.
  Now quickly reverse this position (in my case, my right arm should lie under my left
  hand). You’ll probably notice that the second position is more difﬁcult. It’s not “natural.”
  Here’s another, similar exercise: Interlock your ﬁngers in the way most comfortable
  for you. Either your right or left index ﬁnger should be on top. Reverse your ﬁngers so
  the opposite ﬁnger is on top. Not so easy, is it? We all have certain patterns of behaving
  and thinking which impede our creative thinking.
  Habit-Bound Thinking
  What you just experienced is habit-bound behavior.
  We all have a comfortable, secure way of doing
  things, and there’s nothing wrong with that. A little
  security can’t hurt. A problem occurs, however,
  whenever we try to break out of a rut. The very
  thought of doing something different can be terrifying.
  Yet, creative thinking frequently requires we do just that.
  As Charles Kettering, inventor of the electric auto-
  mobile starter, once noted, “We’ll never get the view from the bottom of a rut.”
  Try these activities with yourself or others to illustrate habit-bound thinking: First,
  repeat the word “joke” three times. Now, quickly, what is the white of an egg called?
  Here’s another: What word is formed by adding one letter to the following? __ANY.
  Very good! Now, what word is formed by adding one letter to the following? __ENY.
  Most people who respond to the ﬁrst exercise say “yolk.” Of course, this is incorrect.
  By repeating the word “joke,” we establish a pattern involving the “oak” sound. To solve
  the problem, however, we have to break away from the pattern and focus on the correct
  answer: albumen.
  The most common response to the ﬁrst word in the second exercise is the word
  “many” (a few independent thinkers may say “zany” and mess up the demonstration).
  The “many” response then establishes a pattern with the sound of just one word and
  makes it more difﬁcult to think of the second word, “deny.”
  Breaking Out of a Rut
  All these activities illustrate how difﬁcult it can be to do something differently. We
  become so accustomed to doing things a certain way that we may lose the ability to break
  away.
  So what can we do? Perhaps the most important thing is to increase our awareness of how
  everyone is a victim of patterned thinking. Once we do this, we’ll be more aware of when we
  are caught in a rut. Beyond simple awareness, however, we also can break away with
  some practice.
  Familiarity is the handmaiden of habit. We sometimes become so familiar with things
  that we aren’t even aware of it. For instance, try to draw the face of your watch in detail
  without looking at it. (Many people add numbers that don’t even exist.) Or the next time
  you drive to work, notice something you’ve never seen before. After a few mornings of
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  Six Key Principles for Encouraging Creativity
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  this activity, you’ll be surprised at all you see. To break out of patterns, we must make a
  conscious effort. First become more aware of your habit-bound thinking; then deliberate-
  ly practice changing it.
  4. Create New Perspectives
  When I have arranged a bouquet for the purpose of painting it, I always turn to the side I
  did not plan.
  —Pierre Auguste Renoir
  When the impressionist painter Renoir made this statement, he suggested the importance
  of developing creative perspectives. It could be argued that there can be no creative product
  without a creative perspective. To produce something new, we must see something new.
  What we see may be some previously overlooked element of a problem or a solution
  from combining two previously unjoined problem elements or ideas.
  Two Insightful Thinkers
  Perhaps the most well-known historical example of a sudden insight involves
  Archimedes, who jumped out of his bathtub and ran naked through the streets, shouting,
  “Eureka! Eureka!” This rather odd behavior followed his discovery of the principle of dis-
  placement. While taking a bath, he noticed how his body weight displaced an equal
  amount of water. This led him to an insight, or new perspective on how to determine
  whether a crown was solid gold.
  A more contemporary example is Art Fry, inventor of Post-it® Notes. He combined his
  need for a piece of paper that would stay put when he marked his church hymns with a
  scrap of paper that used a “failed” glue developed by Spencer Silver, one of his col-
  leagues at 3M. Both Archimedes and Art Fry produced a more creative perspective when
  they combined two previously unconnected problem elements.
  Keeping Sight of the Big Picture
  Not everyone can make creative connections easily. We sometimes get so close to a prob-
  lem that we lose ourselves in it—something like the old expression, “We can’t see the for-
  est for the trees.” In one respect, becoming deeply
  involved with a problem automatically increases
  our understanding of it. This is good. We must
  understand problems to deal with them.
  Too much understanding, however, can be
  harmful because it causes us to narrow our focus
  and lose a broader perspective. This is bad. Too
  much detailed problem awareness causes us to lose
  sight of the big picture. The solution: create new perspectives.
  Each activity in this book will help you produce new perspectives and see problems
  with new eyes. Idea generation activities do this by facilitating free association, combin-
  ing problem elements, promoting interaction with other people, or eliciting responses to
  various stimuli. In each case, the outcome is the same: new ways of thinking about a
  16
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  problem. Over time, most people ﬁnd that the more they use a variety of activities, the
  easier it becomes to create new perspectives.
  5. Minimize Negative Thinking
  Unless you are an exceptional person, you are a natural critic. From an early age we have
  learned to analyze and criticize anything new. Now that we are adults, being critical is
  second nature. We are experts at it.
  What is your typical ﬁrst reaction when someone proposes a new idea? Do you usual-
  ly say something like “That’s fantastic,” “That’s a great idea,” or “That’s really interest-
  ing”? Probably not.
  Although there may be a few exceptions, most of us come preprogrammed with the “auto-
  matic no” response. Through training and conditioning in school and at home, we have
  learned to criticize ﬁrst and think later. It’s almost as if we have learned that it is better to
  reject something new outright than even to consider its potential value as a solution.
  An Exercise in Negative Thinking
  To illustrate this automatic no tendency, here’s a little exercise to do by yourself or use
  with a group: Take ﬁve minutes and write down every negative response you can think
  of to a new idea. When ﬁnished, compare your list with the following one. Chances are
  there are a lot of similarities, if not direct duplications.
  • Our problem is different.
  • We tried that once before.
  • We don’t have enough time.
  • We don’t have enough help.
  • Our system is too small for this.
  • We’ve always done it this way.
  • Our present method is time-tested and reliable.
  • It’s impractical.
  • It’s ahead of its time.
  • It’s behind the times.
  • We’re not ready for it yet.
  • We’ve had too much of this lately.
  • We can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
  • Our young, progressive group doesn’t need it.
  • It will require a heavy investment.
  • It will never pay for itself.
  • If no investment is required, how do we expect it to work?
  • It’s too radical.
  • It’s almost the same as what we’re doing now.
  • It looks good on paper, but it won’t work.
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  Six Key Principles for Encouraging Creativity
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  • It violates professional standards.
  • The board won’t like it.
  • It’s outside my scope of responsibility.
  • It conﬂicts with policy.
  • The present method is working. Why rock the boat?
  You probably could think of many more examples with very little effort. Now, what
  would happen if you tried to make a list of positive responses? Try it. Take ﬁve minutes
  and write down every positive response you can think of to a new idea. Most likely, this
  second list will be shorter than the ﬁrst. It’s much more difﬁcult to think of positive
  responses.
  Develop Balanced Responses
  To break out of the negative thinking groove, try to develop more balanced responses to
  new ideas. There are a number of ways to do this. Here are three:
  1.Try viewing ideas as raw material; that is, initial ideas are the fragile creatures we often
  transform into more workable solutions. So be gentle. Support and cradle all new
  ideas—they frequently can be modiﬁed or can help stimulate improved versions.
  2.Every time you hear a new idea, train yourself to think or say, “What’s good about it? What is
  at least one positive feature of that idea?” If you can think of one positive aspect, then
  you will beneﬁt from what may initially have appeared useless. Moreover, the posi-
  tive feature may stimulate a better idea.
  3.Use a balanced response to evaluating new ideas. Say (or think) what you like about the
  idea, what you ﬁnd interesting about it, and then what you dislike. This might help
  prevent the negative climate in individuals and groups that often accompanies
  responses to ideas.
  6. Take Prudent Risks
  A failure is an opportunity to start over again, but more intelligently.
  —Henry Ford
  You can’t be a creative thinker unless you are a failure. No one ever truly succeeds with-
  out failing ﬁrst. For instance, novelist John Creasey supposedly got 743 rejection slips
  before he published 562 books. Sports fans know that Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times—
  a pretty poor record. Fortunately, he also hit 714 home runs. And R.H. Macy failed seven
  times before his New York store caught on.
  Creative thinking involves a certain amount of risk taking. Many people fear risks,
  however, because risks can lead to failure. And who wants to be branded a failure? Yet we
  must take risks to have any chance to succeed. An old quotation describes this philosophy
  perfectly:
  18
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
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  To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
  To place our ideas, our dreams, before a crowd is to risk their loss.
  To live is to risk dying.
  To hope is to risk despair. To try is to risk failure.
  The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing.
  Only a person who risks is free.
  —Anonymous
  Not all risks are equal. Some risks are more serious than others. For instance, the
  potential risks of idea generation are much less serious than the risks of implementation.
  Every time we think of or suggest an idea, we take a risk. Because we can’t survive with-
  out new ideas, we must constantly take such risks.
  The likely negative consequences of suggesting a “stupid” idea, however, pale in
  comparison with the risks of implementing an idea. Introducing a product, process, or
  service that later fails will cost an organization much more than any embarrassment
  someone might experience from suggesting a so-called stupid idea. Lose face and the
  organization goes on to play another day; lose too much market share or customer base
  and the game soon may be over.
  Viewed this way, risk taking isn’t so bad. Because idea generation activities involve
  risks of generation and not implementation, be willing to suggest whatever ideas pop up.
  Remember, ideas are the raw material of solutions and not the ﬁnal product. Initial ideas
  have the potential to spark more practical solutions. They don’t all have to be winners.
  Adopt this philosophy and you’ll remove a lot of pressure when generating ideas.
  A Summary of Creativity Principles
  1.
  Separate idea generation from evaluation.
  2.
  Test assumptions.
  3.
  Avoid patterned thinking.
  4.
  Create new perspectives.
  5.
  Minimize negative thinking
  6.
  Take prudent risks.
  A Training Exercise Opportunity
  If time is available, you may want to present and discuss these principles with training
  participants. After describing each, ask small groups to brainstorm examples of each prin-
  ciple and how to overcome any obstacles that might be involved. For instance, suppose a
  group has discussed an example of how assumptions were or were not tested to avoid an
  error. If they don’t suggest it, you might offer the importance of asking a lot of questions
  to uncover assumptions, with a special emphasis on the “Why” question. That is, asking
  “Why?” can force people to think of something they otherwise might have overlooked.
  19
  Six Key Principles for Encouraging Creativity
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Chapter 3
  Linking Problems,Solutions,
  and Activities
  B
  efore generating ideas, it is important to understand more about problems. It is not
  essential, but the material that follows could provide better insight into the types of
  situations in which idea generation activities are applied. You also might want to use it
  for general problem-solving training or as background information for training in idea
  generation activities.
  Deﬁning Problems
  There are a number of different perspectives on the deﬁnition and nature of problems, as
  well as different types of problems. Here is a brief overview of some of the classic ones.
  Problems as Goals
  One general deﬁnition describes a problem in terms of some difﬁcult obstacle or goal.
  According to this deﬁnition, anything difﬁcult to overcome is a problem. Although this
  deﬁnition is descriptive, it is not precise enough for most purposes. Most challenging sit-
  uations present more than a goal to overcome and, instead, involve a series of processes
  to apply and evaluate.
  Deviation from the Standard
  Kepner and Tregoe’s (1981) classic deﬁnition of a problem is “a deviation from an expect-
  ed standard of performance.” This deﬁnition is more descriptive for general use. If you
  need to determine the cause of a problem, then this is an excellent deﬁnition. Day-to-day
  idea generation, however, is not especially concerned with problem causes. Although
  determining causes may be important as part of the overall creative problem-solving pro-
  cess, such determinations are not useful for pure idea generation.
  Kepner and Tregoe’s deﬁnition is essentially convergent in that problem solvers
  attempt to converge on a cause by eliminating various alternative explanations. Idea gen-
  eration, in contrast, is more divergent—problem solvers attempt to generate many differ-
  ent alternatives. In the case of idea generation, however, alternatives are solutions and not
  LLLL
  21
  TLFeBOOK
  
  explanations. Because the idea generation activities in this book are divergent, Kepner and
  Tregoe’s deﬁnition doesn’t ﬁt.
  A Gap Between the Real and the Ideal
  MacCrimmon and Taylor (1976) propose another deﬁnition that is more appropriate for
  our purposes and has remained a standard over the years. They deﬁne a problem as a gap
  between a current and a desired state of affairs—that is, a gap between where you are and where
  you would like to be. An example might be when you are dissatisﬁed with the brand posi-
  tion of one of your products and wish the product were more competitive. If you perceive
  things that way, you have a problem. If you are unaware of your competitive position or
  there is nothing you can do about it, however, then perhaps you don’t have a problem.
  The same would apply to any other type of organization as well. It’s all relative.
  Tackling the Challenge
  Most problems also involve some uncertainty and present a challenge. They can be trou-
  ble, right here in River City. You want to do something about them, but you don’t know
  exactly what.
  The type of problem you face will determine how to resolve it. For instance, if your
  car runs out of gas, you have a problem. The solution in this case is relatively simple: put
  in more gas. Any other solution would be a waste of time (unless gas was not available).
  You don’t need to spend a lot of energy and effort being creative unnecessarily.
  Organizations continually are faced with similar challenges at all levels involving per-
  ceptions of gaps between current and desired situations. Upper management typically
  must provide leadership on how to move the organization to achieve its vision and nego-
  tiate relationships with external constituencies; middle management must continually
  help allocate desired resources efﬁciently and effectively (desired goals); and lower man-
  agement must help employees understand why they are being asked to close gaps (that
  is, help other organizational members deal with their seemingly unending challenges).
  However, as shown by the gasoline example, not all organizational challenges require
  creativity. There are and always will be routine procedures designed to tackle the majority
  of problems. The secret is to know when you need to be creative and when to fall back on routine
  procedures. To do this, it is important to ﬁgure out what type of problem or challenge faces
  you.
  What Type of Problem Do You Have?
  Most problems can be categorized according to how much structure they possess. For
  instance, if your problem is well-structured, you would have a clear idea of how to solve
  it. You would know your current state, the desired state, and how to close the gap. The
  previous problem, running out of gas, is clearly a well-structured problem. In a manufac-
  turing organization, the work days lost to injuries would be another example IF you
  know how many days are lost for a time period, how many days should be lost (a realistic
  goal), and how to reduce that gap. If you don’t know with certainty how to reduce this gap,
  then the problem would be more “fuzzy” or ill-structured.
  Ill-structured problems provide relatively little guidance or structure on how to solve them.
  An example would be a problem of generating new product ideas. In this case, there are
  many possible options but no clear-cut way to proceed (that is, no way that will guaran-
  22
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  tee a new product home run). Or a nonproﬁt organization might have an ill-structured
  problem of how to recruit more volunteers.
  The type of problem will determine the approach to use. In general, you should hope
  that all of your problems are well-structured. According to Nobel Prize winner Herbert
  Simon, the goal of all problem solving is to make problems well-structured. Such problems are
  the easiest to solve, because you can use a routine response. Fuzzy problems with less
  structure require creative responses. For these problems, you must devise custom-made
  responses that require more time and effort. This book provides activities to help with
  problems that aren’t well-structured.
  Problem Solving
  If you accept a problem as a gap between a current and a desired state, then problem solv-
  ing can be deﬁned as the process of making something into what you want it to be. That is, when
  you solve a problem, you transform “what is” into “what should be.” This means you
  have to ﬁgure out how to do something different. You have to change the status quo into
  another status. How you do this is the trick.
  The more ideas you generate, the closer you will come to transforming an existing
  problem state into a desired one. For instance, suppose you currently possess a 12 percent
  market share of a product line and your objective is to capture a 15 percent share. If so,
  you will need options to reduce the 3 percent gap. Every idea you generate increases the
  overall probability of reducing this gap and achieving your goal. The more ideas you can
  spew out, the easier it will be to resolve your problem. Thus, the more activities you have
  at your disposal, the easier it will be to do problem solving.
  Creativity and Serendipity
  There is only one way in which a person acquires a new idea: by the combination or associ-
  ation of two or more ideas he already has into a new juxtaposition in such a manner as to
  discover a relationship among them of which he was not previously aware.
  —Francis A. Cartier
  Many people don’t understand the importance of having a variety of activities in their
  “problem solving kits.” It is true, as Francis Cartier notes, that new ideas result from com-
  bining previous ideas. However, the process involved in producing new insights is not so
  simple. New ideas can be generated by combining ideas discovered by chance or by searching more
  systematically.
  Serendipitous Discoveries
  There is nothing wrong with serendipity, of course. The world today would not be the
  same without it. The history of science, for example, is full of stories about how new ideas
  came about through chance. Take rooster sperm . . . please. It may seem odd, but rooster
  sperm illustrates the importance of the ability to recognize a creative idea when it presents
  itself. Rooster sperm has been responsible indirectly for providing sight to many people,
  but the creative “insight” involved might never have been discovered had it not been for a
  series of accidental happenings.
  23
  Linking Problems, Solutions, and Activities
  TLFeBOOK
  
  24
  It all started in a laboratory outside London, England, right after World War II. Scien-
  tists were experimenting with fructose as a fowl sperm preservative. Their supply of fruc-
  tose was kept in a cold room the scientists shared with another laboratory located about
  ﬁve miles away. One day, one of the scientists entered the supply room to retrieve a bottle
  of fructose, picked up a bottle without a label, and used the contents inside. Eureka! The
  contents of the bottle successfully preserved the sperm.
  It turned out that the bottle with no label actually belonged to the other lab, and the
  bottle contained glycerin, not fructose. Thus, serendipity played a role in solving a scien-
  tiﬁc problem. But wait. There’s more! The sequel to this story is that, years later, a scientist
  working on organ transplants remembered the rooster experiments and the preservative
  powers of glycerin. His problem involved preserving human corneas for transplantation.
  Glycerin provided just what he needed. As a result, more people can see, thanks to that
  bottle with the missing label.
  Searching for Solutions
  The fowl sperm story illustrates more than the need for patience to allow creative solu-
  tions to emerge. Patience is important, as is the need to capitalize on chance events. A
  trained, knowledgeable mind is required to recognize when combinations of events or elements
  suggest something new. However, today’s fast-changing, environment doesn’t provide the
  luxury of waiting for serendipity, even for the most skilled minds. Rather, organizations
  need a way to search systematically for solutions. That’s where this book can help in
  training minds to think more creatively and to generate ideas as well.
  If you and the people you train or work with become familiar with the activities in
  this book, you’ll always have a powerful resource at your disposal. With the variety of
  activities described, you should never run out of ideas. And, most importantly, you
  should never have to rely on serendipity for all of your best ideas.
  A Few of My Favorite Activities
  It is difﬁcult to say that any one technique is better than another. Each of us may respond
  differently to any given approach. What works well for you may ﬁzzle for me. Your mood
  and any number of other factors may also inﬂuence your reaction. Obviously, the same
  holds true for any training participants.
  I do, however, have my own particular favorites, which are presented in the following
  “Top Ten” lists. In many cases, it was almost impossible to choose among the various
  activities. This was especially true for the group activities. (Remember that all the individ-
  ual methods can be used by groups but not all the group methods can be used by individ-
  uals.)
  Although I’ve provided a brief rationale statement for each activity, it may not work
  for you or your particular training objective or problem challenge. Experience and the
  selection guide at the end of this chapter will be your best resources. The activities are
  presented in no particular order.
  Top Ten Individual Activities
  1. Combo Chatter [24] (Combines two related stimuli in a way that provokes ideas
  much as unrelated stimuli.)
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  25
  Linking Problems, Solutions, and Activities
  2. Picture Tickler [17] (Uses unrelated pictures to generate ideas. Many people
  respond well to visual stimuli, especially stimuli unrelated to a problem.)
  3. I Like It Like That [55] (Analogies have been used for years to resolve especially
  difﬁcult problems, have been researched by academicians favorably, and help
  users create novel perspectives.)
  4. What if. . . ? [49] (This simple “sentence trigger” helps push us to explore the lim-
  its of our imagined possibilities and reduces restrictions imposed by conventional
  assumptions.)
  5. PICLed Brains [16] (Based on 476 words unrelated to a problem. The number and
  variety of stimuli seem to help trigger free associations naturally. So it will be
  especially useful for those who can free-associate easily but also for those who
  cannot.)
  6. Turn Around [52] (One of my all-time favorites due to its ability to force us to con-
  sider even the most basic assumptions that may be blocking us and to use them to
  provoke ideas.)
  7. Exaggerate That [39] (A cousin to Turn Around [52], this activity provides another
  way to easily surface unwarranted assumptions and transform them into ideas.)
  8. Tickler Things [21] (This relative of Picture Tickler [17] and PICLed Brains [16]
  provides participants with unrelated, tangible objects they can touch, see, and use
  as idea triggers.)
  9. Get Crazy [5] (The ideas we normally might label as “crazy”—such as the tele-
  phone originally was—often are the ones that force us to expand our perspectives
  and then look for something practical out of the initially absurd. The deliberate
  search for “crazy” ideas often can move us in new directions.)
  10. Preppy Thoughts [32] (One great thing about this activity is that it helps spark
  visual thinking by placing random prepositions between a problem statement’s
  verb and objective, thus providing a unique combination of multiple idea stimuli.)
  Top Ten Group Activities
  1. What’s the Problem? [70] (When other activities fail in their ability to spark
  unique ideas, this activity can be a savior, although the setup for the stimuli
  involve a little more effort. Its most powerful feature is the ease with which it can
  eliminate preconceived notions and spark novelty.)
  2. Drawing Room [59] (Three positive features are the use of unrelated stimuli, the
  number of stimuli, and the requirement for people to walk around a room and
  look at various drawings. Research shows that movement can facilitate creative
  thinking.)
  3. The Name Game [97] (Although it is somewhat more complex and time-consum-
  ing than many activities, it’s game-like format and focus on transforming suppos-
  edly improbable ideas into workable ones makes this exercise a potential winner.)
  4. Brain Purge [82] (If you need a lot of ideas in a short time and can depend on the
  TLFeBOOK
  
  group members as your primary source of stimuli, this pure brainwriting activity
  is for you.)
  5. Museum Madness [86] (This cousin of Drawing Room [59] shares some advan-
  tages—multiple stimuli and walking around—and differs primarily in that partic-
  ipants browse among the written ideas of others instead of their pictures of
  possible solutions.)
  6. Brainsketching [94] (If you have little time but like the more time-consuming
  Drawing Room [59] activity, this is an excellent substitute. Ideas are generated
  using pictures drawn by the participants, but instead of people circulating among
  the drawings as done in [59], this activity works by circulating the pictures among
  group members only.)
  7. Balloon, Balloon, Balloon [92] (Need an energizer and want to generate ideas at
  the same time? Then this activity is for you. It also encourages novelty by using
  unrelated stimuli. This activity exempliﬁes the “fun factor” that often is vital to
  novel thinking.)
  8. Brain Splitter [73] (Requires a little more time than some activities, but attempts to
  synthesize both left- and right-brained types of ideas to produce workable solu-
  tions. It also involves some physical movement with the participants as well as
  creates a relatively fun environment.)
  9. Grab Bag Forced Association [75] (A variation of Tickler Things [21], this activity
  is slightly more structured, introduces random selection of the stimuli, but pro-
  vides the same beneﬁts of relying on tangible, unrelated stimulus objects.)
  10. Pass the Hat [63] (Provides an interesting and usually productive blend of stimuli
  from problem attributes as well as from the ideas of others. The use of “silly” hats
  to pass around the stimuli also introduces the “fun factor” for creative climates.)
  A Guide for Selecting Activities
  The activities in the Top Ten lists will help you get many ideas for a broad spectrum of
  challenges. However, you may want more help than these lists provide. For instance, you
  might have speciﬁc needs for new product ideas or for ways to handle various people
  problems. You might want an activity that doesn’t require much time but has the poten-
  tial to generate a fairly large number of ideas. Or you may want an activity that can help
  energize a session while generating ideas as well. To help, I’ve put together a technique
  selection guide to help you make more informed choices about different activities.
  This guide reﬂects my subjective choices based on my knowledge of and experience
  in using the activities over twenty-ﬁve years. Once you experiment with different activi-
  ties, you may want to develop your own guide, or at least make your own judgments
  about which ones work best for you and people you facilitate or train.
  The activities in Chapters 4 through 12 are described in the selection guide in twelve
  different ways:
  • Individual vs. group: Indicates if an activity originally was developed for use by either
  or if a group method originally designed for groups also can be used by individuals.
  26
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  As noted previously, ALL of the individual activities can be used by groups, but not
  all of the group activities can be used by individuals. If all or most of your training or
  idea generation involves groups, then this distinction is not relevant. Any of the activ-
  ities will sufﬁce with respect to this distinction. However, the individual-only activi-
  ties obviously can serve a training role in helping individuals learn how to apply the
  activities as individuals.
  • Brainstorming vs. brainwriting: Classiﬁes each activity as using verbal idea generation
  only, written only, or a combination of both. As discussed previously, brainstorming
  activities involve verbal idea generation while brainwriting involves the silent, writ-
  ten generation of ideas in a group. A few of the activities classiﬁed as both will appear
  within a chapter on either brainwriting or brainstorming. The classiﬁcation, however,
  is based on the primary emphasis being on either brainwriting or brainstorming. For
  instance, Brainsketching [94] requires participants to draw pictures as individuals and
  then pass them around the group. The pictures then are used as stimuli for partici-
  pants to use in brainstorming ideas.
  Some research suggests that brainwriting—regardless of the stimulus source—may
  outperform brainstorming. Thus, unrelated brainwriting activities have the highest
  theoretical potential to produce hot ideas. Note that the operative word is “theoreti-
  cal.” The best may represent all categories, depending on the user and the problem.
  • Top ten activity: Indicates activities included in my top ten lists for individual or group
  activities.
  • Related activities in this book: Lists other activities generally related to the activity
  described. The criteria for inclusion were relatively speciﬁc. Broader criteria would
  have meant a much larger number of other activities and the result would not be that
  helpful. For instance, an activity that involves participants drawing something and
  passing it to other group members would be related to other activities that include
  drawing. However, it would not be considered as related to activities that involve
  passing words to other group members.
  • Suggested uses: The two primary uses of all activities in this book are idea generation
  and training in how to use idea generation procedures. Thus, the primary objectives
  of each activity reﬂect these uses and are very clear-cut.
  The 101 activities also have speciﬁc applications suited to different types of organiza-
  tional problems. They are not, however, as clear-cut as the two primary objectives
  involving idea generation. As a result, this probably is the most subjective element of
  the classiﬁcation scheme used to guide activity selection.
  There is little research available to guide these decisions. My general recommenda-
  tions are based more on intuition and experience than on any scientiﬁc criteria, so
  take that into account when using the guide for speciﬁc topics. The uses listed are for
  problems involving: Strategy, New Products/Processes/Services, Advertising/Mar-
  keting, and Human Resources (see the legend in the selection guide). This is not to
  say you should limit your choices to the recommended activities or that you should
  not consider other types of problems. Again, experience will be your best guide.
  • Estimated time requirements: Suggests the minimum amount of time required for an
  27
  Linking Problems, Solutions, and Activities
  TLFeBOOK
  
  activity. The number of groups and number of participants in groups will affect these
  estimates. In the selection guide, activities with a single or double asterisk indicate
  prior participant activity (*) or prior preparation for facilitators (**). For instance, Idea
  Shopping [14] requires participants to visit a store before attending an activity. A dou-
  ble asterisk, in contrast, denotes that facilitators will need to make preparations
  beyond what normally might be expected. An example would be Greeting Cards [96],
  in which facilitators must gather and organize materials for making greeting cards or
  Balloon, Balloon, Balloon [92], which involves purchasing balloons, inserting slips of
  paper, and blowing them up (of course, you also could enlist the aid of the partici-
  pants in this instance).
  • Stimuli (related vs. unrelated): As discussed previously, all of the activities are based on
  stimuli related to a problem, unrelated, or a combination of both. A rule of thumb is
  that unrelated stimuli often will yield more unique ideas than related stimuli will.
  However, this guideline can be affected by the creativity of the participants and fac-
  tors related to a group’s creative climate (that is, the perception of free and open
  expression of ideas).
  • Potential for idea quantity: Subjectively estimates the probability an activity will result
  in a relatively large quantity of ideas within the available time. There are a signiﬁcant
  number of research studies on the ability of different methods to generate ideas.
  Brainwriting methods, in particular, have the greatest potential for idea quantity. Time
  also can be a factor because the more time available, the greater the number of ideas
  that can be generated, up to a point. Responses are based on low, medium, and high
  probabilities of occurrence.
  • Potential for novel ideas: Subjectively estimates the probability that ideas produced will
  possess statistical infrequency within the problem-solving domain (for example, ideas
  for customer service). The less expected an idea is for a domain, the greater the poten-
  tial novelty. The research on idea novelty is less clear on what types of activities are
  likely to spark novelty. In general, novel ideas are more likely when unrelated stimuli
  are used. Responses for this category are based on low, medium, and high probabili-
  ties.
  • Difﬁculty of use: Uses low, medium, and high estimates of how complicated an activity
  is to implement. Difﬁculty can be affected by the number of steps involved, tasks
  unfamiliar to participants, and the trainer’s overall familiarity and experience in
  using an activity.
  • Group energy level required: Group energy typically is lowest right after lunch and near
  the end of the day. All the activities are rated with respect to how much energy must
  be invested to complete the activities. Thus, high-energy activities might be reserved
  for earlier in the day. On the other hand, if an activity involves physical movement
  (for example, Balloon, Balloon, Balloon [92]), then the activity might help increase a
  group’s overall energy level and work well in early or late afternoon.
  • Potential for creating a fun environment (“Fun Factor”): Subjectively estimates the likeli-
  hood that an activity will provoke mirth and humor, which should affect both the
  quantity and novelty of ideas. Some research indicates that groups with high “posi-
  tive affect” tend to be more creative than groups lower in positive affect. Perception of
  28
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  a positive, open climate can do much to bring out creative ideas. High, medium, and
  low also are used to rate activities on this factor.
  How to Evaluate and Select Ideas in a Group
  Once groups begin using the activities and generating ideas, they will need some way to
  process the ideas and select the best ones. There are a number of ways to do this, such as
  assigning a committee to narrow down the number of ideas or having participants vote
  on ideas by ballot or raising hands.
  One method that works well in a training environment involves using Post-it® Notes,
  colored sticking dots, and ﬂip charts and masking tape. The following procedure can be
  used after most of the activities in this book in which participants have written down
  ideas on Post-it Notes. It assumes that there is more than one group, but it can be modi-
  ﬁed easily for just one group. To do so, delete the stage where each group shares its best
  ideas with the other groups.
  1. Prior to an evaluation session:
  a.
  Place two ﬂip charts on stands by each table, if they are not already there.
  b.
  Make three signs using 8.5” x 11” paper and write lengthwise in capital letters
  on each sign. On one sign, write, “BEST IDEAS,” on the second, “OTHER
  IDEAS,” and on the third, “NEW IDEAS.”
  c.
  Tape each sign to a separate wall in the meeting room. Place each sign in the
  middle of the wall and about six feet from the ﬂoor. For the wall designated
  as, “NEW IDEAS,” tape two sheets of ﬂip chart paper directly below the sign.
  d. Place on each table (for each participant) three sheets of approximately twenty
  sticking dots representing green, blue, and orange colors (or other colors that
  are different in hue (for example, orange and red might be similar in hue
  while green and orange would be different).
  2. Tell the participants to use the ﬂip chart on the left for ideas. (As a reminder, for
  most of the brainstorming activities, participants will suggest each idea verbally,
  write it down on a Post-it, and then pass it forward to be placed on the ﬂip chart
  by a facilitator (or placed by the writer). For brainwriting activities, participants
  will write down all of their ideas on the Post-its without speaking and then post
  them on the left ﬂip chart.
  3. Emphasize that there should be only one idea on each note. If this is not the case,
  direct the participants to make any corrections now.
  4. After all ideas for an activity have been placed on the left ﬂip chart, have the
  members of each group select their best three to ﬁve ideas for that activity. Tell
  them to leave those ideas on the left ﬂip chart and transfer the others to the right
  ﬂip chart.
  5. Instruct them to label, in capital letters, the top of the left ﬂip chart “BEST IDEAS”
  and the top of the right ﬂip chart “OTHER IDEAS.” (This later designation
  denotes that all ideas have potential to be modiﬁed or stimulate other ideas.
  Therefore, there is no such thing as, “WORST IDEAS.”)
  29
  Linking Problems, Solutions, and Activities
  TLFeBOOK
  
  6. Ask one person from each group to share his or her best ideas verbally with the
  large group.
  7. Encourage any of the participants, including those in other groups, to use each
  idea verbalized as a stimulus to think of an improvement or new idea. If anyone
  does think of an improvement or new idea, have the person write it down on a
  Post-it Note.
  8. After all the groups have reported, instruct each group to tape their designated
  sheets of ﬂip-chart paper on the “BEST IDEAS” and “OTHER IDEAS” walls.
  9. Tell all participants to place any new ideas generated from the idea sharing on a
  sheet of ﬂip-chart paper on the “NEW IDEAS” wall. If the sharing sparked any
  new ideas, whoever thought of the idea should write it on a note and place it on
  the appropriate wall.
  10. Have the groups repeat steps 4 through 9 until all activities have been completed
  and all ideas separated and place on the designated walls.
  11. Instruct the participants to pick up a sheet of green dots and vote for their favorite
  ideas on any three of the walls with posted ideas. This way, all of the ideas can be
  considered. (If time is short, you might have them focus just on the “best” ideas.)
  12. Tell them they can use the number of green dots that represent 5 percent of the
  total number of ideas. Thus, if there are 200 total ideas, they could use ten green
  dots. Note that they should place the dots in a way so as to not obscure the view
  of the idea.
  13. Caution them to vote for the ideas they think are best and to try not to be inﬂu-
  enced by how many dots an idea already has received.
  14. As an option, tell them that they may not place more than two (or whatever num-
  ber seems appropriate to you) dots on a single idea.
  15. When all of the green dots have been placed, tell the participants to vote on the
  best of the “green ideas” by using the blue dots and vote with approximately 5
  percent of the total of “green ideas” receiving dots. Thus, if there were thirty par-
  ticipants and they used their green dots to vote for eighty ideas, you would tell
  them that they may use four blue dots to vote for the best “green ideas.”
  16. Ask the participants if they are satisﬁed with the outcome or if they would like to
  discuss the votes or vote a third time. If they are satisﬁed, you can end the session;
  if they want to discuss the votes, conduct a discussion and decide whether to ter-
  minate or continue the evaluation process.
  Before you begin training using any of the activities in this book, you might want to
  consider an idea generation warm-up exercise. It can help break the ice and prepare the
  participants to engage in some freewheeling thinking.
  Getting Ready:Different Uses Warm-Up Exercise
  Here’s an exercise to help individuals and groups stretch their thinking muscles:
  30
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  1. Divide participants into small groups of four to seven people. Tell them they have
  ﬁve minutes to think of different uses for a coffee mug. Encourage them to think
  of as many uses as they can and write them on a ﬂip chart, chalkboard, or white-
  board.
  2. Call time and ask each group to report how many ideas they generated.
  3. Have each group try to think of at least ﬁve more ideas within four minutes.
  4. Tell them to go over their lists and see if their ideas fall into categories. For
  instance, do some of their ideas involve uses for holding foods and nonfoods? Did
  any ideas involve giving mugs away as presents or awards for different events?
  Or did they think of building things with them (such as a coffee cup castle).
  5. Note that their ideas—just as most ideas do—should fall into several categories.
  Tell them to describe the categories represented by their ideas and then use these
  categories to think of more ideas. For instance, sample categories for using coffee
  mugs might include holding liquid foods, solid foods, nonfood items, building
  things, weighing down things, supporting things, pounding things, as defensive
  weapons, et cetera.
  6. Tell the groups the following:
  “We often use categories to stimulate ideas because they can help stretch our
  thinking. Unfortunately, many of us use only a limited number of categories, or
  we use rather conventional categories. If you really stretched your thinking, how-
  ever, you might have broken away from conventional categories. You might have
  thought of some offbeat uses that involved crushing or otherwise altering the
  cups. For instance, you could remove the cup handles and use them as handles for
  kitchen cupboards, or you could crush the cups and use the remains for automo-
  bile tire traction on ice.”
  7. Have the groups share any unusual categories they might have thought of.
  8. If there is time, you might want to share the following true story involving a cre-
  ative use for a coffee cup that that might not occur frequently:
  Teresa Smith, manager of a Taco Mayo in Oklahoma City, was depositing the
  store’s evening receipts in a bank’s night depository. A man ran up and grabbed
  the restaurant’s money bag from her purse. She poured a cup of hot coffee on him
  and then hit him on the head with the cup. The man turned and ran with the
  money, but also with an injured head. Perhaps he’ll think twice now before he
  robs a coffee-mug-toting woman!
  This exercise may have helped the participants think of many more ideas than they
  thought they could. The categories helped target their thinking and allowed them to
  search for ideas more systematically. All it took was a different way to conduct their idea
  search. The activities in the following chapters do the same thing. They help draw out
  more ideas than if thinking unaided. And although a group will produce more ideas than
  an individual, idea generation activities even will help groups surpass their collective
  brain power.
  31
  Linking Problems, Solutions, and Activities
  TLFeBOOK
  
  32
  Chapter 4: Basic Idea Generation
  1. Bend It, 
  Shape It
  X
  X
  X
  16
  NPS, PSI
  30
  R, UR
  M
  M
  L
  L
  L
  2. Brain BorrowX
  X
  X
  3
  NPS, PSI
  45
  R
  M
  L
  L
  L
  L
  3. Copy Cat
  X
  X
  X
  2
  PSI, A/M
  45
  UR
  M
  M
  M
  M
  M
  4. Dead Head 
  Deadline
  X
  X
  X
  61
  Any
  30
  R
  M
  L
  L
  L
  L
  5. Get Crazy
  X
  X
  X
  X
  49
  S, NPS, A/M
  45
  R, UR
  M
  H
  M
  H
  H
  6. Idea Diary
  X
  X
  X
  X
  87
  HR
  45
  R
  H
  L
  L
  L
  L
  7. Mental 
  Breakdown
  X
  X
  X
  25,30,31,34
  S, HR
  60
  R
  M
  L
  M
  M
  L
  8. Music Mania X
  X
  X
  55
  A/M
  30
  UR
  H
  H
  M
  M
  M
  9. Name 
  Change
  X
  X
  X
  50,51,52
  Any
  30
  R
  M
  M
  M
  L
  L
  10. Stereotype
  X
  X
  X
  21,42,48
  Any
  30
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  M
  11. Switcheroo X
  X
  X
  6,38
  Any
  30
  R,UR
  M
  M
  M
  L
  M
  12. Wake Up 
  Call
  X
  X
  X
  X
  6
  Any
  45*
  R,UR
  H
  M
  L
  M
  L
  Chapter 5: Ticklers
  13. Excerpt 
  Excitation
  X
  X
  X
  15,16,19
  A/M, HR 
  20
  UR
  H
  H
  M
  M
  M
  14. Idea 
  Shopping
  X
  X
  X
  X
  6,21
  NPS, A/M
  30*
  UR
  H
  H
  M
  M
  H
  15. A Likely 
  Story
  X
  X
  X
  X
  6,20,40
  S, PSI
  90
  UR
  H
  H
  H
  M
  H
  16. PICLed 
  Brains
  X
  X
  X
  X
  13,19,20
  Any
  45
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  M
  17. Picture 
  Tickler
  X
  X
  X
  X
  X
  18,26,37,59
  Any
  30
  UR
  H
  H
  L
  M
  H
  18. Rorschach 
  Revisionist
  X
  X
  X
  17,26,37,59,62
  S, HR
  30
  UR
  M
  H
  L
  M
  H
  19. Say What?
  X
  X
  X
  13,16,20
  S, A/M, HR
  30
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  H
  20. Text Tickler X
  X
  X
  15,16,19
  S
  30
  UR
  H
  H
  L
  M
  L
  21. Tickler 
  Things
  X
  X
  X
  X
  14,75
  NPS
  30
  UR
  M
  H
  L
  M
  H
  Chapter 6: Combinations
  22. Bi-Wordal
  X
  X
  X
  24,25,30,34,35
  NPS
  30
  R
  M
  M
  L
  L
  L
  23. Circle of 
  Opportunity
  X
  X
  X
  24,25,30,34,35
  Any
  30
  R,UR
  M
  M
  L
  L
  M
  24. Combo 
  Chatter
  X
  X
  X
  X
  25,30,34,35
  NPS, PSI
  30
  R
  M
  H
  L
  L
  M
  25. Ideas in 
  a Box
  X
  X
  X
  23,24,25,30,34,35PSI
  30
  R
  M
  M
  L
  L
  L
  26. Ideatoons
  X
  X
  X
  17,18,37,59,62
  Any
  45
  UR
  M
  M
  H
  M
  M
  Individual
  Group
  Brainstorming
  Brainwriting
  Top Ten Activity (Grp.)
  Related Activities
  Uses
  Time
  Stimuli
  Quantity
  Novelty
  Difﬁculty
  Energy
  Fun Factora
  Activity Selection Guide
  TLFeBOOK
  
  33
  Activity Selection Guide
  Chapter 6: Combinations (continued)
  27. Mad 
  Scientist
  X
  X
  X
  23,24,25
  PSI
  45
  R,UR
  M
  M
  L
  M
  H
  28. Noun 
  Action
  X
  X
  X
  22,24
  Any
  20
  R
  M
  L
  L
  L
  L
  29. Noun 
  Hounds
  X
  X
  X
  31
  Any
  30
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  H
  30. Parts Is 
  Parts
  X
  X
  X
  24,25,27
  NPS, PSI
  60
  R
  M
  M
  H
  M
  L
  31. Parts Purge X
  X
  X
  29
  PSI
  45
  R,UR
  M
  M
  M
  M
  M
  32. Preppy 
  Thoughts
  X
  X
  X
  22,24
  PSI
  30
  R,UR
  M
  H
  L
  M
  M
  33. SAMM 
  I Am
  X
  X
  X
  25
  PSI
  60
  R
  M
  M
  H
  H
  L
  34. 666
  X
  X
  X
  22,23,25,27,34
  PSI
  45
  R
  M
  M
  L
  H
  H
  35. Word 
  Diamond
  X
  X
  X
  X
  22,23,24,25,
  Any
  20
  R
  M
  L
  L
  L
  L
  Chapter 7: Free Association
  36. Brain 
  Mapping
  X
  X
  X
  41,43,46
  S, PSI, A/M, HR30
  R
  M
  L
  L
  L
  L
  37. Doodles
  X
  X
  X
  17,18,26,59,62
  S. A/M, HR
  45
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  H
  H
  38. Essence of 
  the Problem
  X
  X
  X
  X
  9,11,70
  S, PSI, A/M, HR30
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  M
  39. Exaggerate 
  That
  X
  X
  X
  X
  50,51,52
  S, PSI, A/M, HR30
  R
  M
  M
  M
  M
  M
  40. Fairy Tale 
  Time
  X
  X
  X
  15,47,80
  A/M, HR
  60
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  H
  41. Idea Links
  X
  X
  X
  29,46
  PSI
  20
  UR
  M
  M
  L
  L
  M
  42. Imaginary 
  Mentor
  X
  X
  X
  10,48,80
  A/M, HR
  45
  R,UR
  M
  H
  M
  L
  M
  43. Lotus 
  Blossom
  X
  X
  X
  36,37
  S, NPS, PSI
  30
  R
  M
  M
  M
  L
  L
  44. Say Cheese X
  X
  X
  42
  A/M
  30
  UR
  M
  M
  L
  M
  H
  45. Sense-
  making
  X
  X
  X
  44
  Any
  30
  UR
  M
  M
  M
  L
  M
  46. SkybridgingX
  X
  X
  36,41
  S
  20
  R
  M
  L
  L
  L
  L
  47. Tabloid 
  Tales
  X
  X
  X
  15,40
  A/M, HR
  30
  UR
  M
  H
  H
  M
  H
  48. We Have 
  Met the 
  Problem . . .
  X
  X
  X
  10,42,49
  S
  30
  R
  M
  H
  M
  M
  H
  49. What if. . . ? X
  X
  X
  5,42,48
  S, NPS, A/M
  30
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  H
  Chapter 8: Grab Bag
  Backward Activities
  50. Law 
  Breaker
  X
  X
  X
  39,51,52
  Any
  30
  R
  M
  H
  M
  M
  M
  Individual
  Group
  Brainstorming
  Brainwriting
  Top Ten Activity (Grp.)
  Related Activities
  Uses
  Time
  Stimuli
  Quantity
  Novelty
  Difﬁculty
  Energy
  Fun Factora
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Individual
  Group
  Brainstorming
  Brainwriting
  Top Ten Activity (Grp.)
  Related Activities
  Uses
  Time
  Stimuli
  Quantity
  Novelty
  Difﬁculty
  Energy
  Fun Factora
  34
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  51. Problem 
  Reversals
  X
  X
  X
  39,50,52
  Any
  30
  R
  M
  H
  L
  M
  M
  52. Turn 
  Around
  X
  X
  X
  X
  39,50,51
  Any
  30
  R
  M
  H
  L
  M
  M
  Just Alike Only Different Activities
  53. Bionic Ideas X
  X
  X
  54,55
  Any
  45
  UR
  M
  H
  H
  M
  H
  54. Chain Alike X
  X
  X
  53,55
  NPS, PSI
  60
  R,UR
  M
  H
  H
  M
  M
  55. I Like it 
  Like That
  X
  X
  X
  X
  53,54
  Any
  45
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  H
  56. What is it?
  X
  X
  X
  38,52
  S
  45
  R
  M
  M
  H
  M
  L
  Chapter 9: Brainstorming with Related Stimuli
  57. Be #1
  X
  X
  X
  40,46
  Any
  30
  R
  M
  L
  L
  L
  M
  58. Blender
  X
  X
  X
  74
  Any
  30
  R
  H
  M
  M
  L
  M
  59. Drawing 
  17,18,26,
  Room
  X
  X
  X
  37,59,62,94
  Any
  30
  UR
  H
  H
  M
  H
  H
  60. Get Real!!
  X
  X
  5,39,50
  Any
  30
  R
  M
  M
  L
  M
  H
  61. Idea 
  Showers
  X
  X
  5,41,49,64
  Any
  30
  R
  M
  L
  L
  L
  L
  62. Modular 
  Brainstorming
  X
  X
  17,18,26,37,59
  Any
  40
  R
  M
  M
  M
  M
  H
  63. Pass the Hat
  X
  X
  X
  82,85
  Any
  30
  R
  H
  M
  L
  L
  M
  64. Phillips 66
  X
  X
  61
  Any
  45
  R
  M
  L
  L
  L
  L
  65. Play by Play
  X
  X
  17,33,44
  PSI
  75*
  R
  M
  H
  H
  H
  H
  66. Rice Storm
  X
  X
  X
  58,61,82,84,85
  Any
  60
  R
  H
  L
  M
  M
  M
  67. Spin the 
  Bottle
  X
  X
  26,58,61,84,85
  Any
  30
  R
  M
  L
  L
  L
  H
  68. Story Boards
  X
  X
  25,30,33
  Any
  45
  R
  M
  L
  H
  M
  M
  69. That’s the 
  Ticket!
  X
  X
  63,85
  Any
  20
  R
  M
  L
  L
  L
  L
  70. What’s the 
  Problem?
  X
  X
  X
  38
  Any
  45
  R
  H
  H
  M
  L
  M
  Chapter 10: Brainstorming with Unrelated Stimuli
  71. Battle of the 
  Sexes
  X
  X
  17, 20 
  Any
  45
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  H
  72. Best of . . .
  X
  X
  X
  20
  Any
  45*
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  H
  73. Brain Splitter
  X
  X
  X
  5,58,74
  Any
  45
  R
  M
  H
  M
  H
  H
  74. Force-Fit 
  Game
  X
  X
  58,73
  Any
  45
  R,UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  M
  75. Grab Bag 
  Forced Association
  X
  X
  14,21
  Any
  30
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  M
  76. It’s Not 
  My Job
  X
  X
  55,77
  Any
  30
  UR
  M
  H
  L
  M
  M
  77. Rolestorming
  X
  X
  X
  76
  Any
  60*
  UR
  H
  M
  M
  M
  H
  78. Roll Call
  X
  X
  20,58,74
  Any
  45
  UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  H
  79. Sculptures
  X
  X
  21,86
  Any
  45
  UR
  M
  M
  H
  H
  H
  80. Super Heroes
  X
  X
  40,42,77
  Any
  75
  UR
  M
  H
  H
  H
  H
  Individual
  Group
  Brainstorming
  Brainwriting
  Top Ten Activity (Grp.)
  Related Activities
  Uses
  Time
  Stimuli
  Quantity
  Novelty
  Difﬁculty
  Energy
  Fun Factora
  TLFeBOOK
  
  35
  Activity Selection Guide
  Chapter 11:  Brainwriting with Related Stimuli
  81. As Easy As 6-3-5
  X
  X
  82,83,87,90
  Any
  20
  R
  H
  L
  L
  L
  L
  82. Brain Purge
  X
  X
  X
  82,85,87,90,101
  Any
  20
  R
  H
  L
  L
  L
  L
  83. Group Not
  X
  X
  81
  Any
  45
  R
  H
  L
  M
  M
  L
  84. Idea Mixer
  X
  X
  X
  81,82,83
  Any
  75
  R
  H
  H
  M
  M
  M
  85. Idea Pool
  X
  X
  81.82,84,101
  Any
  20
  R
  H
  M
  L
  L
  L
  86. Museum 
  Madness
  X
  X
  X
  82,84,85
  Any
  45
  R
  H
  M
  L
  M
  M
  87. Organizational 
  Brainstorms
  X
  X
  X
  83,90
  Any
  1 mo.** R
  H
  L
  H
  M
  L
  88. Out-of-the-Blue 
  Lightening Bolt 
  Cloudbuster
  X
  X
  81,82,84,85,101
  Any
  20
  R
  H
  M
  L
  H
  H
  89. You’re a Card, 
  Andy!
  X
  X
  81,82,84,85,88
  Any
  30
  R
  H
  M
  M
  H
  H
  90. Your Slip Is 
  Showing
  X
  X
  81,83,85,86,87
  Any
  30
  R
  H
  M
  L
  L
  L
  Chapter 12: Brainwriting with Unrelated  Stimuli
  91. Altered 
  States
  X
  X
  81,82,84,85,86
  Any
  45
  UR
  H
  H
  M
  M
  H
  92. Balloon, Balloon, 
  Balloon
  X
  X
  X
  X
  81,83,85,88
  Any
  45**
  R,UR 
  M
  H
  M
  H
  H
  93. Bouncing 
  Ball
  X
  X
  67,78,88,92
  Any
  30
  R,UR
  M
  M
  L
  H
  H
  94. Brainsketching
  X
  X
  X
  X
  18,59,62,82,
  85,86,95
  Any
  45
  R,UR
  M
  H
  M
  M
  M
  95. Doodlin’ 
  Around the 
  Block
  X
  X
  18,37,59,94
  Any
  30
  UR
  M
  M
  H
  M
  M
  96. Greeting 
  Cards
  X
  X
  59,82,91,94
  Any
  45**
  UR
  H
  H
  M
  M
  H
  97. The Name 
  Game
  X
  X
  60,82,85
  Any
  60
  UR
  H
  H
  H
  M
  H
  98. Pass the 
  Buck
  X
  X
  X
  81,84,86
  Any
  20
  R,UR
  M
  M
  M
  M
  M
  99. Post It, 
  Pardner!
  X
  X
  X
  82,83,85,86
  Any
  30
  UR
  H
  H
  M
  M
  M
  100. Puzzle 
  Pieces
  X
  X
  62,95
  Any
  30
  R,UR
  H
  H
  L
  L
  M
  101.The Shirt 
  Off Your Back
  X
  X
  X
  82,85,86
  Any
  20
  UR
  H
  M
  L
  H
  H
  LEGEND
  S=Strategy, NPS=New Products/Processes/Services, PSI=Product/Process/Service Improvements,
  A/M=Advertising/Marketing, HR=Human Resources; *Requires participant prior activity, **Requires facilitator prior
  preparation; BS=Brainstorming, BW=Brainwriting, R=Related, UR=Unrelated, L=Low, M=Medium, H=High.
  Individual
  Group
  Brainstorming
  Brainwriting
  Top Ten Activity (Grp.)
  Related Activities
  Uses
  Time
  Stimuli
  Quantity
  Novelty
  Difﬁculty
  Energy
  Fun Factora
  TLFeBOOK
  
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Individual and 
  Group Activities
  L
  L
  TLFeBOOK
  
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Chapter 4
  Basic Idea Generation:
  “No-Brainers”
  Y
  ou have probably heard the expression “That’s a real no-brainer!” In case you haven’t,
  a no-brainer is an activity that requires little mental effort or ability. (It doesn’t mean
  you don’t need a brain!) Traditional or classical idea generation typically is considered to
  be a type of no-brainer in that it relies on whatever ideas we can call up without deliber-
  ate use of stimuli.
  Depending on your creative thinking ability, basic idea generation activities may or
  may not work as well as other activities. This doesn’t mean they lack the potential for
  yielding blockbuster ideas. All idea generation approaches have that potential. You’ll just
  have to experiment with activities from different categories to determine the best ones for
  you. You also should explore the activity selection guide described in Chapter 2. (Remem-
  ber, the activities in this part of the book can be used by either individuals or groups.)
  NOTE:FOR ALL ACTIVITIES,REMIND PARTICIPANTS
  TO DEFER JUDGMENT WHILE GENERATING IDEAS.
  LLLL
  39
  TLFeBOOK
  
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  1
  Bend It,Shape It
  Background
  This activity is quite basic. All you have to do is change the nature of a problem in differ-
  ent ways. It doesn’t really matter what you change or how you change it. Just change it in
  any way possible. If you change something, you create a new perspective, and that per-
  spective can lead to other new perspectives and ideas. This is basic free association.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets 6+
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots (1⁄2” diam-
  eter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  40
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Handout
  • Osborn Question Check List
  • Bend It, Shape It Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • PICLed Brains [16]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute one Osborn Question Check List and one Bend It, Shape It Handout to
  each participant, review them with the participants, and answer any questions
  they may have.
  2. Have the groups practice using the check list using a challenge of their choice or
  one common to all groups.
  3. Encourage the participants to generate at least one idea for each of the words on
  the check list.
  4. Ask each group to share two or three of their ideas.
  5. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Participants don’t have to limit their ideas to those prompted by Osborn’s list. Any
  changes will do. They can change color, shape, smell, cost, design, texture, timing, and so
  forth. The possible changes are limited only by their imagination.
  Ask the participants to discuss whether the check list hindered idea generation in any
  way or if it facilitated it. Have them discuss their responses, especially why the check list
  hindered or facilitated their brainstorming. Also, consider having participants debrief
  using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply in our work?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  41
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  Osborn Question Check List
  Brainstorming pioneer Alex Osborn was a master at using perspective changes to suggest
  new ideas. He developed a list of seventy-three idea-spurring questions designed to cre-
  ate new perspectives. His list included such questions as:
  • What other product (problem) is like this one (adapt)?
  • How could I change this product (modify)?
  • How could I add to this product (magnify)?
  • What could I take away from this product (minify)?
  • What could I use instead of this product or a portion of it (substitute)?
  • How could I alter this product’s composition (rearrange)?
  • How could I turn this problem around (reverse)?
  • What could I put together to make a new product (combine)?
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Bend It,Shape It Handout
  Assume that your challenge is to think of ways to improve an ofﬁce stapler. Here are
  some samples using Osborn’s Check List.
  Adapt: Design a stapler that fastens without staples by pressing together sheets of
  paper under pressure (for example, a pair of pliers is somewhat like a stapler in that it
  can be used to press together things).
  Modify: Use bright, metallic paint.
  Magnify: Enlarge the stapler’s top and make it ergonomic to ﬁt a hand.
  Minify: Design a stapler that dispenses both small and large staples.
  Substitute: Make a line of staplers from different materials such as cardboard, metal,
  ﬁberglass, plastic, or polished wood.
  Rearrange: Design a stapler that can staple from either end.
  Reverse: Design a stapler that works by pulling up on a handle instead of pressing
  down.
  Combine: Design a combination stapler and magnetic paper clip dispenser
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  2
  Brain Borrow
  Background
  Do you sometimes feel overburdened with the responsibility for coming up with new
  ideas? Do you wonder how you can continue to innovate in your work or personal life? If
  so, you’re not alone. We all occasionally experience some frustration in expressing our-
  selves creatively on demand. Just as we can’t be all things to all people, we can’t be “all
  ideas to all problems.”
  There are at least three reasons for this shortcoming. First, we are limited in how we
  perceive situations. We have unique perspectives that help us generate creative ideas for
  some problems. For other problems, however, we don’t have the needed perspectives. We
  just can’t seem to deﬁne the problem appropriately or we make untested assumptions
  that constrain our creative thinking.
  Second, we may lack the knowledge and information needed to deal with certain
  problems. For instance, technical problems require specialized knowledge based on
  extensive formal education, training, and experience. Creativity can help only a limited
  amount in such situations.
  Finally, we all vary in our motivations in different situations. Our individual interests
  dictate how motivated we will be to solve any given problem.
  Thus, the issue is not whether or not we are creative. Rather, we should ask ourselves
  whether we can bring to a situation the perspectives and resources needed for creative
  solutions. If we can’t, then we have a number of options. One is to use several of the activi-
  ties described in this book. Another is to seek ideas from others. That is, borrow some
  brains. It may turn out that you don’t really need a creative solution. Instead, you may just
  need an already-existing solution that you didn’t know existed. If a problem is relatively
  structured and closed, an expert is often the best choice; if your problem is more open-
  ended, an expert may have a limited range of possible solutions. That is, if your problem
  has just one or only a few “correct” solutions, then an expert may be your best bet.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Copy Cat [3]
  Procedure
  1. Prior to a meeting, ask approximately one-half of a group to consult an expert on
  the problem topic. They could do this by contacting people they know as experts
  or get referrals from others. Local universities would be a source, as would the
  Internet. For instance, they could use Google.com to search for experts or written
  examples of their advice. Tell them to take written notes from their investigations.
  2. Assemble the participants into small groups and have them compare notes with
  other group members. That is, have one person in each group report what he or
  she has learned, then have the next person do the same, and so forth (exclude any
  duplicate information).
  3. Tell them to use this information to suggest ideas and to write down any ideas on
  Post-it® Notes.
  4. Direct the groups to select what they think are the best three responses and take
  turns reporting those to the large group.
  5. Have all of the groups discuss the ideas they have heard and select the top three
  of those.
  6. Tell the groups to pick the single best response, report it to the large group, and
  select the best of all those reported. (To facilitate this process, you may want to
  have the groups place their best ideas on ﬂip-chart sheets taped to a wall and
  invite the group members to vote for their favorites using colored, sticking dots—
  available from ofﬁce supply stores.)
  Debrief/Discussion
  Not all the ideas from non-experts may appear practical or workable. You may want to
  note that ideas should be considered the raw material of solutions, in that every idea has
  the potential to stimulate new ideas.
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  Suggest that participants conduct a discussion on the beneﬁts of using experts versus
  non-experts, including situations in which either or both would be most beneﬁcial and
  when they might be unproductive or counterproductive. Also consider having partici-
  pants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • If consulting an expert is not feasible, have the participants consult several people
  with absolutely no knowledge of your problem and take written notes. They can be
  friends, co-workers, spouses, or even children. Have them do this prior to the meet-
  ing. (Such people can bring a fresh perspective to the problem. Unfettered by disci-
  pline-bound assumptions and logic, they can often see things we cannot. Not only are
  they more removed from the problem, but also they are more likely to avoid precon-
  ceptions. So ask them how they would solve the problem.)
  • Repeat Steps 2 through 6 in the procedure above.
  • If experts are available, have the groups consult them as well as non-experts and use
  those responses with Steps 2 through 6.
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  3
  Copy Cat
  Background
  One of the ﬁrst things school children learn is “do your own work.” They’re also told that
  they’ll never learn anything if they copy from someone else. “Besides, the person you
  copy from may be wrong. So keep your eyes on your own paper!”
  Although this may be good advice in school, it hasn’t always held up well in the
  world of work. In fact, many businesses make a practice of copying other companies.
  Taken to the extreme, this practice can result in copyright and trademark violations as
  greedy people try to proﬁt from outright ripoffs. Rolex watches, for example, frequently
  are copied by unscrupulous companies trying to make a quick buck with an unlicensed
  product.
  By deﬁnition, copying someone else’s idea is not a creative act. There’s nothing origi-
  nal about an idea that is exactly the same as another. Although some people argue that a
  product is creative if it is new to the creator, this logic loses its appeal in the workplace.
  If another organization is already marketing an idea, you lose “creativity points” if
  you attempt to market the same idea. The true innovator is the organization that
  designed, developed, and brought to market the idea. Copy an idea and you’re following
  the leader. Moreover, research has shown that companies that market an idea ﬁrst are
  more likely to achieve competitive advantage and an overall greater market share. (The
  same general principles of innovation apply also to nonproﬁt and government organiza-
  tions.)
  Does the fact that copying an idea has negative consequences mean that copying is a
  bad business practice? The answer is yes and no. It’s bad if you copy directly without per-
  mission; it’s good if you use another idea only for stimulation. Copying can help if you
  use only a basic concept or principle from someone else’s idea. That’s where the Copy Cat
  technique comes in.
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  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Brain Borrow [2]
  Procedure
  1. Have small groups borrow the basics of another idea and adapt it to their situa-
  tion. Tell them to think of who is doing similar things or making similar products.
  There doesn’t have to be a direct connection. Tell them to examine what others are
  doing and try to make it work for their challenge.
  2. To clarify the exercise, tell them the following story:
  Kent Savage, president of Electronic Merchandising Systems, Inc., of Cincinnati,
  Ohio, started out in the vending machine business. He tried the conventional
  approach: snacks, coffee, and cold drinks. Then a few years ago, he traveled to
  Japan. There he saw $300 pearl necklaces and even sake offered in vending
  machines.
  “What an eye opener,” Savage now recalls. “I realized I could break out of the
  mold and move into higher-priced items.” And so he did. When he returned to
  the United States, he approached Eastman Kodak and offered to sell cameras and
  ﬁlm in his vending machines. After two years, his vending machines now sell
  Kodak products in more than twenty states.
  In 1993, Savage introduced machines that sell tools on factory ﬂoors. His com-
  pany now turns a sizable proﬁt, with the machine tools expected to bring in more
  than $100 million over the next ﬁve years (some of which will come from exports
  to Japan, ironically).
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  Savage capitalized on his strengths and borrowed a concept from someone else.
  Once he had copied the basic idea, he turned the concept into a creative product
  suited for his business. Savage was a Copy Cat.
  3. Have each group think of a story or event similar to their problem, describe it in
  detail, and use the descriptions as potential stimuli to copy for resolving the
  group problem.
  4. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Ask the groups to discuss the following types of questions:
  • How easy was it to think of similar ideas?
  • How did the similarity of another idea affect your ability to apply it to your chal-
  lenge? Were more similar ideas easier or more difﬁcult to apply?
  • To what extent did your knowledge of other ideas affect your ability to apply the
  ideas?
  • Would this technique work better with only certain types of problems? If so, what
  types?
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  4
  DEAD HEAD DEADLINE
  Background
  We live in a world of deadlines. Do it soon. Do it now. Do it yesterday. Just do it. It’s an
  unrelenting pace with unrelenting deadlines. Tomorrows become todays, which become
  yesterdays—all too soon. If you don’t do it now, you’ll never do it. Deadlines are every-
  where. You can’t live with ‘em; you can’t live without ‘em.
  But you can use them to become more creative. Despite our lack of love for deadlines,
  they also have positive features. The most important of these is that deadlines provide
  motivation. And motivation can increase our idea productivity.
  The use of deadlines is a simple, yet often overlooked, approach. The process
  involved is similar to goal setting: it gives us something to strive for and provides moti-
  vation. If we know when we have to complete a task, most of us will pace ourselves to do
  it. Deadlines force us to organize our thinking and move ahead.
  Many of us have deadlines imposed on us. All it takes is for a boss to say, “Do such
  and such by tomorrow,” and we’ll perform. There are times, however, when we need to
  be creative on demand.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Idea Showers [61]
  Procedure
  1. To stimulate idea production, impose a deadline on small groups to generate at
  least twenty-ﬁve ideas in 20 minutes.
  2. Ask the groups to notify you if they reach their goal early. If they do, challenge
  them to think of ﬁve more ideas within 5 minutes and so forth until all groups
  have ﬁnished.
  3. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Whatever deadlines you impose, make sure they are realistic. Remember, however, that
  what is realistic is relative. It all depends on the perceiver. Thus, I might perceive a dead-
  line of two hours as realistic, but such a time period might evoke immediate panic in
  someone else. If your deadline is not realistic, it won’t be motivating. Ask the participants
  to discuss how they are affected by deadlines and in what situations they are more or less
  affected.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  5
  GET CRAZY
  Background
  Look waaaaay down inside yourself. There are lots of hidden recesses down there, aren’t
  there? Things known only to you and perhaps a few of your intimate friends. Things you
  normally don’t show in polite company. That strange side only you know about. The side
  that views things differently.
  If you look long enough, you may eventually discover the wacky you down there—
  the side of you that every now and then thinks of an off-the-wall idea. It’s the side that
  makes a sudden leap of intuition, jumps to conclusions, and goes off the deep end (the
  side ﬁlled with clichés). You know it’s in there, so admit it. Use it occasionally to your
  advantage. Get crazy, get zany, get ridiculous. View your problems with new eyes and
  use the steps that follow to help produce this same effect within the participants.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Get Crazy Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Related Activities
  • What If. . . ? [49]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute copies of the Get Crazy Handout to each participant.
  2. Work through the sample exercise on the handout with the large group and
  answer any questions.
  3. Have the participants write down the most crazy, ridiculous problem solutions
  they can think of. The crazier the better.
  4. After about 15 to 20 minutes, tell them to forget about being crazy and zoom back
  to normality and get on with solving their problems and be practical.
  5. Tell them to examine each of their crazy ideas to see what more practical solution
  it may suggest. They may not think of one for each crazy idea, but do the best
  they can.
  6. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Ask the groups to consider the following questions:
  • What is a “crazy” idea? How does it differ from “normal” ideas?
  • Is any idea really “crazy”?
  • What effect does the type of problem have on deciding whether or not an idea is
  crazy?
  • Would more difﬁcult problems be more easily resolved using crazy ideas?
  • What are the advantages of using crazy ideas? Disadvantages?
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Get Crazy Handout
  Challenge: How might we get people to buy more of our product? First, get crazy and gen-
  erate some ridiculous ideas such as the following:
  • Threaten people with a “long vacation” if they don’t buy your products.
  • Pay them $1 million for every dollar they spend on your products.
  • Promise them three magic wishes.
  • Attach a subliminal advertising device to their televisions.
  • Have your cousin Vinnie pay them a visit.
  • Send your product to every home in the world as a holiday gift and invoice the home-
  owners.
  O.K., those are pretty ridiculous. Now use each one to stimulate a more practical idea.
  Some examples:
  • Offer free or partially funded vacations to people who place large orders.
  • Develop a list of “magic wishes” with a lottery for customers to select one of the wish-
  es; for instance, one wish might be to win one dollar every day for ten years.
  • Offer discounts to people who pay with cash.
  • Offer family discounts.
  • Create a new product with a holiday theme.
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  6
  IDEA DIARY
  Background
  Ideas are ﬂeeting creatures. Sometimes they dart by and we capture
  them easily; other times they are more elusive and slip away into
  nothingness. Now they’re here, now they’re not.
  The mind works in mysterious ways. We often think of ideas at
  the darndest times—in the shower, right before we fall asleep, right
  after we wake up, while driving, while talking with a friend, or
  even when working on an unrelated problem. Trouble arises when
  we can’t remember these ideas. One solution to this problem is to
  begin an idea diary—a book or journal designed solely to record
  random ideas.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • One small notebook and pen or pencil for each participant
  • (Optional) PDA, computer, voice recorder, Internet group idea-capturing websites (for
  example, www.groups.yahoo.com), or other devices to record ideas
  Time
  45 minutes
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Related Activities
  • Organizational Brainstorms [87]
  Procedure
  1. In advance of an idea generation session, tell participants to use a small notebook
  or other recording medium (such as a voice recorder or PDA) and write down
  ideas to the challenge. Have them start this process at least one week prior to the
  session.
  2. Stress that they should write down ideas whenever they think of them and keep
  their diaries easily accessible.
  3. Assemble the participants into small groups of four to seven and have them com-
  pare notes. That is, have one person in each group report what he or she learned,
  then have the next person do the same, but exclude any duplicate information.
  4. After all ideas have been reported, instruct the groups to select what they think
  are the best three responses and report those to the large group.
  5. Have all of the groups discuss the answers they have heard and select the top
  three of those.
  6. Tell the groups to pick the single best response, report it to the large group, and
  select the best of all those reported.
  7. Collect all of the ideas, including those not selected during any step, organize
  them into priority lists, and save them for evaluation later.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Have the participants discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using idea diaries.
  Note that one advantage is the ability to rely on mental incubation to mull over idea
  possibilities rather than having to think them all up at one time. Also consider having
  participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  7
  MENTAL BREAKDOWN
  Background
  “Chunking,” in the world of information theory, has nothing to do with Chinese food. It
  has everything to do with managing information. Basically, chunking refers to the prac-
  tice of breaking down information into smaller pieces, or chunks.
  We deﬁne problems, after all, by how much information we have about them. The
  more information we have, the more structured the problem is. And the more structured
  a problem is, the easier it is to solve. Thus, the better we are at managing information, the
  better we should be at solving problems. Unfortunately, it’s not always quite that simple.
  If we have trouble solving problems, we might assume we aren’t creative, knowledge-
  able, or motivated enough. Frequently, however, the major difﬁculty is perceived infor-
  mation overload. The information itself then becomes another problem on top of the
  original one.
  Information scientists suggest dividing information into smaller, more manageable
  chunks to avoid overload. Like a computer, the human mind can process only a limited
  number of information bits at one time (some say the mind can process an average of
  seven bits simultaneously). Given this limitation, it’s no wonder we can’t resolve large,
  complex problems without making some adjustments.
  One way to compensate for our techno-biological deﬁciencies is to list subproblems
  (or related problem components) and work on them in order of priority. The result is a
  series of related, yet smaller and more manageable, problems. Frequently, attacking a
  problem in this manner can lead to even more creative perspectives.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each.
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
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  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Mental Breakdown Handout
  Time
  60 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Ideas in a Box [25]
  • Parts Is Parts [30]
  • Parts Purge [31]
  • 666 [34]
  Procedure
  1. Instruct participants in small groups to write a problem challenge in question
  form on the ﬂip chart.
  2. Have them break down the challenge by listing every part of the problem.
  3. Tell them to turn each problem into a new challenge question.
  4. Ask them to select three of the new questions and generate ideas to resolve them.
  5. After about 20 minutes, have the participants in each group examine the ideas to
  see if they might suggest any solutions to the original challenge.
  6. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  The list of potential subproblems for most challenges is almost endless. Although it may
  seem obvious to subdivide a larger problem this way, the obvious often can be over-
  looked. This is especially true when problem solvers become overwhelmed by the enor-
  mity of the task facing them.
  Ask participants the following types of questions:
  • For what types of problems is this approach most likely to be effective? (for example,
  complex, difﬁcult-to-understand ones) Why is this?
  • When is this approach likely to be ineffective? (for example, when little time is avail-
  able) Why is this?
  • Why is it important to generate a relatively large number of subproblems?
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  Also, consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply in our lives or to our problem?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Mental Breakdown Handout
  Suppose, for example, a problem challenge is: How to develop a new product marketing
  strategy. The amount of data for such a problem is immense. All sorts of demographics
  exist to confuse problem solvers. Rather than attempt to resolve this problem completely,
  it is much easier and more efﬁcient to break it down into more manageable parts.
  For instance, a group might generate a list of subproblems related to various market-
  ing tactics that form a part of the larger strategy:
  • How can we better deﬁne our market niche?
  • How can we better deﬁne our product mix?
  • How can we better promote our products?
  • How can we better move existing products to existing markets?
  • How can we better move new products to existing markets?
  • How can we better move new products to new markets?
  • How can we improve perceived customer product values?
  • How can we improve packaging designs?
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  8
  Music Mania
  Background
  Music has a calming effect on our emotions that can help us
  generate ideas. Research has shown that certain types of
  music can affect moods and productivity.
  Our brain centers associated with emotional responses are
  also linked to our ability to function creatively. Music has the
  potential to stimulate these brain centers and help us think of
  creative ideas. Both music and creativity involve similar pro-
  cesses and features such as intuition, abstract symbols, and
  holistic interpretations of data. Musical composition is a cre-
  ative activity as well. Given this relationship between music
  and creativity, it makes sense that music can help stimulate
  new ideas.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • A variety of music ranging from jazz, pop, soft rock, and classical
  • Audio equipment to play the music
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  Handout
  • (For Variation #2): Sample Ideas
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • I Like It Like That [55]
  Procedure
  1. Have each group write down a problem challenge on a ﬂip chart.
  2. Tell the participants that they are going to use music to help induce a relaxed
  mental state.
  3. Select music that helps induce a state of relaxation and turn it on.
  4. Tell the participants to get comfortable and think pleasant thoughts and let their
  minds drift. Give them at least 5 minutes for this activity.
  5. Have the group members individually start writing ideas on the Post-it Notes, one
  idea per note. Tell them to avoid judging each idea and to list as many as they can
  for another 5 minutes.
  6. Call time and ask group members to read their ideas, in turn, and then post them
  on a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper for all to see. Thus, person one would read his idea
  and place it on the sheet of paper, person two would read her idea and post it, and
  so forth, until all ideas have been read and posted.
  7. Ask the participants to listen to another 5 minutes of music and then repeat Steps
  5 and 6.
  Debrief/Discussion
  If time is available, encourage the participants in each group to develop their own activi-
  ties based on music and then present them to the other groups. For an interesting experi-
  ment, have the groups try all three activities above and discuss the relative merits of each.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
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  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation #1
  1. Have the groups listen to a relaxing, but lively, song all the way through.
  2. Play the song again and instruct them to focus their attention on what the music is
  trying to say. Have them notice any changes in mood, tempo, beat, or sound level,
  sudden chord changes, and so on.
  3. Play the song a third time, but tell them now to concentrate on general concepts
  suggested by the music. For instance, a sudden change in tempo may suggest sur-
  prise, a slow portion may suggest caution, and a loud part may suggest power.
  Have them write down these concepts as they listen and use a scribe to record
  them on a ﬂip chart.
  4. Tell the groups to look over all the concepts and use them to help stimulate ideas,
  also writing them on a ﬂip chart.
  Variation #2
  1. Have the groups use the lyrics of one or several different songs as stimuli.
  2. Tell them to write down on a Post-it®, as individuals, words, phrases, or complete
  sentences that intrigue them. For instance, someone might write down (1) “drives
  me wild,” (2) “maybe it’s the clothes she wears,” (3) “you know even though the
  river is wide,” (4) “in the middle of the night,” or (5) “on the radio.”
  3. Post the notes on ﬂip-chart paper and tell the groups to use the words to trigger
  ideas.
  4. Provide them with the Sample Ideas handout.
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  Sample Ideas
  Suppose your problem involves how to motivate employees to maintain clean ofﬁce
  areas. The lyrics written down in Step 2 might suggest ideas such as (1) sponsoring a
  clean ofﬁce contest and giving the winner a free rental car for the weekend, (2) holding a
  fun fashion contest in which participants model clothes using trash picked up in the
  ofﬁce, (3) buying an extra-wide vacuum cleaner, (4) requiring the messiest employees to
  stay late to clean their ofﬁces, and (5) award the worker with the cleanest ofﬁce area an
  MP3 music player.
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  9
  NAME CHANGE
  Background
  We play name games every day. Whenever we refer to a per-
  son, object, place, or concept, we use labels known as names.
  The words “George,” “book,” “beach,” and “gravity” all are
  names we use to communicate. Without such words, we
  would have trouble understanding one another. Thus, daily
  interactions involve a series of communication attempts using labels.
  When we confront problems, we classify and identify them with labels such as “ﬁnan-
  cial,” “marketing,” “personnel,” or “quality control.” These labels help us distinguish
  among different types of problems and provide a common basis for understanding. If I
  say I have a personnel problem, then you know I have a problem involving people. You
  may not know exactly what my problem is, but the label “personnel” helps you narrow
  the problem down and eliminate other types of problems as possibilities.
  Although labels are essential for effective communication, they can make problem
  solving more difﬁcult. One danger of labeling problems is that we may stereotype certain
  problems. If taken to the extreme, this tendency can restrict our ability to think of solu-
  tions.
  Deﬁning a problem with a label limits how we perceive the problem. It can create a
  narrow perspective even when none was intended. For instance, suppose you deﬁne a
  particular personnel problem as “How can we motivate employees to work harder?”
  Such a deﬁnition limits possible solutions for motivating employees. Although there is
  nothing intrinsically wrong with limiting solutions, it does decrease management’s
  options in this case.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
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  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Law Breaker [50]
  • Problem Reversals [51]
  • Turn Around [52]
  Procedure
  1. Have a group recorder write down a problem challenge on a ﬂip chart for all to
  see.
  2. Tell them to ask, “Why?” about their challenge, record the answer, and then use
  the answer to think of a new challenge statement.
  3. Have them repeat Step 2 until they have generated a satisfactory challenge state-
  ment.
  4. Tell them to use this statement and write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one
  idea per note) and place them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  In the example involving the motivation of employees, it might have been better to
  broaden the deﬁnition with a less restrictive, more positive label. For instance, the ques-
  tion, “Why do we want to motivate employees to work harder?” might be answered by
  noting, “To increase productivity.” Thus, the problem might be better deﬁned as “How
  can we improve employee productivity?” This switch from a motivation label to a pro-
  ductivity label opens up more solution alternatives and shifts the emphasis away from
  employees being a “problem.” The situation is transformed from a motivation problem to
  a productivity problem.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
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  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  Another approach also might help avoid the limits imposed by problem labels.
  1. Suggest that groups restate their challenges in a humorous way. For instance, they
  might restate the employee motivation problem as “how to light a ﬁre under their
  tails?” or “how to squeeze blood out of a stone?”
  2. Have them use these perspectives to stimulate ideas. For instance, the concept of
  lighting a ﬁre might suggest an employee camping trip or a weekend retreat to
  discuss ways to improve productivity.
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  10
  STEREOTYPE
  Background
  This exercise, as with the Brain Borrow activity [2], is based on the concept of getting a
  new perspective by consulting someone else. However, instead of actually talking with
  another person, the objective is to think as if you were someone else.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets.
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Stereotype Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Tickler Things [21]
  • Imaginary Mentor [42]
  • We Have Met the Problem and It Is We [48]
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  Procedure
  1. Have someone in each group write down a problem challenge on a ﬂip chart.
  2. Distribute the Stereotype Handout.
  3. Instruct participants to select some occupation and think of how a stereotypical
  person in that position would try to resolve the challenge. Ideally, this occupation
  should be unrelated to the problem. Suggest that they think of how a police ofﬁ-
  cer, lawyer, accountant, chemist, physician, butcher, or carpenter would resolve
  the problem.
  4. Have them write down on the ﬂip chart everything they know about how some-
  one in another occupation would solve the challenge.
  5. Tell them to think about kinds of solutions that person would think of and to use
  them to generate ideas to resolve the challenge.
  6. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Ask the groups to discuss what occupations might be best for what types of problems. In
  general, the more different an occupation is from the challenge, the more likely it is to
  prompt creative ideas. Also consider having participants debrief using the following
  questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Stereotype Handout
  Suppose the challenge is to improve quality control in a manufacturing process and your
  group selects the occupation of carpenter. You then might write down the following notes
  about carpentry:
  • A carpenter pounds nails on the tip with a hammer to prevent splitting wood.
  • A good carpenter always “measures twice and cuts once.”
  • The quality of sanding determines the quality of the ﬁnal ﬁnish.
  • It’s easier to saw wood with the grain than against it.
  • Always use the right tool for the job (for instance, don’t use a screwdriver as a ham-
  mer).
  These descriptions then might prompt the following ideas:
  • “Blunt” the impact of errors by developing a quality program that “hammers” on the
  theme of quality improvement.
  • Require all manufacturing employees to check their output twice.
  • Provide all employees with additional training in quality control activities.
  • Conduct regular meetings with employees to make sure they are aligned with man-
  agement’s goals and philosophy.
  • Make sure all employees use the latest technology to improve job quality.
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  11
  Switcheroo
  Background
  Switcheroo is based on the old saying, “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” We some-
  times get so close to our problems that we lose the perspective needed to generate cre-
  ative ideas. One way to overcome this obstacle is to shift our focus to something else.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Essence of the Problem [38]
  Procedure
  1. Have someone in each group write down a problem challenge on a ﬂip chart.
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  2. Tell the group to spend 5 to 10 minutes brainstorming ideas and recording them
  all in writing, individually on Post-it® Notes.
  3. Request that they shift their focus to another problem challenge relevant to each
  group and spend 5 to 10 minutes generating ideas for it. This problem should be
  completely different from the original one.
  4. Call time and have them resume work on the original problem.
  5. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Switching problems in this manner will often allow us to see the original problem differ-
  ently. The break from the problem provides a change in perspective. Moreover, working
  on the new problem often sparks ideas for the ﬁrst problem. If switching to another prob-
  lem doesn’t help, have the groups try switching to nothing—just take a break and walk
  around, then return to attack the problem with new energy.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  12
  WAKE-UP CALL
  Background
  Most of the activities in this book help generate ideas by actively engaging our brains.
  That is, we consciously use our brains to free-associate or force together stimuli to pro-
  duce something new.
  There is another way to bring out ideas, however—a more passive way. It actually
  requires little effort and involves nothing drastically different from what
  we do every day. All you have to do is go to sleep and then wake up. A
  deﬁnite “no-brainer.” Going to sleep can help harness the power of our
  brain waves. Our brains function at varying levels of intensity depending
  on the time of day. Theta waves appear during sleep, whereas beta waves
  are predominant when we are active during the day.
  Some research suggests that different brain wave patterns are related to different
  problem-solving actions. For instance, theta waves help generate ideas, whereas beta
  waves are better for analytical thinking. Theta waves are abundant just before we fall
  asleep and just after we wake up.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Time
  45 minutes (also requires one week prior preparation time)
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  Related Activities
  • Idea Diary [6]
  Procedure
  1. About one week before a scheduled brainstorming session, provide the following
  instructions for all participants to do every evening:
  • Set your alarm clock to awaken you 20 to 30 minutes earlier than usual in 
  the morning.
  • Note what time it is when you wake up and quickly begin writing down ideas 
  about some problem. As you list your ideas, suspend all judgment.
  • Continue writing ideas until you can’t think of any more. Then note what time
  it is.
  • The next morning, repeat these steps, but try to spend 5 more minutes writing
  ideas. If you run out of ideas before the 5 minutes is up, keep writing whatever
  you can think of, even if the ideas seem impractical.
  • Continue this exercise for at least three more days.
  • Review all the ideas and try to transform the impractical ideas into more practi-
  cal ones, writing them down in a notebook or as a word processing ﬁle.
  • Select your three best ideas.
  2. Convene the meeting of the groups and tell the group members to take turns shar-
  ing one of their three best ideas from the past several days.
  3. Ask the other group members to try to build on or improve this idea and to write
  down any new ones on Post-it® Notes, one idea per note.
  4. Repeat this process until all ideas have been shared or time runs out.
  5. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Debrief using the following types of questions:
  • In general, how well did this approach work for you as individuals?
  • Were your ideas better than they normally would have been without the time up-
  front?
  • Did you have trouble clearing your mind on ﬁrst awakening?
  • Was there any change in the quality of the ideas over time?
  Also, consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
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  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  77
  Chapter 5
  Ticklers:Related and 
  Unrelated Stimuli
  T
  ickler activities will tickle, tease, and tantalize ideas out of your brain. They will pull
  out what you know exists, but couldn’t think of at the time; what you thought exist-
  ed, but didn’t know for sure; and sometimes what you didn’t even know existed. When
  you use speciﬁc stimuli, ideas will pop out surprisingly fast.
  Ticklers provide the stimuli needed to free-associate. A tickler is anything that stimu-
  lates an idea. You probably use many brain ticklers already. For instance, have you ever
  tried to think of an idea and found yourself thinking of something else instead? Say you
  have been distracted temporarily by a delivery truck outside. As you examine the truck,
  you think of things related to trucking. Suddenly the concept of transportation triggers an
  idea related to the problem.
  Another illustration: Suppose Sally is looking for creative ways to sell a product to a
  really tough customer. As she considers various alternatives, she happens to glance at the
  clock on the wall. She absentmindedly looks at the clock and immediately focuses on the
  concept of time. Then she begins thinking about her customer and several ideas pop out
  in succession:
  • Call his secretary and ﬁnd out at what time he is in his best mood.
  • Offer him a limited-time offer.
  • Give him a watch if he buys the product.
  • Send him data on how the product will help him save time.
  The activities described in this chapter do essentially the same thing as the truck or
  the clock in these examples: they stimulate ideas. However, these activities make the pro-
  cess a little more systematic and help target your efforts more efﬁciently.
  Tickler activities help generate ideas using one of three general sources of stimulation:
  (1) words, (2) pictures, and (3) objects. Examples of ticklers using words include: A Likely
  Story [15], Excerpt Excitation [13], PICLed Brains [16], and Say What? [19]. Pictures are
  used with Picture Tickler [17] and Rorschach Revisionist [18]. Finally, Idea Shopping [14]
  is an example of a tickler using objects.
  LLLL
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  When using ticklers, defer all judgment while generating ideas. The only time you
  even should consider judging ideas during idea generation is when you are using multi-
  ple tickler activities.
  If you use more than one tickler, you might select the best ideas after using each tech-
  nique. Then you could go on to the next activity and generate ideas without judging.
  After you have done this for several ticklers, go back and review all your ideas. Often
  you’ll ﬁnd that the ideas you review will help stimulate even more ideas.
  NOTE:FOR ALL ACTIVITES,REMIND PARTICPANTS 
  TO DEFER JUDGMENT WHILE GENERATING IDEAS.
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  Ticklers: Related and Unrelated Stimuli
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  13
  EXCERPT EXCITATION
  Background
  I quote others only the better to express myself.
  —Montaigne
  Writers frequently use quotations to emphasize important points or to provide different
  perspectives on a topic. This ability to provoke new perspectives gives quotations the
  potential to tickle your brain and generate new ideas. As William Thackeray once said,
  “The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar, familiar
  things new.”
  Excerpt Excitation uses quotations to help think of ways to make familiar things new.
  That’s an essential ingredient of creative thinking—taking what appears to be known and
  applying some unique twist to it. Quotations do this by forcing us to consider angles we
  might otherwise have overlooked.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • One or more book of quotations or Internet quote websites, such as www.quotation-
  spage.com or www.quoteland.com
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Handout
  • Excerpt Excitation Handout
  Time
  20 minutes
  Related Activities
  • A Likely Story [15]
  • PICLed Brains [16]
  • Say What? [19]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Excerpt Excitation Handout and ask participants to review it with
  you and indicate to them how the ideas were derived from the quotes. Ask then if
  they have any questions.
  2. Instruct participants to read a list of quotations from various authors covering dif-
  ferent topics. They should review at least thirty varied quotations.
  3. Have each individual select one of the quotations and think about its meaning.
  Have them free-associate and write down whatever idea comes to mind on Post-
  it® Notes to be placed on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  4. After about 10 minutes, tell them to select another quotation and repeat Step 2
  until they have generated as many ideas as possible. Tell them to not be discour-
  aged if not all quotations spark ideas. That’s not the purpose of this exercise. If
  even one quotation triggers one good idea, then it was worth the effort.
  5. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Suggest that participants experiment and select quotations that pertain to their problem
  topics as well as those that do not.
  Ask them to discuss why some quotes seem to work better than others.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
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  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Excerpt Excitation Handout
  Assume a retail store manager wishes to resolve a problem of how to reduce employee
  theft. She then ﬁnds two sets of quotations (“Security” and “Temptation”).
  Security Quotations
  Probe the earth and see where your main roots run.
  —Henry David Thoreau
  The ﬂy that doesn’t want to be swatted is most secure when it lights on the ﬂy swatter.
  —G.C. Lichtenberg
  I believe . . . that security declines as security machinery expands.
  —E.B. White
  Man’s security comes from within himself, and the security of all men is founded upon the
  security of the individual.
  —Manly Hall
  It’s an old adage that the way to be safe is never to be secure. . . . Each one of us requires
  the spur of insecurity to force us to do our best.
  —Harold W. Dodds
  Temptation Quotations
  What makes resisting temptation difﬁcult, for many people, is that they don’t want to dis-
  courage it completely.
  —Franklin P. Jones
  All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal, or fattening.
  —Alexander Woollcott
  I ﬁnd I always have to write something on a steamed mirror.
  —Elaine Dundy
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  The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. . . . I can resist everything but temp-
  tation.
  —Oscar Wilde
  Don’t worry about avoiding temptation—as you grow older, it starts avoiding you.
  —The Old Farmer’s Almanac
  To illustrate how to use quotations to generate ideas,
  consider the employee theft problem again. The two lists of
  quotations might stimulate the following kinds of ideas:
  • Install weight-sensitive pressure pads in storeroom
  areas that would trigger alarms when stepped on dur-
  ing closed times (from “Probe the earth and see where
  your main roots run”).
  • Conduct intensive background checks of all current and
  future employees (from “The ﬂy that doesn’t want to be
  swatted”).
  • Reward employees with free trips to dude ranches when they reduce theft (from
  “Each one of us requires the spur of insecurity to force us to do our best”).
  • Assign in-house “marshals” to monitor employee behavior (from “Each one of us
  requires the spur of insecurity to force us to do our best”).
  • Attach small, easy-to-conceal alarms on valuable items so that an alarm sounds when
  an item is removed from a room (from “I believe . . . that security declines as security
  machinery expands”).
  • Install one-way mirrors in high-risk areas (from “I ﬁnd I always have to write some-
  thing on a steamed mirror”).
  • Use items that are often stolen as performance rewards (from “The only way to get rid
  of temptation is to yield to it”).
  • Assign big brothers and sisters to new employees to help with general orientation and
  to educate new workers about theft (from “Don’t worry about avoiding temptation—
  as you grow older, it starts avoiding you”).
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  14
  IDEA SHOPPING
  Background
  This technique encourages participants to do something for which they may not need
  encouragement: hop in their cars, head for the nearest shopping mall, and shop until they
  drop! And some can take care of two needs at once: buy themselves something spiffy to
  wear or check out all the latest goods, and generate some ideas as well.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • One notepad and pen or pencil for each participant to carry into a store
  Handout
  • Idea Shopping Handout
  Time
  30 minutes (also requires one week prior preparation time)
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Related Activities
  • Idea Diary [6]
  • Tickler Things [21]
  Procedure
  1. Provide participants with a problem challenge at least one week prior to a training
  or idea generation session.
  2. Prior to the session, tell participants to walk, individually, around a department or
  discount store and take in the sights. Tell them to check out the merchandise,
  watch how things are done, how people act, and so forth, writing down all of
  their observations.
  3. Instruct them to select one item or action that catches their attention. Encourage
  them to examine it more closely and notice which particular attributes, character-
  istics, functions, concepts, or principles are represented. Remind them to write
  down all of their observations.
  4. When the session starts, distribute the Idea Shopping Handout and discuss it with
  them, pointing out how the ideas were obtained.
  5. Have them individually think of how their observations might help them resolve
  the primary challenge. Perhaps it can’t help directly, but if you tell them to free-
  associate and see what ideas the item or action might trigger, that might help.
  6. Tell them to write down on their Post-it® pads any ideas that come to mind (one
  idea per note).
  7. Instruct them to select something else they observed, see what ideas it might stim-
  ulate, and write them on a Post-it® (one idea per note).
  8. Tell them to continue this process for at least 30 minutes or until they have gener-
  ated at least ﬁve ideas and placed them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This technique has value in using unrelated stimuli (the in-store observations) and brain-
  writing (generating ideas in writing), both of which can help produce more, higher-quali-
  ty ideas than normally might be produced. For a discussion, consider asking the
  following types of questions:
  • What worked best and least about this exercise?
  • What areas of the stores seemed to be the most useful source of stimuli?
  • Did any participants have trouble using the stores for stimulation? Why or why not?
  Also, consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
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  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  1. After the participants have generated each idea and written it on a Post-it®, tell
  them to pass their ideas to the person to the right (that is, write down one idea
  and pass it to the right, write down the second and pass it on, and so forth).
  2. Indicate that they should use each idea passed to them for possible stimulation of
  a new idea. If the idea passed triggers a new idea, have them write it on a new
  Post-it® and then pass both on to the next person to the right. (If someone can’t
  think of a new idea based on the idea passed to him or her, tell the person not to
  worry and just pass on the idea to the next person.)
  3. Have them continue this process until at least ﬁve ideas have gone around the
  group once.
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Idea Shopping Handout
  Tips
  • Don’t spend all your time in one department. Choose stimulation from a variety of
  areas.
  • Stores are such rich sources of stimulation that they can be overwhelming. Don’t try
  to take in too much. Instead, focus your attention as much as possible on things that
  interest you.
  To illustrate Idea Shopping, suppose you are trying to reduce employee theft at your
  organization. You’ve tried asking the employees not to steal, but you haven’t been suc-
  cessful. It’s time to develop more creative ideas.
  You head for your local Roof-Mart. After cruising the parking lot looking for a space,
  you ﬁnally ﬁnd a spot near the garden department entrance. You begin to browse, and
  you spot a garden hose. Aha!
  • Idea: Hide video cameras inside the overhead sprinklers. Connect the sprinklers to a
  water tank containing ammonia. If a security guard spots someone stealing some-
  thing, the sprinklers automatically go off, spraying the thief’s eyes with ammonia.
  (The thief will hate it when that happens!)
  You continue browsing and notice that there are two rows of checkout stands, stag-
  gered in position to permit passage.
  • Idea: Install two sets of motion detectors, one near the entrance of a storage room and
  the other inside the room. The ﬁrst set serves as a silent alarm to notify you that some-
  one is trying to enter; the second lets you know if the person enters the room.
  You then walk down an aisle and see ﬂashlights.
  • Idea: Install airport x-ray machines at all organization exits.
  After looking at the ﬂashlights, you turn a corner and see an employee restocking
  shelves while standing on a ladder.
  • Idea: Require that employees order all supplies by computer with a user ID. Employ-
  ees may pick up supplies only after the computer ID has been checked and matched
  to the particular supplies.
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  15
  A Likely Story
  Background
  Have you ever wanted to write the Great American Novel (GAN), but didn’t think you
  could? Well, now is your chance. Even if we don’t consider ourselves to be writers, we
  can compose brief, fantasy stories. We then can use our stories as the basis for our GANs.
  Writing, like painting and sculpting, is a creative activity. All artists use a variety of
  stimuli to craft their creative products using free association. Some of these stimuli come
  from the product itself. Thus, an artist might draw a shape that stimulates another shape,
  which prompts a third and so forth. Creative writing works much the same way. A cre-
  ative phrase, character description, or plot element might suggest other corresponding
  thoughts that, in turn, suggest even more. In addition, creating a story about a problem
  forces us to consider new information and perspectives that might have gone unnoticed.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • A Likely Story Handout
  Time
  90 minutes
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Related Activities
  • Idea Diary [6]
  • Text Tickler [20]
  • Fairy Tale Time [40]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the handout, review it with participants, and ask whether they have
  any questions.
  2. Decide on a group challenge statement and distribute it to all participants along
  with the following statement:
  “Your task for this exercise is to write a brief, ﬁctional story of fewer than 500
  words (about two, typed, double-spaced pages). Your story should be related
  directly to the group problem. Don’t worry if it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Just let
  go of your imagination. Sometimes, humorous stories work best, but don’t limit
  yourself. Then read over your story carefully. Scrutinize it for major themes, con-
  cepts, principles, actions, thoughts, and whatever else strikes your fancy. Make a
  list of these and write down any ideas suggested to resolve the challenge.”
  4. Distribute the handout to be used as a sample story, discuss it with the partici-
  pants, and ask if there are any questions.
  5. Convene the small groups and instruct members from each group to share their
  three best ideas, write them down on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note), place
  them on a ﬂip chart, and then vote on the best ideas shared.
  Debrief/Discussion
  A Likely Story generates ideas using random stimulation from data generated from the
  story. It helps us explore our subconscious creative thoughts and use these thoughts to
  stimulate ideas. And the quality of writing really isn’t important. What is important is to
  generate a variety of stimuli that might be used to trigger ideas. Consider asking the
  groups to discuss whether this exercise worked and why it did or did not. Note that not
  all groups will beneﬁt from this exercise since it does require some creative imagination.
  It also is possible that someone who can’t think of any ideas with one story may experi-
  ence a different outcome with another story he or she writes.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
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  90
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • Have members of each group create a story as a group and then use it to generate
  ideas.
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
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  A Likely Story Handout
  To illustrate A Likely Story, consider the problem of helping a publisher sell more books.
  Here’s one story, written entirely with free association. In this case, the author started by
  writing down the lead sentence and then going from there:
  It was a day like any other day for Duke Smithers, private investigator. Eleanor
  Making wanted him to follow her husband for investigation of possible inﬁdelity.
  Sleazy bars and cheap motels were what he knew best in these cases. One lead led
  to another like liquid molten lead. First a bartender sees the suspected couple and
  then a motel clerk denies ever seeing them. It was as if people knew how to disap-
  pear into thin air.
  The thought of it made him gasp for air, and then made him parched for a
  drink. Yeah. A good stiff drink of cranberry juice was what he needed. He opened
  his desk drawer, retrieved the quart bottle of CJ (cranberry juice), and slammed it
  down on his desk. He untwisted the lid and thought of what he had learned so
  far: Mr. Making was making time with Susie Turnoverton, his former secretary
  who now worked as a CPA. Or was she? The more he reﬂected while sipping his
  CJ, the more he thought of how much he liked CJ. And then he passed out, a
  stream of red ﬂowing from his mouth. Murdered or just resting? Who can tell?
  O.K. It’s a pretty stupid story. If it can help generate ideas, however, then it’s a pretty
  smart story. To generate ideas for the problem of selling books, you could read over the
  story several times and think of ideas stimulated. (Another option would be to list major
  themes and write them down.) Here are some sample ideas:
  • Hire an actor to play a ﬁctional detective to promote a detective novel (from “private
  investigator”).
  • Start a “Frequent Purchasers” club and reward faithful customers with discounts or
  free books (from “inﬁdelity”).
  • Sell popular paperbacks in hotels and motels (from “sleazy motels”).
  • Sponsor a contest with an airplane trip as the grand prize (from “disappear into thin air”).
  • Add a pine-scented scratch-and-sniff on the cover of a book about trees (from “gasp
  for air”).
  • Advertise health food and recipe books on bottles of fruit juice (from “cranberry
  juice”).
  • Give people a trade-in allowance on old books when buying new ones (from
  “Turnoverton”).
  • Allow people to buy books on the installment plan (from “CPA”).
  • Pass out book ﬂiers with coupons in malls (from “passed out”).
  • Create capsules that ooze fake blood from inside murder-mystery books (from “red
  ﬂowing from his mouth”).
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  16
  PICLED BRAINS
  Background
  We all have had our brains tickled many times while listening to others talk. Although we
  may not hear every word spoken, we often scan the output selectively and focus on a few
  key words and phrases. These words and phrases are the ones that frequently spark new
  ideas. Sometimes we may not be aware we are inﬂuenced by someone’s words; other
  times, we may have an instant “Aha!” when we hear a certain word. In either case, the
  ideas usually ﬂow freely.
  PICLed Brains is based on the Product Improvement CheckList (PICL) (VanGundy,
  1985) poster and uses a similar process to generate ideas. However, instead of relying on
  someone else’s words, we can use random stimulus words, most of which should be
  unrelated to a problem.
  This technique is based on the brain’s ability to free-associate when presented with
  something new. When we ﬁrst confront a new word, a stream of mental associations is
  triggered in our brains. Each of these mental associations has the potential to spark
  unique ideas, mostly because the associations are unrelated to our problems.
  The Product Improvement CheckList contains stimulus words organized into four
  categories:
  1. Try to . . . (for example, inﬂate it, twist it, sketch it, wipe it, tighten it)
  2. Make it . . . (for example, transparent, soft, magnetic)
  3. Think of . . . (for example, time bombs, escalators, oatmeal)
  4. Take away or add . . . (for example, anticipation, layers, sex appeal, friction)
  To generate ideas, randomly select a word from one of the four categories and see if it
  suggests any new ideas. Then free-associate from this word to get started. If you don’t
  have a copy of the PICL, you can use the sample words in the handout.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • (Optional) A dictionary or other book containing lists of words (for example, “Random
  House Word Menu”)
  Handouts
  • List of Stimulus Words Handout
  • PICLed Brains Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Excerpt Excitation [13]
  • Say What? [20]
  • Text Tickler [21]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the List of Stimulus Words Handout (feel free to add other words or
  have group members add their own words).
  2. Distribute the PICLed Brains Handout, one copy per person or post the words on
  a ﬂip chart. Explain how to use the words and answer any questions they may
  have.
  3. Instruct the individuals in each group to take turns picking one word unrelated to
  the challenge.
  4. Tell them the group should use each word to free-associate and try to think of
  ideas to resolve the challenge. Note: if a word doesn’t result in any ideas, they
  should select another word.
  5. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Some people have trouble using stimuli that are unrelated to a challenge, since they are
  not directly related. Ask participants to discuss why this might be. Other questions might
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  involve why some words seem to generate more ideas than others. You also could
  observe that people who initially have trouble with free association often begin to loosen
  up and increase their ability to think of ideas over time. Observing others use the words
  also can facilitate learning how to free-associate from random words.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  List of Stimulus Words Handout
  Force it
  Sand it
  Jiggle it
  Brush it
  Cushion it
  Bend it
  Sprinkle it
  Press it
  Vibrate it
  Inject it
  Twist it
  Inﬂate it
  Bright
  Transparent
  Sticky
  Bounce
  Spin
  Pop up
  Tubes
  Wet
  Shine
  Coarse
  Bubble
  Zip
  Balloons
  Accordions
  Sponges
  Thermostats
  Tulips
  Egg shells
  Mercury
  Waterfalls
  Syringes
  Vises
  Corkscrews
  Gryoscopes
  Funnels
  Filters
  Spirals
  Time bombs
  Bells
  Waves
  Mirrors
  Velcro
  Rhythm
  Static
  Turbulence
  Anticipation
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  PICLed Brains Handout
  To illustrate PICLed Brains, consider the problem of improving a common household
  ﬂashlight. Here are some sample ideas:
  • Make a ﬂashlight buoyant so it ﬂoats in water if dropped accidentally (from “inﬂate
  it”).
  • Make the ﬂashlight handle out of rubber so it can be twisted into different shapes as a
  novelty or secured to some object in order to target the light beam (from “twist it”).
  • Make the ﬂashlight transparent, like a transparent telephone (from “transparent”).
  • Include a timer so the ﬂashlight turns off automatically after a certain amount of time
  (from “time bombs”).
  • Design the ﬂashlight so that it turns on whenever pressure is applied to the handle
  (from “anticipation”).
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  17
  PICTURE TICKLER
  Background
  Visual stimuli of all types can create different perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and associa-
  tions. What triggers an image in one person may trigger a completely different one in
  someone else.
  This technique is similar to PICLed Brains except the stimuli are pictures instead of
  words. People who have trouble free-associating from unrelated stimulus words may ﬁnd
  it easier to free-associate with pictures. So this might be a useful technique for such people.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate idea
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • Windmill graphic
  • An assortment of color pictures from magazines and catalogs. Color pictures from
  such magazines as National Geographic work well. The best pictures are those with a
  variety of actions, objects, colors, textures, and other stimuli. Try to select pictures that
  vary in content. For instance, don’t select all factory scenes or pictures of the country-
  side. In general, avoid pictures with people in them, especially close-ups. As a rule of
  thumb, have at least four magazines or catalogs for each group.
  Handout
  • Picture Tickler Handout
  TLFeBOOK
  
  98
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Ideatoons [26]
  • Doodles [37]
  • Drawing Room [59]
  • Modular Brainstorming [62]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Picture Tickler Handout and have the participants look at Figure
  5.1.
  2. Ask the large group whether it suggests any images to them. Any speciﬁc associa-
  tions? Thoughts? Feelings? If so, suggest that the visual stimuli in the picture may
  have affected them.
  3. Ensure they understand how to use the picture to generate ideas. Answer any
  questions they might have.
  4. Distribute the magazines and catalogs to each group.
  5. Have the group members take turns selecting a picture that the large group then
  will describe in detail and write down descriptions of on a ﬂip chart. Encourage
  them to note any relationships, concepts, and principles visible. Emphasize the
  importance of describing actual or implied actions or processes. Note that the pur-
  pose of this exercise is to stimulate ideas, not achieve consensus on correctness.
  This reminder is important because members are likely to disagree with others
  about the accuracy of their descriptions.
  6. After all the descriptions have been recorded, tell the groups to look them over
  and see which ones might stimulate ideas. To help them think of ideas, have them
  take turns free-associating aloud and be playful with their associations. (This way
  they will be more likely to generate fresh perspectives. Rigidity is an enemy of cre-
  ative thinking.)
  7. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Many people respond best to visual stimuli when generating ideas. People who tend to
  create mental images when generating ideas probably respond well when looking at visu-
  al stimuli. Note that one way to test whether they are visual thinkers is to ask group
  members to take turns observing each other’s eyes while the other thinks of a creative
  solution to some problem. If someone looks to the left and up, he or she is probably con-
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  Ticklers: Related and Unrelated Stimuli
  juring up visual images. (This is true because the right side of the brain—which is
  involved with creativity—controls the left side of the body.)
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  100
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Picture Tickler Handout
  Here’s an example of how to use a picture of a windmill as a source of idea stimulation.
  The problem involves improving a household telephone. First, describe the picture
  shown in Figure 5.1.
  There is a windmill. It is down by the old windmill stream
  (not the river, but the stream). It’s where I ﬁrst met you. The
  air is relatively calm. The wind turns the blades, which turn
  gears to pump water out of the ﬁelds. The faster the wind
  blows, the faster the blades turn. The windmill building pro-
  vides protection from the elements. Many windmills are need-
  ed to pump out all the water.
  Next, use the descriptions to spark ideas. Here are some
  examples:
  • Put the telephone on tiny wheels to roll around on a desk
  (from “The wind turns the blades”).
  • Add an LCD panel that shows your name and welcomes you every time you pick up
  the phone to make a call (from “It’s where I ﬁrst met you”).
  • Make a telephone receiver that is shaped like a boat and ﬂoats in water (from “pump
  water out of the ﬁelds”).
  • Use different sound effects to notify users of incoming calls, such as driving rain,
  pounding surf, or hail (from “The windmill building provides protection from the ele-
  ments”).
  • Create an inﬂatable telephone (from “pump out all the water”).
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Figure 5.1.
  Windmill
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  Ticklers: Related and Unrelated Stimuli
  18
  RORSCHACH REVISIONIST
  Background
  This exercise uses what psychologists call “ambiguous stimulus materials.” To keep
  things simple, we’ll call them ASM. ASM are stimuli that have no apparent meaning.
  Instead, we tend to project meaning onto these stimuli based on how we interpret the
  world.
  A psychologist, for instance, might use Rorschach inkblots to determine whether a
  client has an aggressive personality. The client presumably will project aggressive tenden-
  cies in response to seeing the inkblots. Another person with a different personality might
  describe feelings of tranquility in response to the same inkblot.
  Rorschach Revisionist is based on the principle of standard inkblot tests. However,
  instead of using inkblots to assess one’s personality, they are used as sources of stimula-
  tion to generate ideas. Thus, instead of projecting personality, participants project their
  ideas and thinking perspectives.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes.
  • One or two bottles of washable, black liquid ink for each table
  • One sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper for each participant
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Handout
  • Rorschach Revisionist Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Picture Tickler [17]
  • Ideatoons [26]
  • Doodles [37]
  • Drawing Room [59]
  • Modular Brainstorming [62]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the handout showing a sample inkblot exercise. Discuss how the stim-
  uli were collected and then used to generate ideas. Ask if they have any questions.
  2. Instruct each participant to make an inkblot by folding the 8.5” x 11” paper in half
  on the 8.5-inch side (as opposed to lengthwise) so that each half is roughly 5.5
  inches long and unfolds like a book.
  3. Tell them to place a large (about 1.5 inches in diameter) drop of ink on one-half of
  their folded paper and then fold it over (as if closing a book) onto the side without
  any ink. Tell them to press down hard so that the ink is smeared around on the
  paper. The result is their personal inkblot.
  4. Ask the participants to study their personal inkblots and encourage them not to
  ﬁxate on the ﬁrst image they see or they may have trouble seeing other images.
  Have them turn the inkblot upside down and sideways and look at it straight
  down and from an angle. Then suggest that they squint at it and rotate it to create
  different perspectives.
  5. Ask each individual to share his or her inkblot with the other group members and
  describe what he or she sees in as much detail as possible. They may see many
  different images in each inkblot, so encourage them to share all of the images.
  6. Caution them about limiting themselves to generating ideas prompted directly
  from the inkblot stimuli. For example, if they see nothing but animals in an
  inkblot, they shouldn’t feel obligated to use only animals as stimuli. Instead, tell
  them to let their intuition take over and concentrate on the inkblots and let the
  free associations ﬂow. Then write down whatever ideas come to mind. For exam-
  ple, from animals they might free-associate to zoos and then to amusement parks
  and so on.
  7. Ask the group members to use the descriptions of each inkblot as stimuli to gener-
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  ate ideas, write them down on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note), and place the
  notes on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This can be a fun exercise since it produces diverse stimuli as well as perceptions as to
  what those stimuli represent. Ask the group members to discuss how easy or difﬁcult it
  was for them to see images within the inkblots and to use them as idea triggers.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variations
  • Suggest that other group members note what they see in the other inkblots and use
  their descriptions to help trigger ideas.
  • Use different colored inks and ask the group members to discuss whether that made
  any difference in their experiences in creating stimuli or thinking of ideas.
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Rorschach Revisionist Handout
  Refer to the inkblot shown in Figure 5.2 to stimulate ideas for improving a telephone.
  First, describe the inkblot, for example:
  • A jet aircraft with swept-back wings
  • Siamese twins on a teeter-totter in the large part on the top
  of the inkblot
  • A spider
  • A frog holding a modern sculpture
  • An Amazon beetle
  • A moon-landing craft
  • A mirror image of stalagmites
  • The remains of a spider dropped from a twenty-story 
  building
  • Two alligators with conjoined twins on their backs
  • A Vulcan tree root
  Next, use the descriptions and any intuitive reactions to generate ideas:
  • A children’s telephone in the shape of a airplane ﬁghter (or frog, spider, beetle, space-
  ship, or alligator)
  • A teeter-totter type of telephone in which the phone base goes down when the receiv-
  er is lifted (and vice versa)
  • A telephone designed as a copy of a modern sculpture
  • A telephone that “walks” across the table toward you when it rings
  • A stainless steel telephone
  • An alligator telephone that cradles the receiver in its mouth
  • A “piggyback” telephone that contains a detachable cellular phone and a computer
  database of names and addresses
  • A telephone that comes apart as a puzzle
  Figure 5.2.
  Inkblot
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  19
  SAY WHAT?
  Background
  Idea generation should be like a rolling stone that gathers no moss. We should be able to
  free-associate so fast we don’t have time to judge our ideas. This is especially true in
  groups, in which people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. If we criticize others’
  ideas, we should criticize our own.
  Figures of speech liven up what we read and hear. They give substance to our com-
  munications and can convey intended meanings more clearly. They also can become tire-
  some if used repetitively or improperly, as illustrated in the previous paragraph (that is,
  “a rolling stone . . .” and “people in glass houses . . . ”).
  We all use clichés, proverbs, and maxims as part of our everyday speech. However, if
  we want to use them to resolve our problems, we must use them systematically. That is
  where this exercise comes in handy.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes.
  Handouts
  • Clichés, Proverbs, and Maxims Handout
  • Say What? Handout
  TLFeBOOK
  
  106
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Picture Tickler [17]
  • Ideatoons [26]
  • Doodles [37]
  • Drawing Room [59]
  • Modular Brainstorming [62]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Clichés, Proverbs, and Maxims Handout.
  2. Distribute the Say What? Handout and discuss it with the participants, answering
  questions they might have.
  3. After discussing a challenge to work on, instruct the groups to review the list of
  Clichés, Proverbs, and Maxims and have each person select one that looks inter-
  esting.
  4. Tell the individuals to write down what they think is the intended meaning
  behind the maxim or cliché they chose and to use as much detail as they can with
  their descriptions.
  5. Have the individuals in each group share their descriptions, in turn, with the
  other group members.
  6. Tell them to use the descriptions to brainstorm ideas as a group, write down ideas
  on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note), and place them on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is an exercise in which the speciﬁc selections can determine the outcome. That is,
  some selections might result in a higher quantity and quality of ideas than others. Some
  people might be able to use the phrases more easily than others to trigger ideas, or some
  may ﬁnd this approach better than when using another technique using single words,
  such as the PICLed Brains [16] approach.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
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  Ticklers: Related and Unrelated Stimuli
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  108
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Clichés,Proverbs,and Maxims Handout
  • A friend in need is a friend indeed.
  • A penny saved is a penny earned.
  • A rolling stone gathers no moss.
  • A stitch in time saves nine.
  • Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
  • Actions speak louder than words.
  • All roads lead to Rome.
  • All that glitters is not gold.
  • All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
  • An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
  • Beggars can’t be choosers.
  • Better late than never.
  • Better safe than sorry.
  • Big oaks from little acorns grow.
  • Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
  • Don’t borrow from Peter to pay Paul.
  • Don’t burn a candle at both ends.
  • Don’t put all your eggs into one basket.
  • Don’t rock the boat.
  • Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
  • Every cloud has a silver lining.
  • Experience is the best teacher.
  • Familiarity breeds contempt.
  • Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
  • For every drop of rain that falls, a ﬂower grows.
  • Forewarned is forearmed.
  • Go ahead. Make my day!
  • Good fences make good neighbors.
  • He who hesitates is lost.
  • He who tends a ﬁg tree will eat its fruit.
  • His bark is worse than his bite.
  • It never rains but it pours.
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  • It takes two to tango.
  • It’s easier to catch ﬂies with honey than with vinegar.
  • Jack of all trades, master of none.
  • Keep your nose to the grindstone.
  • Look before you leap.
  • Loose lips sink ships.
  • Misery loves company.
  • Neither a borrower nor a lender be.
  • Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
  • Out of sight, out of mind.
  • People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
  • Rome wasn’t built in a day.
  • Seeing is believing.
  • Something must be seen to be believed.
  • Spare the rod and spoil the child.
  • Stone walls do not a prison make.
  • The early bird gets the worm.
  • The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
  • The meek shall inherit the earth.
  • The pen is mightier than the sword.
  • Too many cooks spoil the broth.
  • Two heads are better than one.
  • Two’s company and three’s a crowd.
  • Waste not, want not.
  • Where there’s smoke there’s ﬁre.
  • You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.
  • You can’t judge a book by its cover.
  • You’re barking up the wrong tree.
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Say What? Handout
  To illustrate this technique, consider the problem of how to recruit professional employ-
  ees. To generate ideas, you might select two proverbs. The ﬁrst is “Stone walls do not a
  prison make.” This proverb might elicit the following free associations:
  • Although you can imprison my body, you can’t imprison my spirit.
  • Many people create their own “mental” prisons that restrict their ability to think cre-
  atively.
  • Stone walls are generally built from the bottom up in layers.
  • It is much easier to go over, under, or around stone walls than through them.
  These interpretations then might spark the following ideas:
  • Emphasize personal and professional growth opportunities or, if they don’t exist, cre-
  ate them (from “you can’t imprison my spirit”).
  • Demonstrate in-house creativity sessions at professional meetings to show how much
  fun it is to work for your organization and how creativity is encouraged (from “Many
  people create their own mental prisons”).
  • Provide intensive orientation sessions to lay a good foundation for understanding the
  organization (from “Stone walls are generally built up in layers”).
  • Promise new executives direct access to upper management (from “Stone walls are
  generally built up in layers”).
  • Provide new executives with a personal mentor to help cut through the red tape dur-
  ing their ﬁrst year on the job (from “It is much easier to go over, under, or around
  stone walls than through them”).
  For the second proverb, you might select “All work and no play makes Jack a dull
  boy.” It might suggest the following thoughts:
  • We all occasionally need to relax and recharge our batteries.
  • We should strive to achieve balance in the amount of work and play we do.
  • Dull people can be unpleasant to be around.
  These interpretations might prompt the following types of ideas:
  • Provide professionals with executive sabbaticals (from “We all occasionally need to
  relax and recharge our batteries”).
  • Require all employees to take a “play break” every day (from “We should strive to
  achieve balance in the amount of work and play we do”).
  • To keep people sharp, require job rotation (from “Dull people can be unpleasant to be
  around”).
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  20
  TEXT TICKLER
  Background
  Many people like to read for entertainment or to learn something new. For some people,
  there’s nothing like curling up with a good novel. Reading helps tickle our gray matter,
  whether the material is Shakespeare or a clothing catalog. The more we read, the more
  stimulation we receive.
  Sometimes, when we least expect it, a potential solution will pop out as we read. This
  may happen through some subconscious association or because we occasionally ponder a
  current problem while reading and something we read sparks an idea. Although such
  ideas may frequently occur by chance, we can make idea generation more predictable.
  That’s where the Text Tickler exercise can help.
  Text Tickler involves randomly selecting words from different sources and then using
  them to prompt ideas. It doesn’t matter where you get the words, as long as you have a
  varied pool from which to choose.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes.
  Handout
  • Text Tickler Handout
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • A Likely Story [15]
  • PICLed Brains [16]
  • Say What? [19]
  Procedure
  1. Prior to the session, gather an assortment of old books, catalogs, magazines, news-
  papers, or any source of words, including dictionaries, to distribute during the
  session.
  2. Distribute the Text Tickler Handout and discuss it with the participants, answer-
  ing questions they might have.
  3. At the start of the session, distribute at least one source of stimuli (a magazine or
  catalog) to each group member.
  4. Instruct each participant to select a word or phrase from his or her word source.
  5. Tell them to examine the word or phrase and use it to trigger at least one idea and
  write it on a Post-it® Note.
  6. Have the group members pass their Post-it® Notes to the person on their right and
  tell them to write down any new ideas stimulated.
  7. Tell the groups to repeat Steps 3 through 5 and conclude once all group members
  have selected and reported on a random word and generated an idea or when
  time is no longer available.
  8. Have them place the notes on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This technique should appeal especially well to people who are good at creating visual
  images from reading different words. It also helps people who can free-associate easily so
  that one word leads to another, thus creating different perspectives.
  To facilitate a discussion, try the following types of questions:
  • Did some words lead to more ideas than others? If so, what were they and why?
  • What types of problems might this activity work best with and why?
  • Why is it important that the stimulus words be different from the problem challenge?
  Also, consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
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  113
  Ticklers: Related and Unrelated Stimuli
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Text Tickler Handout
  Assume you own a hotel chain and want to attract more customers. First, you need to
  select some random stimulus words. You are reading a newspaper while ﬂying with sev-
  eral of your staff members to visit one of your hotels.
  While reading movie reviews, you see the word “grumpy.” This word sparks the idea
  of offering “Grumpy Room Service.” All food orders are delivered by a grumpy delivery
  person as a novelty service. Or in another variation of Grumpy Room Service, give guests
  a free meal if any staff member treats them grumpily. Then look for another word and
  choose “research.” This word might trigger the idea of in-room computers with easy-to-
  access business databases for the business traveler. Finally, you see the word “ﬁlm” and
  think of installing picture phones in all the rooms.
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  21
  TICKLER THINGS
  Background
  Everybody has things. They’re all around us. Life would be boring without things. They
  make our world more interesting by providing us with varied stimuli.
  We can see, touch, hear, taste, and smell things. Although speciﬁc things may give us
  pleasure or pain, all things stimulate us. They provide something to which we can react in
  a number of ways, depending on our personalities and previous experiences. The new
  perspectives things can give us are the basis for this technique, a cousin of PICLed Brains
  [16], Picture Tickler [17], and Text Tickler [20].
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Tickler Things Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  TLFeBOOK
  
  116
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Related Activities
  • Idea Shopping [14]
  • Grab Bag Forced Association [75]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Tickler Things Handout and discuss it with the participants,
  answering questions they might have.
  2. Gather an assortment of objects representing varied types of things. Examples
  include pipe cleaners, clay, toy balls, plastic animals, light bulbs, books, radios,
  candles, watches, telephones, bottles, cans, et cetera. All objects should be unrelat-
  ed to the problem.
  3. Place at least six different objects on each table with small groups of participants.
  4. Distribute the handouts to each participant and review the example.
  5. Instruct each group to select an object unrelated to the problem, and ask if there
  are any questions.
  6. Have them describe the object in some detail. Encourage them to include physical
  characteristics as well as how people react to the object and use it. Remind them
  that action descriptions are important, so they shouldn’t limit themselves to sin-
  gle-word nouns.
  7. Tell them to use their descriptions to stimulate ideas and assign someone to write
  down each idea on a Post-it® Note and place it on a ﬂip chart.
  8. Instruct them to repeat Steps 5 through 7 until they have generated at least twenty
  ideas or run out of time.
  Debrief/Discussion
  One positive feature of this exercise is its use of tangible objects. Thus, it is well suited for
  those with less ability to visualize and free-associate. The use of an actual object that can
  be seen and touched makes it easier for some to relate to and play off of for stimulation. If
  you want to lead a discussion, you could ask the groups to compare differences in using
  unrelated words, pictures, or objects as idea triggers.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  117
  Ticklers: Related and Unrelated Stimuli
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Tickler Things Handout
  Assume you are an executive ﬂying to a hotel site with several staff members. You want
  more ideas for attracting customers. One of your managers suggests using an airplane
  seat as the stimulus object. Right away, Nan (Ms. Creativity) Smith suggests recliner
  chairs in hotel rooms. Other staff members chime in with such ideas as stereo headsets in
  rooms and special beds with mattresses that can be raised and lowered.
  You next challenge your staff members to use an airplane as a stimulus. Nan immedi-
  ately suggests theme hotel rooms such as aeronautical or outer space rooms. Even Robert
  (Mr. Analytical) Jones has an idea: join with an airline to offer special discounts for people
  who ﬂy the airline and stay at your hotel.
  TLFeBOOK
  
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Chapter 6
  Combinations
  T
  o combine is to put together. When you put things together, you combine them in
  ways that may or may not be unique. It all depends on what you combine and who
  observes the result. That is, it’s a matter of perspective.
  Each combination is a stimulus that has the power to prompt any number of associa-
  tions. And associations can help spark ideas. Thus, whatever we combine—whether relat-
  ed or unrelated to a problem—has the ability to yield creativity.
  The activities in this chapter rely on the principle of combination and the stimuli and
  associations that result. Some activities combine things related to the problem, some com-
  bine things unrelated to the problem, and some combine related and unrelated things.
  Combination activities are a little like “ticklers” (Chapter 5) in that both activities use
  various stimuli. The difference lies in how we respond to the stimuli. Ticklers provide
  direct stimulation; combinations stimulate more indirectly by joining together various
  elements in new ways.
  NOTE:FOR ALL ACTIVITES,REMIND PARTICPANTS 
  TO DEFER JUDGMENT WHILE GENERATING IDEAS.
  LLLL
  119
  TLFeBOOK
  
  120
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  22
  Bi-Wordal
  Background
  Take a word—any word. Now take another word and put them together. What do you
  get? Two words, of course! But you also get a certain meaning conveyed by those two
  words. Replace one of the words with another and the meaning conveyed by the combi-
  nation may change dramatically. Thus, the stimulation value of any combination of
  words will vary depending on the words involved.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • One thesaurus for each group
  Handout
  • Bi-Wordal Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Combo Chatter [24]
  TLFeBOOK
  
  121
  Combinations
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  • Ideas in a Box [25]
  • Parts Is Parts [30]
  • 666 [34]
  • Word Diamond [35]
  Procedure
  1. Prior to the session, distribute to all participants one copy each of the Bi-Wordal
  Handout and ask them to read it.
  2. Start the session by reviewing the handout and ask if there are any questions.
  3. Have each group state their problem challenge so that it involves a verb and an
  object.
  4. Tell the group members to select the verb and object, write them on a ﬂip chart,
  and look up alternative meanings (synonyms) for each in a thesaurus.
  5. Have them write the other meanings in a column below the verb and subject.
  6. Instruct them to select one word from each column and use the combination to
  trigger ideas.
  7. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes and place them on ﬂip charts
  for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  One positive feature of this technique is that it easily can provide new perspectives sim-
  ply by substituting different words in the problem challenge statement.
  Although we can experience mental blocks when trying to solve problems, the blocks
  exist often only because of the words we have chosen to use. Thus, the difﬁculty is not
  that we can’t think of creative ideas; it might be due more to how we state a problem.
  This technique illustrates this point rather nicely.
  To further demonstrate the important role of initial problem statements, you might
  ask participants to trade their ﬁnished activities with each other or try to resolve the chal-
  lenge of another group and see how the outcome might differ.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  122
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Bi-Wordal Handout
  Suppose you are an organization that wants to generate ways to increase the amount of
  money it donates to community service projects. This problem involves a combination of
  the words “increase” and “money.” For most people, this particular combination would
  simply mean: “get more money.” Pretty simple. But it doesn’t help us think of many
  ideas.
  What if we now substitute a synonym for the word “increase”? We look in a hard-
  bound or computer software thesaurus and look at several choices: advance, boost, jump,
  raise, hike, magnify, and snowball. Then we experiment with different combinations of
  these words with the word “money.” Thus, we can generate combinations such as
  “boost/money,” “jump/money,” “hike/money,” and “magnify/money.”
  If we can substitute synonyms for one of the words, then we also can substitute for
  the other. In this case, a thesaurus provides such substitutes for the word “money” as
  cash, currency, greenbacks, dough, wampum, and income. Next, we combine the word
  “increase” with these words and get such combinations as “increase/greenbacks” and
  “increase/wampum.”
  All these combinations can stimulate ideas. For instance, we could have employees
  volunteer their time to help with automobile emergencies and solicit donations from
  those they help (from “boost/money”). Or we could ask artistic employees to design and
  sell jewelry to raise funds (from “increase/wampum”). You get the idea.
  But wait. There’s more. We don’t have to be limited to the words “increase” or
  “money” in combinations. We also could use any of the other synonyms on the lists. For
  instance:
  Increase
  Money
  Advance
  Cash
  Boost
  Currency
  Jump
  Greenbacks
  Hike
  Dough
  Magnify
  Wampum
  Snowball
  Income
  To generate ideas on how to increase money, we select words randomly from each
  column, combine them, and use the new meaning to spark ideas. That’s all there is to it.
  Here are some sample ideas:
  • Sponsor a walk or run where participants contribute $5 for each mile they travel
  (from “hike/cash”).
  • Use payroll deductions for contributions (from “advance/income”).
  • Sponsor a carnival with shell games. People bet on the outcome. The proceeds go to
  charity (from “jump/currency”).
  • Give donors T-shirts with modiﬁed pictures of the denominations they contributed
  (from “magnify/greenbacks”).
  • Sell snow cones and doughnuts (from “snowball/dough”).
  TLFeBOOK
  
  123
  Combinations
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  23
  Circle of Opportunity
  Background
  In one respect, all creative activity is a gamble. We invest our time, effort, and creative
  abilities in some problem with an unknown outcome. We can’t always predict the result.
  Sometimes our creative efforts may even make things worse. It’s a crapshoot of the mind.
  All gambling involves some form of randomness. Chance makes things interesting. It
  determines whether we win or lose. We can’t control chance, but we can try to capitalize
  on it and use it to our advantage. We can use randomness, for example, to help prompt
  ideas. In particular, random combinations of problem attributes can create associations
  that lead to breakthrough ideas.
  The Circle of Opportunity activity, created by Michael Michalko (1991), is based on
  the random combination of problem attributes.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: a set of die, markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting
  ﬂip-chart sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Time
  30 minutes
  TLFeBOOK
  
  124
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Related Activities
  • Combo Chatter [24]
  • Ideas in a Box [25]
  • Parts Is Parts [30]
  • 666 [34]
  • Word Diamond [35]
  • A Likely Story [15]
  Handout
  • Circle of Opportunity Handout
  Procedure
  1. Instruct the groups to write down their challenge statement on a ﬂip chart.
  2. Distribute the Circle of Opportunity Handout, review it with the participants, and
  ask for any questions they might have.
  3. Have them draw a circle on a ﬂip chart about two feet in diameter, and number it
  like a clock, placing the numbers inside the circle.
  4. Tell them to generate a list of twelve attributes that are either related or unrelated
  to their problem. Related attributes would describe major problem features. For
  instance, an airline promotional campaign might include such attributes as peo-
  ple, costs, travel, and airports. Unrelated attributes are common to many prob-
  lems. Examples include substance, structure, color, shape, texture, sound, and
  politics. Tell them to write each attribute next to one of the numbers.
  5. Direct them to take turns throwing one die to choose the ﬁrst attribute and a pair
  of dice to choose the second.
  6. Tell them to free-associate on each attribute individually and then on the two com-
  bined and to write down on a ﬂip chart each association as it is verbalized.
  7. Have them look for connections between their associations and their problems.
  Encourage them to think about what the associations remind them of, any analo-
  gies suggested, and any relationships between associations.
  8. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes and place them on ﬂip charts
  for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is an excellent exercise to use after a break or at the end of the day when people start
  getting tired. Its drawing requirements, visual elements, and throwing dice can help pro-
  vide some needed energy—especially if group members take turns drawing or throwing
  the dice.
  TLFeBOOK
  
  125
  Combinations
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  126
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Circle of Opportunity Handout
  To illustrate Circle of Opportunity, consider ways to improve a briefcase. First, construct a
  circle as shown in Figure 6.1 with twelve different attributes.
  You roll a die and get the number 5 (security); you roll both dice and get the number
  10 (materials) for the second attribute. You free-associate using these attributes: plastic,
  hidden, bulletproof vest, case-hardened steel, alarms, motion detectors, and video cam-
  eras. These free associations might help you think of such ideas as:
  • Installing hidden security pockets in a briefcase
  • Constructing the briefcase out of bulletproof materials so it can be used as a shield
  • Installing an alarm and motion detectors to go off whenever someone unauthorized
  tries to move the briefcase
  You roll a die again and get the number 6 (padding) and then both dice and get the num-
  ber 9 (colors).
  Figure 6.1.
  Circle of Opportunity
  Your free associations are soft, spongy, pockets, and rainbow. From these associations
  you think of the following ideas:
  • A multicolored briefcase
  • Different colors for each ﬁle of an expanding ﬁling pocket
  • A padded handle in a contrasting color
  • A padded compartment in a contrasting color for use when carrying a notebook com-
  puter so you can remove the compartment when you aren’t carrying the computer
  and save space
  TLFeBOOK
  
  127
  Combinations
  24
  Combo Chatter
  Background
  This technique was originally known as Semantic Intuition when researchers at the Bat-
  telle Institute developed it in the 1970s (Schaude, 1978). “Semantic Intuition” is certainly
  an impressive name, but it’s a little pretentious for this book. I decided to simplify things
  and call it Combo Chatter.
  The typical new-product process involves generating ideas, selecting the best ones,
  developing them into workable products, and then assigning them names. Combo Chat-
  ter reverses that process somewhat: instead of generating ideas and then names for the
  ideas, it generates names and then the ideas. For instance, if a company wants to improve
  the toaster they market, they might think of a toaster made of see-through plastic and
  name it, “BreadView.” Combo Chatter might produce the same see-through product but
  do it using the words “bread” and “view” in juxtaposition. Although this example
  applies to new product improvements, that doesn’t mean it is appropriate only for new
  product development. It can work very well for almost any challenge.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes.
  Handout
  • Combo Chatter Handout
  TLFeBOOK
  
  128
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Ideas in a Box [25]
  • Parts Is Parts [30]
  • 666 [34]
  • Word Diamond [35]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the handout, review it with the participants, and answer any questions
  they may have.
  2. Instruct participants to generate two lists of ﬁve to six words related to their prob-
  lem and write them on a ﬂip chart. Tell them to do this as a group.
  3. Have each group member take turns selecting one word from each list and have
  the group use the combination to stimulate ideas.
  4. Direct them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes and place them on ﬂip
  chart paper for evaluation.
  Variation
  • If time is available, have individual group members generate their own lists of words
  for the group to use as idea triggers.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This can be a useful technique for at least two reasons: (1) it has the potential to create
  many different perspectives and (2) it combines elements of both related and unrelated
  stimuli. That is, it uses attributes related directly to the problem and combines these
  attributes to create a more or less unrelated stimulus. Thus, it helps create perspective
  changes not possible with activities that rely on a single stimulus.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  129
  Combinations
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Combo Chatter Handout
  Assume a manufacturer of coffee cups wants to design a new coffee cup. They might list
  “things involving coffee cups” and “things involving people who drink coffee,” as shown
  below:
  Coffee Cups
  People
  Handles
  Tense
  Hot
  Addicted
  Logos
  Cream and sugar
  Breakable
  Grind beans
  Spills
  Carry cups
  After examining different combinations, they might generate the following types of
  ideas:
  • Squeezable handles to relieve tension (from “handles/tense”)
  • Squeezable handles that inject cream or sugar (from “handles/cream and sugar”)
  • A combination coffee cup and bean grinder (from “handles/grind beans”)
  • Insulated coffee cups (from “hot/carry cups”)
  • Cups that break down into small pieces for easy carrying (from “breakable/carry
  cups”)
  TLFeBOOK
  
  130
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  25
  Ideas in a Box
  Background
  Ideas in a Box—originally known as Morphological Analysis or Matrix Analysis—was
  developed by astronomer Fritz Zwicky (1969) to help generate scientiﬁc ideas. As with
  other combination activities, Ideas in a Box prompts ideas by forcing together problem
  attributes that lead to new ideas. Although the activity has variations, the one presented
  here is typical.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes.
  Handout
  • Ideas in a Box Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Circle of Opportunity [23]
  TLFeBOOK
  
  131
  Combinations
  • Combo Chatter [24]
  • Parts Is Parts [30]
  • 666 [34]
  • Word Diamond [35]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the handout to participants, review it with them, and ask for any ques-
  tions they might have.
  2. Have each group obtain a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper and tape it lengthwise to a wall
  or lay it down on a table.
  3. Tell them to list major problem attributes across the top of the sheet of paper.
  4. Direct them to list potential or existing subattributes for each category.
  5. Have them combine one or more subattributes from each category and use the
  combination to suggest ideas.
  6. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  7. Select another combination of subattributes and use it to generate ideas.
  8. Have them continue this process until you have generated all possible ideas.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This exercise provides a relatively systematic way to consider different idea variations. Its
  emphasis on unrelated stimuli, however, may make it somewhat limiting. However, it is
  an excellent exercise to use for people who think in structured ways and like to analyze
  situations. Ideas in a Box might also work well with people who are good at free-associat-
  ing from an initial stimulus word. You might test this last observation by asking partici-
  pants to select one of their subattributes, take turns free-associating words, and then
  using these words to help trigger ideas.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  132
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Ideas in a Box Handout
  Suppose you are director of packaging design for Snafu Snack Food Company. Sales of
  your Cheesy Chunk Crackers have been slipping. Market research indicates supermarket
  consumers consider two criteria when buying cheese cracker products: (1) ability of the
  package to catch their eyes and (2) value-added or unique features.
  You have been directed to redesign the current box to emphasize value-added fea-
  tures. Your boss gives you free rein to make changes, so you decide to use Ideas in a Box
  to help spark ideas. You set up a matrix as shown in Table 6.1.
  Container Shapes
  Container Materials
  Cylindrical
  Cardboard
  Spherical
  Plastic
  Rectangular
  Metal
  Pyramidal
  Combinations
  Types of Closures
  Lining Materials
  Ziploc®
  Wax paper
  Clips
  Aluminum foil
  Adhesive
  Regular paper
  Screw cap
  Cellophane
  Table 6.1.
  Ideas in a Box Matrix
  Next, select one subattribute from each column. For instance, you might design a
  cylindrical package made of plastic with a screw top and an aluminum foil lining. Or you
  might select a spherical container made of combinations of materials with clips for clo-
  sures and a cellophane lining. You get the idea. Although Ideas in a Box may not always
  prompt unique ideas, it will help you search systematically for possible combinations.
  TLFeBOOK
  
  133
  Combinations
  26
  Ideatoons
  Background
  If you liked Ideas in a Box and are a visual thinker, then you’ll like Ideatoons. Ideatoons
  are based on the work of architects Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray
  Silverstein (1977), who used a visual thinking activity known as “pattern language” to
  help create new building designs.
  The architects developed abstract visual symbols that substituted for words. Each
  symbol represented a particular problem attribute. The symbols helped bring out poten-
  tial relationships between attributes that, when identiﬁed, could trigger ideas. For
  instance, vertical arrows might point toward a curved line at the top of a page. This sym-
  bol might then suggest different ways of supporting or building an arch.
  Michael Michalko (1991) adopted this visual approach and used it to describe
  Ideatoons—graphic problem representations. (This technique is also similar to the Sym-
  bolic Representation activity developed by VanGundy, 1983.) You don’t need to be an
  artist to use Ideatoons—you just need the ability to draw anything remotely resembling
  something else.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes..
  Time
  45 minutes
  TLFeBOOK
  
  134
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Related Activities
  • Picture Tickler [17]
  • Rorschach Revisionist [18]
  • Doodles [37]
  • Drawing Room [59]
  • Modular Brainstorming [62]
  Handout
  • Ideatoons Handout
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Ideatoons Handout, review it with the participants, and answer any
  questions they may have.
  2. Tell them to divide their problem into major attributes.
  3. Ask them to illustrate each attribute with an abstract, graphic symbol. Have them
  do this on a Post-it® Note (one illustration per note). Encourage them to focus on
  the general nature of their drawings and not to worry about how correct or artistic
  they might be.
  4. Instruct them to place the completed cards, face up, on their tables and experi-
  ment with different groupings of the symbols. Caution them to avoid consciously
  creating any particular patterns and not to worry about having to use every note
  with each arrangement of symbols.
  5. As they arrange and rearrange the symbols, tell them to use each combination of
  symbols to free-associate and see what ideas are suggested. Tell them that they
  don’t have to limit themselves to combinations of symbols, but also may use indi-
  vidual ones.
  6. Note that if they start to run out of ideas, they may add another Ideatoon or begin
  a new set.
  7. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This technique can be quite stimulating and fun to do in a group. It works especially well
  for people who free-associate well and can think symbolically. On the other hand, people
  who expect literal perspectives may have difﬁculty. Fortunately, most groups contain at
  least a couple of people who can help stimulate others. It is especially important that you
  encourage the participants to have fun. If time is available, you might ask them to discuss
  how easy it was for them to use the symbols.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  TLFeBOOK
  
  135
  Combinations
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Ideatoons Handout
  Suppose you are a packaging design director concerned with developing new cheese
  cracker box designs. First, you develop a list of problem attributes: box, package opening,
  closure, and package lining. Next, illustrate these attributes using graphic symbols such
  as the ones shown in Figure 6.2. Then experiment with different combinations of symbols
  to help kick start your imagination.
  Figure 6.2.
  Ideatoons
  Here are some sample ideas:
  • A box with two chambers: one for crackers and one for cheese spread (from the box
  and package opening symbols).
  • A box with disposable, tear-off closures. Use each closure strip only once (from the
  box and closure symbols).
  • Nested package linings with a vacuum in between (from the package opening and
  package lining symbols).
  • Put a cheese cutter inside each package so consumers can stamp out pieces of cheese
  to conform to the shape of different crackers (from the package opening and closure).
  TLFeBOOK
  
  137
  Combinations
  27
  Mad Scientist
  Background
  This technique, developed by Doug Hall (1994), is similar to Circle of Opportunity [23].
  Instead of using a circle, however, Mad Scientist uses Green Die and Red Die lists of prob-
  lem attributes. Attribute lists for each die are numbered 1 through 6.
  The attributes for Mad Scientist differ from those used for Circle of Opportunity in
  two ways: (1) Mad Scientist categories are more general and (2) some of the categories
  may be completely unrelated to the problem. The procedure for combining attributes also
  is different: Circle of Opportunity combines two different attributes from the circle,
  whereas Mad Scientist combines two different lists of attributes.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, one green and one red die (or any two dice of different col-
  ors), two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes.
  Handout
  • Mad Scientist Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Circle of Opportunity [23]
  TLFeBOOK
  
  138
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  • Combo Chatter [24]
  • Ideas in a Box [25]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Mad Scientist Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  2. Have each group take a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper and lay it on a table or tape it to a
  wall, lengthwise.
  3. Read aloud the following:
  “List six general categories across the paper for the Green Die categories. Four or ﬁve categories
  should be related directly to the problem. The others may be unrelated or even somewhat whimsi-
  cal. For each general category, list below it four or ﬁve examples, such as the briefcase materials
  shown in Table 6.2. Do the same thing for the Red Die categories, as shown in Table 6.2. As you can
  see from the table, it’s O.K. to use some of the same categories as in the Green Die list.”
  4. Tell them to roll a green die (or designate a white die as “green”) and select a cate-
  gory based on the number shown.
  5. Tell them to roll a red die (or designate a white die as “red”) and select a category
  based on the number shown.
  6. Have them look over the lists from both categories and generate ideas by combin-
  ing one word from each category (or using any of the single words as stimuli).
  7. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  A major advantage of Mad Scientist is that it provides a greater number of stimuli than
  the Circle of Opportunity. Although Mad Scientist takes more time to set up, the resulting
  stimuli are well worth the trouble. You also may want to use this exercise when the
  groups need a little boost of energy. The game-like atmosphere provided from rolling dice
  can help spark groups in ways not possible with conventional brainstorming.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  139
  Combinations
  Mad Scientist Handout
  To illustrate Mad Scientist, the Green and Red Die lists for the problem of improving a
  briefcase might be set up as shown in Table 6.2.
  Green Die
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  Places
  Materials
  Shape
  Weird
  Function
  Flavors
  Boardroom
  Leather
  Round
  Elvis
  Sprinkling
  Cherry
  Home
  Plastic
  Square
  Pickles
  Weight
  Lemon
  Ofﬁce
  Diamond
  Sphere
  Frogs
  Sorting
  Strawberry
  Kitchen
  Metal
  Flat
  Madonna
  Flying
  Chocolate
  Red Die
  Storage
  Time
  Closures
  Weird
  Function
  Sizes
  Pockets
  Morning
  Zippers
  Superman
  Reminders
  Executive
  Boxes
  Afternoon
  Button
  Crystal
  Wake Up
  Compact
  Shelves
  Tea
  Snaps
  Ears
  Typing
  Overnight
  Files
  Noon
  Straps
  Birthday
  Faxing
  Regular
  Table 6.2
  Mad Scientist Table
  To illustrate this exercise, assume that your group has been assigned the challenge of
  improving a briefcase. Someone in your group rolls the green die and gets a 4 (“weird”)
  and rolls the red die and gets a 1 (“storage”). You then can use the words in these cate-
  gories as stimuli by examining single words or combining different words from the two
  categories. Here are some sample ideas from these two categories:
  • An Elvis briefcase shaped like a guitar with a picture of the “King” on the side (from
  “Elvis”)
  • A compartment with a cold pack to keep food from spoiling (from “pickles” and
  “pockets”)
  • Folding legs to turn a briefcase into a display case (from “frogs”)
  • A briefcase with a built-in, battery-powered compact disc player (from “Madonna”
  and “boxes”)
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  28
  Noun Action
  Background
  Words, like people, can assume many different faces. Depending on our moods, we can
  communicate a variety of feelings and behaviors. Yet no matter how many faces we show
  or how many emotions we express, we still are the same people.
  In a similar way, the same basic word can communicate different meanings depend-
  ing on how it is used and in what form. Nouns can become verbs and vice versa. It all
  depends on how you use them.
  You can take advantage of this versatility of words to help generate ideas. Speciﬁcally,
  you can experiment with different noun and verb relationships and see what ideas
  emerge.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes.
  Handout
  • Noun Action Handout
  Time
  20 minutes
  TLFeBOOK
  
  141
  Combinations
  Related Activities
  • Bi-Wordal [22]
  • Combo Chatter [24]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the handout, review it with the participants, and answer any questions
  they may have.
  2. Have groups write down their challenges on the top of a ﬂip chart and underline
  a verb and a noun (typically the objective, but it doesn’t have to be). If possible
  have them use a different colored marker for the underline.
  3. Tell them to switch the verb and noun and use the combination to suggest ideas.
  For instance, a challenge to improve spotty customer service might be restated as:
  “servicing spotty customers.” This then might suggest an idea of concentrating
  service on infrequent customers.
  4. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  A major limitation of this exercise is its reliance on only the verb and the noun in a prob-
  lem challenge statement. It might be more advantageous to experiment with different
  verbs and nouns. Nevertheless, because the word combinations typically are unique jux-
  tapositions, the potential exists for unique ideas as well. This exercise also involves rela-
  tively little time, so that is another factor in its favor.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Noun Action Handout
  Consider a problem of improving a telephone. In this case, the problem involves the verb
  “improve” and the noun “telephone.” If you switch the noun and verb you get “telephon-
  ing improvements.” This combination might suggest the idea of a telephone that repairs
  itself automatically or a special toll-free number so customers can call the manufacturer
  with improvement ideas.
  TLFeBOOK
  
  143
  Combinations
  29
  Noun Hounds
  Background
  Bloodhounds are used to track people and animals. They search for a scent, lock onto it,
  and then pursue their quarry relentlessly. Hounds go from one scent to the next until they
  achieve their objective.
  The Noun Hounds technique works in a similar manner. You start with a random
  noun and then go from one association to the next until you generate a sufﬁcient number
  of ideas.
  Noun Hounds (also called Modiﬁer Noun Associations) originally was developed by
  VanGundy (1983, 1988) to generate new product ideas using a random noun and a modiﬁer
  unrelated to the problem. You then free-associate from this combination to generate ideas.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Noun Hounds Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  TLFeBOOK
  
  144
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Related Activities
  • Parts Purge [31]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the handout, review it with the participants, and answer any questions
  they may have.
  2. Read aloud the following instructions: “Think of any noun (person, place, thing,
  quality, or action) and a word to modify it. These words should not be related
  directly to the challenge. Include some contradictory or just plain silly combina-
  tions. For instance: ﬂying geese, glowing apples, silent springs, intelligent shrimp,
  falling stars, rising elephants, quivering rocks. Write down these combinations on
  a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper.”
  3. Tell them to select one of the noun-modiﬁer combinations and free-associate from
  it, writing down whatever comes to mind, with each idea leading to the next.
  4. Direct them to use the noun-modiﬁer combinations and all the associations as
  stimuli to generate ideas.
  5. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This exercise easily can provide unique perspectives by the word combinations as well as
  a spirit of “silliness” the combinations might provoke within a group. It will work espe-
  cially well with individuals who are relatively uninhibited verbally and/or can free-asso-
  ciate with little concern for the “correctness” of their associations.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  145
  Combinations
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Noun Hounds Handout
  Suppose your objective is to improve a ﬂashlight. For your modiﬁer and noun you think
  of the combination “rising elephants.” Next you free-associate: leaping trunks, swiveling
  suitcases, twisting airplanes, ﬂapping wings. You then use these combinations to suggest
  the following ideas:
  • A telescopic ﬂashlight capable of holding a variable number of batteries (from “rising
  elephants”)
  • A storage compartment for small objects such as a spare bulb (from “leaping trunks”)
  • A hovercraft ﬂashlight that ﬂoats above the ground or water (from “twisting air-
  planes”)
  • A ﬂashlight with shutters for signaling (from “ﬂapping wings”)
  TLFeBOOK
  
  146
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  30
  Parts Is Parts
  Background
  Sometimes creativity is a hit-or-miss proposition. Random stimuli may 
  or may not spark ideas. Free associations are relatively unpredictable. 
  You really don’t know how you’ll respond to a particular stimulus 
  until you encounter it. Then, once you respond, you don’t know if the 
  resulting ideas will be winners.
  There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this. Unpredictability 
  keeps things interesting and makes the occasional hot idea all the 
  more exciting. There are times, however, when you might want to 
  generate ideas a little more systematically. That’s where Parts Is 
  Parts might help.
  Parts Is Parts is based on the “Heuristic Ideation Technique (HIT)” developed by
  Edward Tauber (1972). It generates ideas by creating heuristics or rules of thumb. (A rule
  of thumb is a guideline that increases the chances of achieving a certain outcome.)
  Heuristics then are used to structure the idea generation process.
  Tauber believes that heuristics can make idea generation more efﬁcient and ensure that
  only the best idea candidates will be considered. Although HIT originally was intended
  for new product idea generation, it also will work for a variety of other problems.
  Two heuristics help make idea generation more efﬁcient. The ﬁrst assumes that most
  ideas can be described using a two-word combination. For instance, the words
  “toaster/tart” represent a combination that might suggest a breakfast food product. The
  second heuristic is that some combinations will be viewed as more interesting than oth-
  ers. In particular, combinations that come from different categories have a greater chance
  of suggesting unique ideas than combinations from similar categories. As an example, the
  combination “ice cream/cereal” might be perceived as more interesting than the combi-
  nation “vegetables/fruits.”
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  TLFeBOOK
  
  147
  Combinations
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Parts Is Parts Handout
  Time
  60 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Combo Chatter [24]
  • Ideas in a Box [25]
  • Mad Scientist [27]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Parts Is Parts Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  2. Have participants lay a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper on a table or tape it to a wall
  lengthwise.
  3. Tell them to create an idea generation grid containing attributes from two problem
  areas as shown in Table 6.3. An example would be a grid that contains packaging
  formats (e.g., bag, boil-in-bag, box, pan, jar, can, tube) and different food forms
  (e.g., cookie, biscuit, gravy, bread, dressing, steak, juice, dips). Another example
  might involve ways to increase museum attendance using attributes such as per-
  formance arts (e.g., improvisation, ballet, acting) and memberships (e.g., a “fre-
  quent attender” status, backstage visits, or special discounts on products).
  4. Direct them to assign numbers to each possible combination (e.g., bag/dip = 1;
  box/steak = 2; bag/juice = 3; tube/gravy = 4). Or, using the museum example:
  ballet/backstage = 1; acting/discounts = 2.
  5. Tell them to examine all the combinations and eliminate any already commercial-
  ized or now being used.
  6. Have them circle combinations with the greatest potential.
  7. Direct the participants to create brief statements for each of the remaining combi-
  nations. Emphasize that they should include reasons.
  •
  Why they are interesting
  TLFeBOOK
  
  148
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  •
  Why they have market potential
  8. Ask them to select the best combinations and transform them into marketable
  ideas.
  9. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This exercise may be a little too structured and complicated for some. Doing it as a group
  should help since participants can help each other. Another negative feature is that it
  relies on related stimuli so that many ideas may not be unique (unless there are creative
  participants who can make them so). On the other hand, its very structure and relatively
  systematic approach to combining stimuli provide it with the potential for fairly large
  quantities of ideas. One area in which this exercise might prove to be especially valuable
  would be during market research.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  149
  Combinations
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Parts Is Parts Handout
  An example of the “HIT” technique is shown in Table 6.3 involving the challenge of gen-
  erating new food product ideas. The sample uses packing formats and food forms as the
  two product areas or elements. A number between 1 and 24 is used for each possible com-
  bination.
  Packaging Formats
  Food Forms
  Aerosol
  Bag
  Tube
  Box
  Bread
  1
  7
  13
  19
  Steak
  2
  8
  14
  20
  Cookie
  3
  9
  15
  21
  Dip
  4
  10
  16
  22
  Juice
  5
  11
  17
  23
  Gravy
  6
  12
  18
  24
  Table 6.3.
  Parts Is Parts Combinations
  Combinations 7, 9, and 21 are crossed out since they represent existing products
  (bread in a bag, cookies in a bag, and cookies in a box). Combinations 4, 10, 11, 15, 18, and
  20, however, are circled since they represent potential new product ideas. For instance,
  these combinations might suggest the following ideas:
  • A dip in an aerosol spray that can be sprayed on bread or crackers (#4)
  • Vegetable dip in a designer bag for individual dipping (#10)
  • Different juices in a bag that can be drunk by squeezing, pouring, or using a straw
  (#11)
  • Cookies in a tube—similar to potato chips in a cardboard cylinder (#15)
  • Gravy in a tube, especially for children who can use it to write letters and draw pic-
  tures on their food (#18)
  • Box steak lunches that can be reheated in microwavable packages (#20)
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  31
  Parts Purge
  Background
  If you like to free-associate, you’ll like the Parts Purge technique. It originally was devel-
  oped by VanGundy (1992) as Attribute Association Chains. You can use this activity to
  generate ideas by listing problem attributes, free-associating from each attribute, and then
  using the free associations as stimuli for ideas. It’s as simple as that: free-associate on
  problem parts and generate, generate, generate.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Parts Purge Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Noun Hounds [29]
  TLFeBOOK
  
  151
  Combinations
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Parts Purge Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  2. Have each group obtain a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper and tape it lengthwise to a wall
  or lay it down on a table.
  3. Tell them to follow the example and list major problem attributes across the top,
  and then list subattributes next to each major attribute.
  4. Instruct them to take turns and select one of the subattributes and write down the
  ﬁrst word they can think of. That is, to free-associate by writing down a second
  word stimulated by the ﬁrst, and so forth until that person has listed four or ﬁve
  words for each subattribute.
  5. Tell them to repeat Step 4, but have another group member do the free-associating
  and continue doing this until all group members have been involved or no more
  words remain to use for free association.
  6. Direct all group members to use the free associations to stimulate ideas.
  7. Tell them to write down their ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Parts Purge uses both related and unrelated problem stimuli. This can make it a versatile
  activity to apply to a variety of types of problems with a variety of brainstorming person-
  ality types (that is, people who prefer one type of stimulation over another). The required
  free associations and reliance on all group members can help push out thinking bound-
  aries and engage the participants more than in less structured brainstorming activities.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Parts Purge Handout
  Suppose you want to improve a table lamp. First, list major attributes and subattributes:
  • Name: table lamp
  • Parts: base, bulb, cord, shade, switch
  • Shapes: round, cylindrical, pleated
  • Functions: illuminates, heats, collects dust
  • Material: cloth, metal, rubber
  Next, free-associate using one or more of the attributes. For example:
  • Table lamp: lantern, cow, tipsy, shed, ﬁre, Chicago
  • Base: acid, soda, water, bottle, drink
  • Switch: spank, paddle, ping pong, table, games
  • Illuminates: lights, sky, stars, rockets, gravity
  • Metal: heavy, light, air, breath, oxygen
  Finally, use these free associations to generate ideas to improve a table lamp:
  • A lampshade with shutters to create different lighting effects (from “lantern”)
  • A lamp with a swivel base to allow reading light adjustments (from “tipsy”)
  • Lampshades with panoramic pictures of major cities (from “Chicago”)
  • A lamp with video games built in (from “games”)
  • A magnetically levitated lamp (from “gravity”)
  • A hovercraft lamp that can be moved easily around a large table (from “air”)
  TLFeBOOK
  
  153
  Combinations
  32
  Preppy Thoughts
  Background
  The activities in this chapter generate ideas by combining related or unrelated problem
  attributes. Although such combinations have great potential, it sometimes helps to intro-
  duce additional stimuli.
  Preppy Thoughts will help provide this variety by introducing action words into
  combinations. The basic procedure originally was suggested by Crovitz (1970) using a
  technique known as Relational Algorithms. The Preppy Thoughts activity provides the
  same stimulation using random selections of relational words (for example, prepositions)
  that are inserted between a problem verb and object.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Preppy Thoughts Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  TLFeBOOK
  
  154
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Related Activities
  • Bi-Wordal [22]
  • Combo Chatter [24]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the handout, review it with the participants, and answer any questions
  they may have.
  2. Have someone in each group write the problem on a sheet of ﬂip chart paper and
  underline the action verb and the object (for example, “How might we reduce
  littering?)
  3. Tell group members to take turns selecting a relational word and inserting it
  between the verb and the object.
  4. Have the entire group use the combination as an idea stimulus, write down any
  ideas on Post-it® Notes, and place them on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  5. Instruct the groups to repeat Steps 3 and 4 and continue this process until time is
  called.
  Debrief/Discussion
  One of the best features of this activity is its ability to create unique stimuli using related
  problem words. The simple juxtapositioning of a preposition between two related stimuli
  helps provoke associations—often visual ones—that two related words together might
  not produce. In this respect, Preppy Thoughts has the potential to create an experience
  similar to one using unrelated stimuli. After the participants have ﬁnished using this
  exercise, you might ask them if they experienced visual images more than they normally
  do with other approaches.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  155
  Combinations
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Preppy Thoughts Handout
  The relational words below are the forty-two that Crovitz suggested:
  about
  at
  for
  of
  round
  to
  across
  because
  from
  off
  still
  under
  after
  before
  if
  on
  so
  up
  against
  between
  in
  opposite
  then
  when
  among
  but
  near
  or
  though
  where
  and
  by
  not
  out
  through
  while
  as
  down
  now
  over
  till
  with
  VanGundy (1988) added an additional nineteen prepositions:
  above
  behind
  beyond
  past
  upon
  along
  below
  during
  since
  within
  amid
  beneath
  except
  throughout
  without
  around
  beside
  into
  toward
  As an example, consider a problem of how a restaurant could attract more customers.
  The action verb and object are “attract” and “customers.”
  Here are some possible ideas from inserting relational words between these two
  words:
  • Have special community nights in which people are seated across from someone new
  in order to make new friends (from “attract/across/customers”)
  • Offer special low rates for meals eaten before a certain time (from
  “attract/before/customers”)
  • Place advertising ﬂiers on cars of supermarket customers and offer them a discount in
  exchange for their grocery receipts (from “attract/near/customers”)
  • Hire a public relations ﬁrm (from “attract/about/customers”)
  • Add an outdoor patio (from “attract/out/customers”)
  • Give discounts to overweight people (from “attract/round/customers”)
  • Have a special room for people who like to eat on the ﬂoor (from “attract/under/cus-
  tomers”)
  • Give discounts to customers who help recruit new customers (from
  “attract/with/customers”)
  • Start an eating club with one free meal for every ten purchased (from
  “attract/since/customers”)
  • Specialize in healthy foods and offer free diet planning (from “attract/within/
  customers”)
  TLFeBOOK
  
  156
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  33
  SAMM I Am
  Background
  With apologies to Dr. Seuss, SAMM I Am actually refers to a method known as Sequence-
  Attribute Modiﬁcations Matrix. It was developed by Brooks and later described by Soud-
  er and Ziegler (1977). SAMM I Am differs from other activities in that it was designed
  speciﬁcally for problems involving a sequence of steps (for example, various processes).
  Thus, it will not be useful for more general idea generation problems.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • SAMM I Am Handout
  Time
  60 minutes
  TLFeBOOK
  
  157
  Combinations
  Related Activities
  • Circle of Opportunity [23]
  • Ideas in a Box [25]
  • Mad Scientist [27]
  • 666 [34]
  Procedure
  1. Have each group obtain a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper and tape it lengthwise to a wall
  or lay it down on a table.
  2. Distribute the SAMM I Am Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  3. Tell them to list the major process activities and then ways to modify any process
  (for example, speed up, eliminate, rearrange), as shown in the handout.
  4. Have them draw a matrix with process steps listed on the left and potential modi-
  ﬁcations listed along the top.
  5. Instruct them to examine each cell (the intersection of steps and modiﬁcations)
  and use them to suggest possible ideas/modiﬁcations for that step.
  6. Tell them to write down their ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This technique obviously is limited in its applicability to a diversity of problems. On the
  other hand, that is a deﬁnite plus for any process improvement challenges. Used appro-
  priately, this exercise has the potential to generate a variety of process improvements in a
  systematic way. If time is available, ask the participants to discuss in what ways, if any,
  this technique could be used for other types of problems such as marketing, new product
  development, customer service, or other organizational problems.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  158
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  SAMM I Am Handout
  Suppose you want to improve the way restaurant customers pay their bills. Major activi-
  ties and possible modiﬁcations are shown in Figure 6.3.
  Figure 6.3.
  SAMM I Am System Modiﬁcations
  After examining the matrix, you might come up with the following ideas:
  • Install electronic credit card machines at each table (much like those at many automo-
  bile service stations).
  • Eliminate paper meal checks. Allow regular customers to run a tab.
  • Eliminate credit card papers. Handle credit card purchases electronically for cus-
  tomers with PDAs. Customers link up their PDAs with those of the restaurant. The
  transaction is then handled electronically: the customer’s bank account is debited and
  the restaurant’s account is instantly credited.
  • Give preferred customers special credit cards that look like brass plates. When cus-
  tomers are ready to pay their bills, they use the brass plates (restaurant credit cards).
  TLFeBOOK
  
  159
  Combinations
  34
  666
  Background
  Time to gamble again! Get out those dice and help Papa get a new pair of shoes (or some-
  thing like that). But don’t expect to win money like the devil. In fact, don’t even think of
  the devil. The 666 technique has nothing to do with old Beezelbub.
  The 666 activity is the creation of Doug Hall (1994). It is based on principles of combi-
  nation and free association and is somewhat similar to Circle of Opportunity [23] and
  Mad Scientist [27]. The problem elements used, however, are not organized into logical
  categories. As in Mad Scientist, you use dice to select elements to combine.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, one white, one green, and one red die (or any three dice of
  different colors),two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • 666 Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
  TLFeBOOK
  
  160
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Related Activities
  • Bi-Wordal [22]
  • Circle of Opportunity [23]
  • Ideas in a Box [25]
  • Mad Scientist [27]
  Procedure
  1. Have each group obtain a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper and tape it lengthwise to a wall
  or lay it down on a table.
  2. Distribute the handout, review it with the participants, and answer any questions
  they may have.
  3. Tell them to generate three lists of six problem elements and number each element
  within each list. Say that these elements may or may not be related to their partic-
  ular problem.
  4. Instruct them to label the lists “White Die,” “Green Die,” and “Red Die” (or other
  colors corresponding to the dice used).
  5. Ask each person in each group to take turns rolling each die and select the ele-
  ment indicated for each list.
  6. Tell them to use the combinations of the three elements to spark ideas.
  7. Have them write down their ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  666 evokes an alchemy of the creative process: A “brew” of stimuli is stirred together to
  craft multiple ideas for resolving a challenge. The three columns of stimuli provide a fer-
  tile matrix of word combinations for group members to use as springboards for generat-
  ing ideas. Seeing multiple words together this way can help participants free-associate
  and make unique combinations. The game aspect of rolling dice also makes this an
  appealing exercise.
  Have the participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  161
  Combinations
  666 Handout
  An example using the problem of inventing new types of soup is shown in Table 6.4.
  White Die
  Green Die
  Red Die
  1. Cracker Jack stuff
  1. Lunch time
  1. Metal cylinders
  2. Secret ingredients
  2. Award winning
  2. Exotic nutrition
  3. Astronaut parties
  3. Liquid delight
  3. Healthy and wealthy
  4. Annual physicals
  4. Children’s party
  4. Heated ﬂavor
  5. Security time
  5. Loose goose
  5. Just like Mom’s
  6. Syrups
  6. Free radical
  6. Bowl full of joy
  Table 6.4.
  666 Example
  After you have rolled the dice, you might think of the following types of ideas:
  • Gourmet soup with secret ingredients (2–3–3)
  • Soup to eat after exercising (like Gatorade®) (4–5–3)
  • Soup cans with pictures of famous mothers (5–1–5)
  • A chicken soup can with a Sterno® container built into the bottom (6–5–4)
  • Soup cans with prizes inside (1–6–4)
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  162
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  35
  Word Diamond
  Background
  Hot new ideas shine and sparkle with radiant brilliance. They illuminate their surround-
  ings and blind lesser ideas. Everyone wants a shiny, multifaceted new idea, but you can’t
  always get what you want. Sometimes you have to settle for a so-so idea.
  The Word Diamond technique won’t ensure that all your ideas will sparkle. It will,
  however, provide you with another systematic approach to idea generation. And it’s a
  breeze to implement.
  This technique originally was developed by VanGundy (1983) as a simple combina-
  tion procedure using elements of a problem statement. Thus, it is similar to Bi-Wordal
  [22]. Instead of using alternative word meanings, however, Word Diamond generates
  ideas by combining words in the problem statement in different ways.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Word Diamond Handout
  TLFeBOOK
  
  163
  Combinations
  Time
  20 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Bi-Wordal [22]
  • Circle of Opportunity [23]
  • Ideas in a Box [25]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Word Diamond Handout, review it with the participants, and
  answer any questions they may have.
  2. Tell the groups to state their problems so that they contain at least four major
  problem attributes or elements, including both nouns and verbs.
  3. Have them select four major words or phrases from this statement and write them
  on a ﬂip chart, arranging the words or phrases in the shape of a diamond. There
  should be one word at each vertex (point) of the diamond.
  4. Tell them to select one of the four words or phrases, combine it with another, and
  write down any ideas prompted.
  5. Ask them to continue selecting and combining words until they have tried gener-
  ating ideas from all possible combinations.
  6. Have them write down their ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is yet again another exercise with the potential to create unique perspectives by the
  combination of related problem elements. The visual of the diamond shape helps partici-
  pants create word combinations easily that may spark unique ideas. It also consumes rel-
  atively little time, so it is a time-efﬁcient technique because the number of word
  combinations is limited. On the other hand, the small number of words can be a limiting
  factor by providing a smaller number of stimuli than other activities.
  Consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  164
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  165
  Combinations
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Word Diamond Handout
  Suppose you are losing scientists to your competitors. In particular, you want to encour-
  age more professional employees to remain in the research and development (R&D)
  department. First, select four words or phrases: encourage, employees, remain, and R&D.
  Next arrange them in the shape of a diamond, as shown in Figure 6.4.
  Figure 6.4.
  Word Diamond Sample
  Finally, use various combinations to suggest ideas:
  • Give incentive rewards for employees who achieve special professional recognition
  (from “employees/encourage”).
  • Match up younger employees who are more likely to leave with older employees and
  form a buddy program (from “employees/encourage”).
  • Establish two career tracks—one managerial and one nonmanagerial—to take into
  account different professional growth needs (from “employees/remain”).
  • Develop a “Pride in R&D” public relations campaign to promote team spirit (from
  “R&D/employees”).
  TLFeBOOK
  
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Chapter 7
  Free Association Activities:
  “Blue Skies”
  Blue skies: Happy days are here again. Put on a happy face. It’s time to let loose and see
  what happens. Be footloose and fancy-free. Go on and let go. Allow the ideas to ﬂow and
  grow. Build on them. Create highways to the skies and then ﬂoat back down. Light as a
  feather in your cap. Tip the waiter and smile, smile, smile, all the while thinking of what
  might be. Set your mind free and free-associate.
  E
  verything you read in the previous paragraph is based on free association. I started
  with the words “blue skies” and let loose. I had no idea where my thoughts would
  take me. I tried to think in the general area of idea generation, but I avoided any precon-
  ceived thoughts.
  The paragraph may not be logical, but it is creative, and it contains many stimuli.
  That’s the idea. I was able to create many thoughts and perspectives from the initial stim-
  ulus of “blue skies.” Each sentence in the paragraph has the potential to stimulate addi-
  tional thoughts. Even the most cliché-ridden sentence has that potential.
  Stimuli trigger associations, which trigger ideas. That’s how the human mind works.
  We ﬂit from one concept to another. Think about it. It’s not that difﬁcult. We can think of
  anything we want. That’s a lot of power packed into one convoluted mass of gray matter.
  And it’s ours. All we have to do is harness it.
  Although it may seem paradoxical, the best way to harness our creative brainpower is
  to let go. Allow one thought to lead to another. Be playful. Forget all the analytical stuff.
  Take the time to sink into a “deep think.”
  The activities in this chapter are based on the principle of free association. They rely
  on our ability to let go and generate one idea or concept from another—to ﬂit about in
  our minds. Each activity helps structure this process a little differently. As a result, each
  activity has the potential to create many different perspectives and types of ideas.
  However, it’s up to us to make the activities work. The more we let go, the more we
  will boost our brainpower. And the more we boost our brainpower, the more ideas we’ll
  produce.
  LLLL
  167
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Before trying a free association technique, think a little about how we generate ideas.
  Try to get into the appropriate mind-set and think about how easy it can be to ﬂow from
  one thought to the next. Then just let your mind go.
  NOTE:FOR ALL ACTIVITIES,REMIND PARTICIPANTS 
  TO DEFER JUDGMENT WHILE GENERATING IDEAS.
  168
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  36
  Brain Mapping
  Background
  Make an outline for how to make a ham sandwich.
  Go ahead and try it. Finished? O.K. Your outline may
  look something like this:
  I. Get out ham.
  II. Get knife.
  a. Hold ham securely.
  b. Slice ham.
  III. Open package of bread.
  a. Remove two pieces.
  b. Put bread on plate.
  IV. Place slice of ham on one piece of bread.
  V. Get out mustard.
  a. Open jar
  b. Get knife.
  c. Stick knife in jar.
  VI. Spread mustard on second piece of bread.
  VII. Place second piece on top of ham slice.
  VIII. Cut sandwich in two.
  IX. Eat sandwich.
  Now think through your experience. You probably spent a lot of time thinking about
  the order of each activity. For instance, you may have started with “Open a package of
  bread” and then remembered you would need a ham. What to put next probably occu-
  pied most of your time and effort. Thus, outlines often force us to spend more time think-
  ing about sequence than about content. They also disrupt our thinking because we have
  to alternate focusing on sequence and on content.
  Outlines are based on a “left brain” process. To improve on this situation, we need a
  “right brain” process. We have two brain hemispheres: a logical, sequential, analytical left
  brain and an intuitive, holistic, creative right brain. Every time we solve a problem we use
  both sides of our brains. Sometimes we use the left a little more and sometimes the right.
  Tony Buzan (1976) developed Brain Mapping to capitalize on the strengths of our
  right brains. He originally conceived of this technique as a tool to help students take
  notes. He soon found, however, that Brain Mapping was useful for a variety of activities,
  including idea generation.
  169
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  TLFeBOOK
  
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Brain Mapping Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Idea Links [41]
  • Lotus Blossom [43]
  • Skybridging [46]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Brain Mapping Handout, review it with the participants, and
  answer any questions they may have.
  2. Tell them to list, on a ﬂip chart, all major problem elements. They should include
  relevant people, processes, issues, time schedules, expectations, outcomes—any-
  thing that helps them understand the challenge.
  3. Instruct each group to tape three pieces of ﬂip chart paper on a wall so that the
  sheets are side-by-side. If a wall is not available, have them put the paper on a
  table.
  4. Have them select the most central, core problem element of those they listed and
  write it down on the center of a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper. This element should cap-
  ture their primary concern.
  170
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  5. Tell them to draw a box or other more appropriate shape around this concern. For
  instance, if your concern is employee tardiness, you might draw a clock around
  the problem statement.
  6. Direct them to draw a line about four inches long, extending from one side of the
  central shape, and write a related word on the line.
  7. Say, “Depending on what you think of next, (a) draw another line extending from
  the central shape, or (b) draw a line related to a subtopic (or subattribute) for the
  ﬁrst line.”
  8. Tell them to continue drawing lines and adding topics until they have run out of
  ideas.
  9. Tell them to write down these ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and
  place them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Brain Mapping is an internationally popular idea generation technique for both individu-
  als and groups. It is visually very appealing and quite functional with respect to how the
  human brain thinks in branches, not in rigid outline format.
  Have participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • Assign two groups to brainstorm ideas on the same challenge. Have one group use
  Brain Mapping and the other a conventional outline form. Compare results and reac-
  tions when ﬁnished and discuss reasons for any differences. Ask group members to
  discuss what difference word choices might have on the outcome. How different
  would the results have been if other words had been used? It is possible that different
  words or branches would not have made any signiﬁcant difference if there were a
  large number of words and branches. Ask the participants if they think that conclu-
  sion is valid.
  171
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  172
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Brain Mapping Handout
  If you’ve never seen a Brain Map before, these steps may not be clear. For an example, see
  Figure 7.1, which shows a Brain Map on ways to improve a bed.
  As you examine this Brain Map, don’t expect to ﬁnd all the elements placed in a logi-
  cal way. For instance, I placed the ideas for awakening or helping you sleep under the
  “sleeping” category because that’s where I thought of them. It would have made more
  sense to put them under the “mattress” category. But remember, it doesn’t really matter
  how you generate ideas, just so you get them out.
  Figure 7.1.
  Sample Brain Map
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  37
  Doodles
  Background
  You’ve probably heard the expression “That’s usin’ the ol’ noodle!” It means, of course,
  that you were able to apply your brainpower effectively. Well, noodle power can also help
  us generate ideas with doodles.
  You know how to doodle, don’t you? Just start scribbling on a sheet of paper and
  express your creative urges. Let your pen or pencil take off and draw swirls, loops, cir-
  cles, boxes, arrows, spirals, or whatever feels right. You already may have practice doo-
  dling. Most of us doodle while talking on the phone or listening to a boring speech. (Did
  you ever notice that there seems to be a direct correlation between how boring a speech is
  and how elaborate your doodles are?)
  Because doodles provide an outlet for creative expression, they also can help generate
  ideas. VanGundy (1988) designed a technique known as Symbolic Representations, which
  uses doodles as the basic idea generation mechanism. Although this activity is similar to
  Ideatoons [26], there is one major difference: the doodles are based on one or more major
  principles underlying the problem. This focus helps target the doodles a little more than
  mere random scribblings.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  173
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Handout
  • Doodles Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Picture Tickler [17]
  • Rorschach Revisionist [18]
  • Ideatoons [26]
  • Drawing Room [59]
  • Modular Brainstorming [62]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the handout, review it with the participants, and answer any questions
  they may have.
  2. Tell them to think of the major principle underlying their problem.
  3. Instruct each group to tape three pieces of ﬂip-chart paper on a wall so that the
  sheets are side-by-side. If a wall is not available, have them put the paper on a
  table.
  4. Tell them that one person should draw an abstract symbol that represents this
  principle and not to worry if they don’t have artistic abilities. Say that they just
  should draw whatever pops into their minds regarding the principle and to try to
  elaborate and provide some detail for each drawing.
  5. Instruct them to have another person free-associate from this symbol and draw
  another.
  6. Have someone different from each group then draw at least three additional sym-
  bols.
  7. Tell the groups to examine all their symbols and use them as stimuli to generate
  ideas, writing them on Post-it® Notes to place on ﬂip-chart paper for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This can be a fun activity if participants are not hindered by a fear of ridicule for lack of
  natural artistic talent. You might remind them that some of the best symbols (that is, most
  useful for stimulating ideas) are those drawn by people without artistic talent. You also
  might conduct a discussion on the value of deferring judgment when producing any cre-
  ative output. Too much analysis and criticism (whether internal or external) can be detri-
  mental to creative activities. Since there obviously is no “correct” way to draw the
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  symbols, there should be little hesitation in drawing them. Much the same can be said
  about preliminary ideas in the formative stage.
  Also consider having the participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • Have the participants draw three or four symbols individually and then share them
  with the rest of the group to use as idea stimuli.
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  176
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Doodles Handout
  Suppose your problem is how to attract more customers to your restaurant. The major
  underlying principle is attraction, or how to increase or get more of something. Draw a
  symbol representing this principle. Next, use this symbol as a stimulus and draw another
  symbol and then another until you have four or ﬁve. Sample symbols are shown in Fig-
  ure 7.2.
  After you have examined each doodle, the following ideas might come to mind:
  • Have “Dinner with a
  Local Celebrity” nights.
  After customers are seat-
  ed in the restaurant
  between certain hours, a
  lottery is held and the
  winner gets to have din-
  ner with a local celebrity.
  • Ask customers to brain-
  storm ideas to increase
  business. Give free din-
  ners to those who suggest
  the best ideas.
  • Offer special “sampler”
  meals in malls.
  • Install small video moni-
  tors on tables so cus-
  tomers can watch their
  food being prepared in
  the kitchen.
  • Offer evening river cruis-
  es with appetizers at the
  restaurant, the entrée on
  the boat, and dessert back
  at the restaurant.
  Figure 7.2.
  Sample Doodles
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
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  177
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  38
  Essence of the Problem
  Background
  An essence is something concentrated that retains its basic properties. It is the internal
  factor that gives something special characteristics. For instance, perfume is the essence of
  ﬂowers, and grapes are the essence of wine. Thus, an essence is a root or source element,
  what we use to identify with something, or what makes something “real.” Because
  essence is a source element, it deﬁnes what is and what can be. Essence provides poten-
  tial, boundaries, and scope. It communicates meaning, which leads to understanding.
  Each problem has an essence that deﬁnes what is and what can be. By examining the
  “what is,” it is possible to explore the “what can be.” That is, understanding essence
  makes it possible to extract potential ideas from problem statements, because all prob-
  lems exist on a continuum of abstraction. Thus, the essence of a given problem is that
  broad concept behind it. The essence of reducing crime, for instance, might be “preven-
  tion.” In this case, the “what is” could be “incidence of crime” and the “what can be”
  might be “reduced incidence of crime.”
  This activity is very similar to What’s the Problem? [70] in concept, but different in exe-
  cution. The basic principle of searching for an “essence” is in both. When using What’s the
  Problem?, attention is focused on increasingly abstract levels of the original problem’s verb.
  For instance, a problem of how to increase parking would focus on progressively more
  abstract ways to increase things (not just parking). When using Essence of the Problem, in
  contrast, attention is focused on different perceptions of the “essence” of “increase parking.”
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
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  178
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Essence of the Problem Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Name Change [9]
  • Switcheroo [11]
  • What’s the Problem? [70]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Essence of the Problem Handout, review it with the participants,
  and answer any questions they may have.
  2. Tell the group members to write down the problem challenge on a ﬂip chart visi-
  ble for all to see.
  3. Ask the participants to write down, individually, on a Post-it® Note, what they
  think is the essence of the problem, in the form of a word or brief phrase. Tell
  them to focus on the objective as demonstrated in the handout.
  4. Have them pass this note to the person on their right.
  5. Instruct them to review the note passed to them and then write down another word
  or phrase on a new note, and keep it without passing it. Each group member now
  should have two Post-it® Notes containing “essence” words, one from the person on
  their left and the one they just wrote. (Note: There may be duplication among the
  group members, but this is to be expected and requires no special action.)
  6. Ask the group members to take turns sharing their two words or phrases and
  invite the other group members to use these words as stimuli to help brainstorm
  ideas. Tell them not to worry if their initial ideas are not directly related to the
  words. Free association is welcome so that one word leads to another.
  7. Have them write down their ideas on Post-it® Notes and place them on ﬂip charts
  for later evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is an excellent technique to help participants create new problem perspectives. Its
  focus on abstract levels of a problem can prompt ideas normally not possible with con-
  ventional approaches.
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Emphasize how this technique differs from all of the others in that it is designed to
  remove the obstacles we often face by becoming too close to our problems—becoming too
  familiar, so that our very understanding of challenges works against us in resolving them.
  Ask group members to provide examples from their lives of similar situations and to dis-
  cuss the validity of this premise.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Essence of the Problem Handout
  Consider the problem of reducing vandalism in factory lunchrooms. One group member
  believes that the essence of the problem objective is “destruction,” writes it down on a
  note, and passes it to the person on his right. The person receiving that word then might
  write down “defacement.” This person then has two notes containing the words
  “destruction” and “defacement.” They read these words aloud to the other group mem-
  bers and the group uses them to help spark ideas. For instance, the combination,
  “destruction-defacement” might suggest an idea of creating a lunchroom that appears to
  be defaced, but is done so in an artistic way. Another idea might be to place pictures of all
  the workers in the lunch room with the hope they wouldn’t destroy the room (from
  “defacement”). Or the word, “destruction” might trigger an idea to completely destroy
  the current lunch room and invite the workers to participate in its reconstruction. Finally,
  “defacement” might suggest literally taking the faces away from the lunch room and
  eliminating it altogether.
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  181
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  39
  Exaggerate That
  Background
  Have you ever stretched the truth? Come on, now—be truthful. Most people have exag-
  gerated something, at some time in their lives, even if it’s only a slight distortion. Exag-
  gerations not only make us feel better, they also can add excitement to our interactions.
  The more extreme and vivid our exaggerations, the more attention they will attract.
  Each instance of truth stretching is a stimulus. And stimuli can help generate ideas.
  There must be the makings of an idea generation activity here somewhere! And there is.
  It’s known as Exaggerated Objectives (Olson, 1980). With it, you generate ideas by listing
  problem criteria, exaggerating them in any way possible, and then using the exaggera-
  tions as stimuli to prompt ideas.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Exaggerate That Handout
  Time
  60 minutes
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Related Activities
  • Law Breaker [50]
  • Problem Reversals [51]
  • Turn Around [52]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the handout, review it with the participants, and answer any questions
  they may have.
  2. Tell them to list the major criteria (objectives) they would use to evaluate potential
  solutions to their problem challenges.
  3. Instruct them to exaggerate or stretch each criterion in any way possible. Encour-
  age them to avoid any concern with how “correct” their exaggerations are. There
  is no such thing as correct with this technique.
  4. Have them use each exaggeration as a stimulus to spark new ideas, write them
  down on Post-it® Notes, and place on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  The often-used phrase of “think outside the box” applies to this technique (as well as oth-
  ers in this book). In this case, exaggerating criteria forces us to think about a challenge in
  unique ways—ways in which we might not otherwise ﬁnd ourselves thinking. In fact,
  such thinking often is the hallmark of “natural” creative thinkers, who have the ability to
  distort and twist problem statements and come up with novel ideas.
  Have participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  183
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  Exaggerate That Handout
  Suppose, for example, you want to attract more international airline passengers. You
  might use the setup shown in Table 7.1.
  Original Criteria
  Exaggerated Criteria
  Possible Solutions
  1. Minimal cost
  1. Costs more than 
  1. Have a lottery for free 
  $1 million
  tickets
  2. Safety not compromised
  2. Kills thousands of 
  2. Offer an on-board dinner 
  passengers
  mystery theater
  3. Uses current personnel
  3. Uses ﬁred personnel
  3. Offer on-board 
  career-planning seminars
  4. Returns investment 
  4. Becomes the “black 
  4. Offer continuing
  within one year
  hole” of unproﬁtable 
  education credits for 
  investments
  training seminars
  Table 7.1.
  Example of Exaggerate That
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  40
  Fairy Tale Time
  Background
  Story telling is an ancient art dating back to when humans ﬁrst communicated with
  words. It has provided most societies with an oral history long before written records
  were kept. Stories help perpetuate the foundational myths people use to teach succeeding
  generations about their cultures. For instance, fables, nursery rhymes, and fairy tales have
  been used to transmit life’s lessons to countless people in a number of different cultures.
  Although modern technology has diminished its importance, story telling still has the
  potential to help solve problems. Stories from the past can help suggest ideas for today’s
  problems. Create a story and we create stimuli that can trigger new thoughts and con-
  cepts. The richer and more elaborate our stories, the richer and more elaborate the stim-
  uli.
  One special type of story, with great potential for sparking ideas, is the fairy tale—a
  story of magical events with a moral. Such stories are excellent sources of idea stimuli for
  all sorts of problems. Because they serve as a source of unrelated stimuli, stories do not
  have to be related to the problem or faithful to the original fairy tale. In fact, it sometimes
  is beneﬁcial if the story is as different as possible.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • Copies of common fairy tales such as “Rapunzel,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “Little Red Rid-
  ing Hood,” “Tom Thumb,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Snow White,” and “Rumpelstiltskin”
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Handout
  • Fairy Tale Time Handout
  Time
  60 minutes
  Related Activities
  • A Likely Story [15]
  • Tabloid Tales [47]
  • Super Heroes [80]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Fairy Tale Time Handout and copies of the fairy tales, review the
  exercise example with the participants, and answer any questions they may have.
  2. Tell participants to select one of the fairy tales and have one person read it aloud.
  3. Have them write down, on the ﬂip chart, the story’s major elements (characters,
  actions, dialogue, plot, morals, events).
  4. Instruct them to use these elements as stimuli for triggering ideas.
  5. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  One major advantage of this technique is that it can allow a group to really express its cre-
  ativity in developing a story or playing off of a known fairy tale. The fact that most fairy
  tales are unrelated to most problem challenges can help produce unique perspectives. If
  time is available, ask the participants if they think it would be more productive to make
  up their own fairy tales, modify existing ones, or use existing ones without changing
  them. Have them discuss why any such preferences might exist.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Variation
  • If time is available, ask the participants to write their own fairy tales and repeat Steps
  3 and 4 above.
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  187
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  Fairy Tale Time Handout
  Suppose you’re a divisional manager in a medium-size manufacturing ﬁrm. You and Jim
  Oversee—one of your line supervisors—are discussing ways to cut costs. Jim notes that
  he recently has received increasing numbers of employee theft reports. You decide this is
  an area in which you could cut costs signiﬁcantly. You deﬁne the problem as, “How
  might we reduce employee theft?” To help resolve this problem, you decide to write your
  own version of “Cinderella”—one of the best-known fairy tales. After some thought, you
  compose the following story:
  Cinderella (aka “Cinder”), a beautiful young maiden, is treated badly by her two
  stepsisters. She must do all the cooking and cleaning while they busy themselves
  with fancy clothes and social events. One day it is announced that the prince is
  holding a ball to ﬁnd a wife. The wicked stepsisters are certain the prince will
  want to select one of them. [So far, so good. Nothing really different here. But
  then. . . .] Although Cinder says she would like to go, the stepsisters laugh in her
  face and tell her to bake a pumpkin pie instead.
  The evening of the ball arrives and the stepsisters leave Cinder to bake her pie.
  Instead, Cinder decides to change clothes ﬁrst. And then she eats some salad with
  dressing, while dressing. As Cinder leafs through her meal while bemoaning her
  fate, her Fairy Godmother (FG) appears and grants her a wish. Cinder’s stepsis-
  ters never allowed her to eat her favorite vegetable, so she asks her FG to turn her
  into a rutabaga. FG smirks and tells Cinder that her magic wand only works with
  mice and pumpkins. “O.K., ﬁne,” says Cinder as she tosses her salad over her
  shoulder. “I suppose I shall have to be a pumpkin, then. Mice are not nice.”
  With a wave of her wand, FG transforms Cinder into a pumpkin. FG waves
  her wand again and visually challenged mice materialize to take Cinder to the
  ball. Off they go into the night. Their goal: the castle ball. Their plan: sneak into
  the castle kitchen and offer the pumpkin for dessert.
  Being visually challenged, the mice can’t see too well, however. Instead of
  going to the castle, they go to a poor farmer’s cottage. The farmer’s wife chases
  away the mice with her carving knife. (Did you ever see such a sight in your life?)
  Unfortunately, Mrs. Farmer slips on the mice tails and falls on her knife. The
  farmer rushes in to say goodbye to his dying wife and decides to make a pumpkin
  pie with the pumpkin the nice mice brought.
  The Fairy Godmother has been watching all of this. She sees the farmer raise
  his dead wife’s knife to carve the pumpkin. Suddenly there is a . . . POOF! The
  pumpkin turns into a beautiful maiden, thanks to FG. The farmer is awed by Cin-
  der’s beauty and asks her to marry him. Cinder agrees and they decide to toast
  each other with pumpkin punch in the punch bowl.
  While he leaves the house to bury his ex-wife, Cinder picks up the dipper and
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  begins to pour some punch into a cup. The dipper slips and crashes to the ground,
  breaking into two pieces. Cinder panics and picks up one of the pieces, turns on
  her left slipper, and bolts out the door with the mice in hot pursuit. The farmer
  hears all the commotion and returns to the cottage in time to see Cinder running
  away with the not-so-nice mice in pursuit and Cinder holding the remainder of
  the dipper. He pushes away a lock of his hair and then vows, to no one in particu-
  lar: “Somehow, someday, I’ll ﬁnd the fair maiden with the glass dipper!”
  Based on this story, here are a few sample ideas for reducing employee theft:
  • Install hidden video cameras that record everything employees do (from “visually
  challenged mice”).
  • Have a subliminal audiotape that periodically reminds employees not to steal (from
  “stepsisters . . . tell her to bake a pumpkin pie instead”).
  • Use voice-recognition locks on storage areas where too many keys might exist (from
  “laugh in her face”).
  • Provide rewards to customers who report incidents of theft (from “they decide to
  toast each other”).
  • Have weekly tea or coffee breaks where managers solicit theft-reduction ideas (from
  “pour some punch into a cup”).
  • Install body temperature sensors that notify security whenever an unauthorized
  employee enters an “off limits” area (from “bolts out the door with the mice in hot
  pursuit”).
  • Offer a free “makeover” for employees who report shoplifting or theft (from “The
  pumpkin turns into a beautiful maiden”).
  • Recruit an employee from another division to work undercover and report on theft
  problems (from “sneak into the castle kitchen”).
  • Install locks with retina identiﬁcation that works only with certain employees—an
  alarm sounds if anyone else tries to open the locks (from “her magic wand only works
  with mice and pumpkins).
  • Have all employees submit to a voice stress analyzer to determine if they are telling
  the truth about theft (from “The farmer rushes in to say goodbye to his dying wife”).
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
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  189
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  41
  Idea Links
  Background
  We all generate ideas using free association. In fact, many of the activities in this book are
  based on it. We generate one idea, use it to generate another idea, use it for another, and
  so forth until we have generated all we can or that time allows. Unlike other free-associa-
  tion activities, however, Idea Links requires free association in a speciﬁc direction, begin-
  ning with the action verb and working toward the object in the challenge statement. The
  goal is to direct associations to end up with a link to the object.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Idea Links Handout
  Time
  20 minutes
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Related Activities
  • Noun Hounds [29]
  • Skybridging [46]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Idea Links Handout, review the exercise example with the partici-
  pants, and answer any questions they may have.
  2. Tell each group to tape together two sheets of ﬂip-chart paper, end to end, to a
  wall or other hard surface such as a table. They should tape together the ends that
  meet so there is one continuous sheet.
  3. Have them write down their problem statement on another sheet of ﬂip-chart
  paper so that it incorporates an action verb and an object.
  4. Tell them to write the verb on the left side of taped-together paper and the object
  on the right side.
  5. Instruct them to draw ﬁve, six-inch lines to the right of the ﬁrst word so that the
  last line ends just before the object word (see the exercise handout).
  6. Direct the participants to take turns free-associating a word from the verb and
  write it on the ﬁrst line; the next person then uses this word to free-associate and
  write the word on the second line; and so forth.
  7. Have them continue to free-associate from one word to another, writing each
  word on one of the lines, and make the ﬁnal word link to the object.
  8. Tell the groups to review all the associations and use them to trigger new ideas,
  writing them on Post-it® Notes and placing them on ﬂip-chart paper for evalua-
  tion.
  9. If time is available or you want to generate more ideas, have the groups repeat
  Steps 4 through 9.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Idea Links can be a fun technique as well as a creative thinking exercise. It is easy to use
  and can result in many ideas. It also would be ideal as a warmup exercise to loosen up
  participants. An interesting question to ask is whether or not participants found them-
  selves evaluating their free associations. If done “correctly,” there should be no judging
  about the “correctness” of a free association. Any word should qualify; the words do not
  need to be justiﬁed logically.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  TLFeBOOK
  
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • To add a little zest to this exercise, have individual participants write down their free
  associations by themselves as quickly as possible. Then have them take turns and
  write their results on the ﬂip-chart paper for the group to use as idea triggers.
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  Idea Links Handout
  If your problem is to improve a table fan, you might set it up as follows:
  Improve
  ___________
  ___________
  ___________
  ____________
  ____________
  fan
  Next, begin free associating by ﬁlling in the blanks:
  Finally, use the free associations to think of ideas. For instance, you might put a fan on
  wheels to roll around on a table (from “car”) or design a fan that blows air in pulses, like
  a cough (from “congestion”).
  Here’s another example:
  These words prompt ideas such as putting a chemical on the blades to blow scented
  air (from “butter”) and making a fan with gold blades (from “dough”).
  Note: Although the connection between the words may not appear to be logical, that is
  O.K. Free association does not have to “make sense.” For instance, in the example imme-
  diately above, the word “butter” follows the word “better.” When I thought of butter, it
  was because that is what saying a word similar in sound made me think of. The connec-
  tions between “butter” and “bread” and “dough” are more transparent. However, follow-
  ing “dough” with “blow” was based only on rhyming.
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  42
  Imaginary Mentor
  Background
  Did you ever have a secret friend to whom you told all your problems? Do you have an
  inner voice that helps you solve problems? Are they out to get you?
  If you answered yes to all three questions, you may want to obtain professional coun-
  seling! If you answered yes to the ﬁrst two questions, you may want to delay treatment.
  Apparently, many people listen to an inner voice for guidance. For instance, General Dou-
  glas MacArthur supposedly conjured up his hero-father for advice on military strategy.
  The poet Milton called his inner guide “Celestial Patroness” and described how she
  helped him compose his writings.
  I’m not suggesting that we all have a little person living inside us. Instead, I believe
  we all have subconscious motives, impulses, feelings, and images. All this material has
  tremendous potential as a vast, untapped reservoir of creativity.
  The problem is that we can’t always access our subconscious on demand. We have no
  set of commands or buttons to push to enter our subconscious minds. Instead, we have to
  enter them more indirectly. One way to access our subconscious thoughts is to create a
  personal, internal mentor.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Stereotype [10]
  • We Have Met the Problem and It Is We [48]
  • Super Heroes [80]
  Procedure
  1. Instruct the participants verbally as follows:
  • Release all your tension and try to relax as much as possible.
  • Visualize a soft, glowing white light surrounding your body. Allow the light to
  make you feel secure and comfortable.
  • Think of your favorite place (house, mountain, forest, stream, boat).
  • Visualize yourself walking into this place. Notice all the details. Try to imagine
  what it looks like. Experience any sounds, textures, or smells. Absorb as much
  as you can.
  • Imagine your personal mentor walking toward you. Look closely at his or her
  face. What are you experiencing? Think of any special feelings or emotions.
  Include as much detail as possible.
  • Say to your mentor, “Please be my guide and help me think of new ideas. Lead
  me in resolving my problem.”
  • Tell your mentor about your problem. Give him or her as much relevant infor-
  mation as you can. Try to keep your interaction realistic. Listen carefully when-
  ever your mentor speaks to you. Don’t be discouraged if ideas don’t pop out
  suddenly. It takes time.
  2. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  It is difﬁcult to fathom the full potential of the human mind, especially the subconscious.
  We should try to appreciate its ability to help us resolve problems. Imaginary Mentor is a
  good start. However, some people may have difﬁculty being engaged by this technique. It
  may be too abstract or esoteric and not concrete enough for them to respond with new
  ideas. Try to engage the participants in a discussion about the usefulness of such visually
  oriented approaches and what types of people might beneﬁt most from them.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  43
  Lotus Blossom
  Background
  The lotus is a pinkish water lily. As with most ﬂowers, lotus blossom petals are nested
  together. Numerous petals radiate outward from the center, in ever-widening circles. One
  petal leads to the next and so forth, just like free association. Perhaps there is the making
  of an idea generation technique here!
  This technique takes advantage of visualization, free association, and a structured
  approach to creating idea stimuli. Yasuo Matsumura, president of Clover Management
  Research (Chiba City, Japan) developed the Lotus Blossom Method of generating ideas
  (also called the MY technique, after his Japanese initials).
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Lotus Blossom Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
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  197
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  Related Activities
  • Brain Mapping [36]
  • Doodles [37]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Lotus Blossom Handout, review the exercise example with the par-
  ticipants, and answer any questions they may have.
  2. Tell each group to tape together two sheets of ﬂip-chart paper, side-to-side, to a
  wall or other hard surface such as a table.
  3. Instruct them to replicate the drawing in Figure 7.3, starting with writing a central
  theme (problem) in the center of the paper, as shown in Figure 7.3.
  4. Have them think of related ideas and concepts and write them in the surrounding
  circles, A through H.
  5. Tell them to use each of these ideas as a separate central theme or problem for the
  surrounding lotus boxes.
  6. Encourage them to try to generate eight ideas for each of these themes and write
  them in the surrounding boxes, 1 through 8.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Lotus Blossom Handout
  Suppose your problem involves ways to improve a wristwatch. Write “Improve a wrist-
  watch” in the center of a sheet of paper. Then write eight related concepts in surrounding
  circles: (a) watch hands, (b) wrist strap, (c) date, (d) time, (e) second hand, (f) battery, (g)
  appointments, and (h) face. Next, generate ideas for each of these elements.
  • Watch hands—different shapes on ends, different colors, different designs
  • Wrist strap—buckles, metal, different colors, transparent, different widths
  • Date—ﬂashing, multicolored, icons for months, written out
  • Time—voice activated, voice response, ﬂashing lights
  • Second hand—digital, complementary color, gold plated, variable speed
  • Battery—recharge in wall outlet, owner can replace
  • Appointments—record appointments, beeper reminder, link appointments with other
  watches
  • Face—celebrity faces, pictures of famous landmarks, spinning face
  Figure 7.3.
  Lotus Diagram
  TLFeBOOK
  
  44
  Say Cheese
  Background
  When we ﬁrst think of new ideas, they often ﬂit
  about without deﬁned shape. If we really concen-
  trate, we can bring them into focus. These new ideas
  then become images we can capture in our mind’s
  eye.
  Frame. Focus. Click. There the images are. It’s
  almost as if we photograph them with a camera. Van-
  Gundy (1983) used this comparison to suggest a pro-
  cedure for stimulating ideas using an imaginary
  camera.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1/2′′ diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • Three sheets each of 8.5′′ x 11′′ paper and pens or pencils for each participant
  Time
  30 minutes
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Related Activities
  • Imaginary Mentor [42]
  Procedure
  1. Read the following to participants and ask them to respond individually:
  “Imagine you are looking at your problem through the viewﬁnder of a camera. Frame the picture
  and adjust the focus to view the entire problem in sharp detail. Move your mind forward or back-
  ward to adjust the focus. Add light to improve your view. Then make the image blurry to change
  perspective. Finally, add different lenses such as telephoto or wide angle to change perspectives
  again. Continue to make adjustments until your problem is centered clearly in your mind’s eye.
  Push your mental shutter-release button and allow a picture of the problem to develop in your
  mind. Study the picture and try to absorb all relevant details. Write down on your paper any inter-
  esting features such as size, shape, texture, smells, movement. Finally, examine your descriptions
  and use them to prompt ideas.”
  2. Have each participant share his or her ideas, in turn, with the other group mem-
  bers, write them on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note), and place them on a ﬂip
  chart to be evaluated later. Encourage them to consider any new ideas that might
  be prompted from others’ ideas.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This technique is very similar to Imaginary Mentor [42] in that participants must rely on
  their visualization skills to help think of ideas. If any participants seem to struggle with
  creating ideas, tell them to try “playing off” of others’ ideas. That is, let them know that
  they don’t have to worry about their visualization abilities; instead, they can try to think
  of other ideas based on those produced by others (of course, they still can think of their
  own ideas!).
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  TLFeBOOK
  
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  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  45
  Sense Making
  Background
  Our everyday language is colored by references to the ﬁve senses: “I hear you,” “I see
  what you mean,” “I feel for you,” “That’s a tasty idea,” “I smell a rat!” Such phrases usu-
  ally prompt a variety of sensory images, corresponding to whatever sense is involved.
  These images, in turn, help communicate meaning and increase understanding.
  Just as our senses allow us to experience different stimuli, sensory images can help us
  experience the different perspectives needed to create ideas.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1/2′′ diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • Three sheets each of 8.5′′ x 11′′ paper and pens or pencils for each participant
  Handout
  • Sense Making Ideas Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  Related Activities
  • Say Cheese [44]
  • We Have Met the Problem and It is We [48]
  Procedure
  1. Read the following to participants and ask them to respond individually:
  “Try to become as relaxed as possible. Breathe comfortably at an even rate. Listen to your breathing
  and let all stress ﬂow out. Think about your problem in detail and try to experience it. Quickly smell
  it, see it, taste it, touch it, and hear it. Think of your sense of smell. Visualize different olfactory expe-
  riences you’ve had. For instance, you might think about some ﬂowers you once smelled. Now, how
  might you use your sense of smell to generate ideas to solve your problem? Think of your sense of
  sight. Visualize different sight experiences you’ve had that have affected you emotionally. Now, how
  might you use your sense of sight to generate ideas to solve your problem? Continue this process
  with your senses of taste, touch, and hearing. Think of emotional experiences involving each of
  these senses.”
  2. Ask them to consider what ideas they might have thought of and to write them
  down on their individual sheets of paper. For sample ideas, refer them to the
  handout.
  3. Have each participant share his or her ideas, in turn, with the other group mem-
  bers, write them on a Post-it® Note, and place them on a ﬂip chart to be evaluated.
  Debrief/Discussion
  To help participants relate to this technique, you ﬁrst might have them experience differ-
  ent items using their senses. For instance, you might place a number of objects varying in
  size and texture into a paper bag and have participants try to identify them using only
  their sense of touch. Or ask them to identify visually an object in a picture when only a
  small part of the object is visible. Although this technique may not be as “all-purpose” as
  others, it could be good enough to spark some useful ideas—and that’s all it takes some-
  times!
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  203
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  Sense Making Ideas Handout
  To illustrate this activity, consider a publisher’s problem of how to increase book sales.
  Here are some ideas that this technique might spark:
  • Smell: Produce books that contain fragrances that reﬂect literary themes.
  • Sight: Include a page of slides to illustrate topics.
  • Taste: Include free stamps to encourage book buyers to mail in coupons redeemable
  for discounts on future book purchases.
  • Touch: Make book covers with different textures that invite people to touch them.
  Once people pick up a book, they will be more likely to buy it.
  • Hearing: Put audio-digital computer chips (like those in greeting cards) in the inside
  covers of books. When someone opens the front cover, the book says, “Buy me,
  please!” or mentions some beneﬁt of the book’s contents.
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  46
  Skybridging
  Background
  This technique involves working both forward and backward when generating ideas.
  Engineers call this method “reverse engineering.” Doug Hall (1994) calls it Skybridging. It
  is based on a general deﬁnition of a problem as a gap between a current and a desired
  state of affairs. That is, we examine “what is” and “what should be” and then try to close
  the gap by working toward the goal and then back toward the current problem state.
  Thus, there may be many different roads to an objective.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Skybridging Handout
  Time
  20 minutes
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Related Activities
  • Brain Mapping [36]
  • Idea Links [41]
  Procedure
  1. Tell each group to tape together two sheets of ﬂip-chart paper, side-by-side, to a
  wall or other hard surface such as a table.
  2. Distribute the Skybridging Handout, review the example with the participants,
  and answer any questions they may have.
  3. Have them write down, on the left side, one to three words that deﬁne where they
  are today with respect to a current challenge (for example, if product improve-
  ment is the concern, they would list a current product’s status).
  4. Have them use one to three words and write them down, on the right side of the
  paper, where they would like to be with respect to the challenge (for example,
  what is the ideal result?).
  5. Instruct them to draw a straight line between the current and desired states. Tell
  them to write on this line a sure thing and a boring thing, both of which represent
  ways to achieve the desired state.
  6. Instruct them to draw another connecting line that bends in the middle, as shown
  in Figure 7.4. On the left side of the line, they should list an obvious idea; on the
  right side, a safe idea. Have them continue drawing lines and listing ideas as
  shown in the ﬁgure until they have generated all possible ideas. Note that, as they
  list ideas, they should try working from right to left on some of the lines.
  7. After they have ﬁnished listing ideas, tell them to examine them and make any
  impractical ideas more practical, write all practical ideas on Post-it® Notes, and
  place them on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  You might want to note that words on the arches become more impractical the higher up
  they are. The diagram makes it relatively easy to see the range of ideas. Another thing to
  emphasize during this exercise is that the participants don’t have to be too concerned
  with the “correctness” of their words or how concrete or abstract the ideas might be. The
  important thing is to generate a diversity of ideas.
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Skybridging Handout
  Figure 7.4 shows a sample skybridge based on generating ideas for improving a ﬂash-
  light. The ﬁgure suggests several ideas, some directly and some indirectly:
  Figure 7.4.
  Skybridging Example
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  47
  Tabloid Tales
  Background
  There you are, in line in the supermarket. The customer at the checkout counter just real-
  ized she has to pay for her groceries. She slowly gets out her checkbook and begins writ-
  ing. After several minutes you notice she has ﬁnally written down the date.
  Unfortunately, it’s July and she’s had trouble remembering the date change from last
  year! She wrote down last year’s date and has to start over.
  You sigh and begin looking around for a distraction. You glance to your left at the
  magazine rack and you see it: “GIRL, 10, GIVES BIRTH TO CALF THAT LOOKS LIKE
  ELVIS.” The headline sears into your brain and you shake your head as you struggle to
  reassert your rationality. You read on:
  •
  WIFE MAKES SALAD DRESSING OF HUSBAND IN BLENDER
  •
  BABY BORN WITH THREE HEADS, SIX TAILS, AND BLUE EYES
  •
  WOMAN DIVORCES FROG—CLAIMS NO PRINCE
  •
  BIGFOOT SPOTTED DANCING WITH ELVIS
  •
  MAN GIVES BIRTH TO VW
  •
  NEW DIET GROWS EXTRA TOES
  •
  TRUCKER’S LUNG EXPLODES WHILE HE WAS SMOKING ON ROAD
  •
  ALIENS RESPONSIBLE FOR LIGHT BULB BURNOUTS
  You’ve just been victimized by tabloid headlines. But don’t fret. You can salvage
  something positive from your experience by using tabloid headlines to prompt ideas.
  Doug Hall (1994) developed Tabloid Tales to help people distort facts and gain new per-
  spectives on their problems.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • An assortment of tabloid weekly newspapers such as The Star, The National Enquirer,
  and, especially, Weekly News
  Handout
  • Tabloid Tales Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • A Likely Story [15]
  • Fairy Tale Time [40]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute at least two tabloid publications to each group.
  2. Distribute the Tabloid Tales Handout, review the example with the participants,
  and answer any questions they may have.
  3. Instruct each group to list four key facts about their problem, product, service, or
  process.
  4. Tell them to distort one aspect of each fact and make it sensational or more
  provocative by stating it as a tabloid headline.
  5. For inspiration, suggest that participants thumb through the tabloids.
  6. Have them use the distorted facts and review of the tabloids to generate practical
  ideas.
  7. Direct them to write their ideas on Post-it® Notes and place them on the ﬂip chart
  for evaluation later.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This can be a fun exercise for the participants. As some research has suggested, humor
  can enhance the creative output of groups. And many tabloid headlines and stories cer-
  tainly can provoke mirth. However, the ideas in this exercise, while facilitated by humor,
  mostly will emerge from the headlines. This is because they typically are unrelated to the
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  209
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  problem and thus capable of triggering unique ideas. Because of these two elements, be
  sure to encourage the participants to have fun (although they may not need much
  encouragement).
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  210
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Tabloid Tales Handout
  Assume you are an automobile insurance company and want to deal with the challenge
  of how to reduce auto theft. Four key facts are (1) auto thieves don’t want to attract atten-
  tion, (2) some cars are more likely to be stolen than others, (3) unlocked and unattended
  cars with running engines are likely theft candidates, and (4) alarms will deter some
  thieves. These facts suggest the following tabloid headlines:
  •
  ELVIS SEEN HONKING HORNS OF PINK CADILLACS
  •
  CAR THIEF HIDES CAR IN HIS PANTS
  •
  PREVIOUSLY STOLEN CAR DRIVES SELF AWAY FROM THIEF
  •
  STOLEN CAR BLOWS UP CLEVELAND
  These headlines then prompt the following ideas:
  •
  Car starts only when driver sings a speciﬁed Elvis song.
  •
  Car starts only when driver’s rear end ﬁts specially molded car seat
  •
  Hot-wired cars stop running after one minute
  •
  Car started without special code sprays knockout gas in face of driver
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  48
  We Have Met the Problem 
  and It Is We
  Background
  A primary counseling skill is empathy—the ability to see and feel something from anoth-
  er’s perspective. Some people say we can’t really understand how others feel about some-
  thing unless we can walk in their shoes and see the world with their eyes. “Change
  perspectives and you change understanding” is a principle that underlies many idea gen-
  eration activities and applies especially well to this one.
  Try to become our problems and we’ll create new perspectives that may help spark
  new ideas. Of course, we can’t literally become our problems. We can, however, bring life
  to our problems and alter how we see them. For this reason, We Have Met the Enemy and
  It Is We (with a nod to cartoonist Walt Kelly and his Pogo character) will probably work
  best with problems involving inanimate objects. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it
  with people problems; it just may not be as effective.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • We Have Met the Problem and It Is We Handout
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  212
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Stereotype [10]
  • Imaginary Mentor [42]
  • What if. . . ? [49]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the We Have Met the Enemy and It Is We Handout, review the example
  with the participants, and answer any questions they may have.
  2. Recite the following instructions to the groups: “Think about what your problem
  would say, think, and feel about itself and its relation to its environment. What
  bugs it? What does it like? What are its major concerns, challenges, and opportu-
  nities? Write down your responses on a ﬂip chart.”
  3. Tell them to use their descriptions as stimuli to brainstorm ideas, write them on
  Post-it® Notes, and place them on the ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  Variation
  • Have individual group members take turns speaking the part of whatever object is
  chosen.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is an especially useful exercise for people who are good at fantasizing and being
  playful. Because it requires users to suspend belief about inanimate objects talking, not
  everyone may excel at using it. However, most groups will have one or two people who
  can, and that’s usually all it takes. Other group members then can use their thoughts to
  ignite ideas.
  Consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  213
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  We Have Met the Problem 
  and It Is We Handout
  Assume your organization wants to generate ideas to improve a wastebasket. The waste-
  basket might “say” the following:
  “I’m sick and tired of being emptied so often. The food and cigarette ashes smell
  terrible. I also hate it when people bang me around and leave marks on my out-
  side. It really irritates me when people knock me over and my insides spill out all
  over the carpet. I just hate all the messes. And they’re not even my fault.
  “There is one nice thing about being a wastebasket. I just love it when some
  hotshot tries to impress his friends by throwing a paper wad in me from across
  the room. If the paper wad hits my rim, I sometimes can jiggle a little and knock it
  to the ﬂoor. This makes the hotshot look so foolish!”
  This diatribe might spark the following ideas for improving a wastebasket:
  • A built-in trash compactor
  • A continuous roll of plastic lining that can be removed easily every time the 
  wastebasket is emptied
  • A built-in slot for a fragrance dispenser
  • Suction cups, clamps, or Velcro® for attaching the wastebasket to the ﬂoor or a desk to
  prevent accidental spills
  • A basketball-type net that can be raised above the rim for practicing paper wad shots
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
  49
  What if...?
  Background
  What if cows could ﬂy?
  What if we grew telephones in our ears?
  What if we were all thumbs?
  What if diamonds were soft and cushions were rock hard?
  What if plants could talk?
  What if people who asked “What if. . . ?” all the time suddenly died?
  Do you get the idea? As you read each of these questions, images formed in your
  mind. Most of these images probably were rather provocative. At least, they were a little
  out of the ordinary. Any time our minds encounter contradictions or paradoxical think-
  ing, we experience a perspective shift. In this case, asking “What if. . . ?” frees our minds
  and opens them to possibilities we might never have thought of or explored. Asking
  “What if. . . ?” pushes out the boundaries of impossibilities and limits.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • What if. . . ? Handout
  TLFeBOOK
  
  215
  Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies”
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Get Crazy [5]
  • Imaginary Mentor [42]
  • We Have Met the Problem and It Is We [48]
  Procedure
  1. Read the above Background information to the participants.
  2. Distribute the What if. . . ? Handout, review the example with the participants,
  and answer any questions they may have.
  3. Instruct the participants to brainstorm within their groups by saying the 
  following:
  “Stretch your problem in as many ways as you can think of by asking ‘What if. . . ?’ Assume any-
  thing is possible. Don’t worry about what won’t work or why something can’t be implemented. Just
  let your mind go. Have someone in your group write down all of the ‘What if. . . ?’ statements on a
  ﬂip chart.”
  4. After they are ﬁnished writing, say the following:
  “Return to reality and examine each question while thinking, ‘Well, we can’t do that, but maybe we
  can. . . .’ Brainstorm ideas by ﬁnishing this sentence and generate more practical ideas. Record all
  your ideas individually on Post-it® Notes and place them on ﬂip-chart paper.”
  Debrief/Discussion
  What if. . . ? is one of the simplest, yet most powerful, activities available. It is often over-
  looked, however, because it is so simple. If participants truly suspend belief during this
  exercise, the results can be outstanding. Ask participants how they think this approach
  compares with more traditional brainstorming activities and why.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  TLFeBOOK
  
  What if...? Handout
  What if you were a car dealer who wanted to increase repeat business? To think of ideas,
  you might begin “Whatifﬁng” as follows:
  • What if I gave repeat customers a free car?
  • What if prospective repeat customers had to beg to let me sell them a new car?
  • What if prospective repeat customers tried to pay double the price for a new car?
  • What if a customer’s current car hypnotized the customer into buying another car?
  • What if new cars followed people around town until the people bought them?
  Next, use these questions as idea triggers. Here are some sample ideas:
  • I can’t give repeat customers a free car, but I could give them a substantial discount.
  • I can’t get repeat customers to beg me to sell them a new car, but I could contact cus-
  tomers on a regular basis to see if they have any problems. Such constant attention
  may encourage repeat sales.
  • I can’t double the price for a new car, but I could offer to pay customers double the
  difference of any better car deal they can get from another dealer.
  • A customer’s car won’t hypnotize the customer into buying another car, but I could
  mount a relentless advertising campaign using all media. 
  • New cars won’t follow customers around, but I could offer repeat customers free use
  of a cellular car phone for one year.
  216
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Chapter 8
  Grab Bag:Miscellaneous Activities
  O
  pen the bag. Now reach right in and help yourself. Grab whatever you ﬁnd. Don’t be
  shy; take a risk and see what you get. You’ll never know if you don’t try.
  A grab bag can’t be beat when it comes to surprises. You never know what you’re
  going to get. That also is true of this chapter. You don’t know what you’re going to get
  because this chapter contains miscellaneous activities.
  Grab bag activities actually involve two different types of idea stimulators. The ﬁrst
  type, “backward,” includes activities that involve reversing or turning around a problem
  in some way. The second, “just alike only different,” contains activities based on analogi-
  cal thinking; that is, they generate ideas by focusing on similarities between a problem
  and something else.
  Because these two types force us to look at our problems differently, these activities
  are especially useful for creating unique perspectives. Thus, the activities in this chapter
  possess considerable diversity in their approaches to generating ideas.
  NOTE:FOR ALL ACTIVITIES,REMIND PARTICIPANTS 
  TO DEFER JUDGMENT WHILE GENERATING IDEAS.
  “Backward”Activities:Reversals
  Backward activities stimulate your brain by forcing you to reverse problem aspects and
  view things differently. This opposite tactic is not what most people expect to use when
  generating ideas. The typical reaction is to plunge right in and attack a problem by gener-
  ating solutions—deﬁnitely a direct approach.
  The point is, however, that reversals avoid the tendency to lock in on just one way of
  viewing a problem. Divergent, creative thinking requires many problem viewpoints.
  LLLL
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  50
  Law Breaker
  Background
  Just as most societies have laws, so do most problems. Societal
  laws prescribe and govern social behavior. Similarly, problem
  laws govern the assumptions people use to perceive and deﬁne
  problems.
  Our assumptions about the way we think things should be
  inﬂuence the way we generate ideas to solve problems. Unfortu-
  nately, most of these “shoulds” constrain our thinking and result
  in less creative ideas. Moreover, shoulds limit the number of
  solution categories we might consider. For instance, if we accept
  the notion that chocolate candy should be sold only in bars, all
  our ideas for chocolate candy will be based on bar products.
  To overcome this creative thinking obstacle, Doug Hall (1994)
  designed Law Breaker as an activity to generate ideas by break-
  ing assumptions about the way things should be.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
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  Handout
  • Law Breaker Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Exaggerate That [39]
  • Problem Reversals [51]
  • Turn Around [52]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Law Breaker Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  2. Instruct the groups to list all possible assumptions about their problems.
  3. Tell them to break each assumption. Speciﬁcally, have them ask why the assump-
  tion is made about a particular aspect of a problem and write it down on ﬂip-chart
  paper.
  4. Direct them to use the broken assumptions to stimulate new ideas, write them on
  Post-it® Notes, and place them on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Grab Bag: Miscellaneous Activities
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  Law Breaker Handout
  Suppose you want to generate ideas for a new chocolate candy bar. First, list assumptions
  regarding candy bars:
  • Rectangular bar form
  • Solid brown in color
  • Uniform sweetness
  • Uniform taste
  • May contain either peanuts or almonds in addition to chocolate, but nothing else
  • Wrapped in aluminum foil
  • Melts in the sun
  • Weighs no more than three ounces
  Next, generate ideas by breaking any of these “laws” governing chocolate candy bars.
  Here are some possible ideas:
  • Triangular-shaped bar
  • Different shades of brown in the same product
  • Variable sweetness in different parts of the product
  • Different ﬁllings in the center
  • Wrap in “theme” papers (for example, dinosaurs, space travel)
  • High heat resistance for eating in the sun
  • Variable weights ranging from one ounce to ten pounds—all with names reﬂecting
  the weights (for example, “air” bar, “monster” bar)
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  51
  Problem Reversals
  Background
  Sometimes we have trouble solving problems because we attack them head-on and
  become immersed. The result is that we become too close to the problem and ﬁnd our-
  selves unable to generate new perspectives.
  This can’t-see-the-forest-for-the-trees outcome can be avoided by entering the forest
  from a different direction. Change direction and we change perspectives. Instead of being
  blocked by our initial, unproductive perspectives, we will discover new ways of seeing
  our problems. New ideas then will ﬂow.
  Problem reversals have been widely used ever since brainstorming was popularized
  by Alex Osborn in the 1930s. Creativity consultant Edward de Bono (1972) also advocated
  reversals as one way to achieve his concept of “lateral thinking.”
  Stand-up comedians and cartoonists often use reversals to create the unexpected. Just
  look at Gary Larson’s “The Far Side.” One of his cartoons, for instance, depicts riﬂe-hold-
  ing bears hunting people.
  Everyday creative problem solving also beneﬁts from reversing a problem statement.
  A popular approach to law enforcement is to reverse the problem of going out and get-
  ting the bad guys. Some police ofﬁcers instead think of ways to get the bad guys to come
  to them.
  Sounds far-fetched, doesn’t it? Why would wanted criminals come to the police? One
  result of reversing thinking on this problem is for police to send out invitations to a spe-
  cial “party.” The “guests” are arrested when they show up. Another is to notify wanted
  people they have won a prize and must show up in person to claim it. Thus, a simple
  change in problem deﬁnition provides a hot idea.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
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  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Problem Reversals Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Exaggerate That [39]
  • Law Breaker [50]
  • Turn Around [52]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the handout, review it with the participants, and answer any questions
  they may have.
  2. Instruct the groups to state their problems simply and clearly and write them on a
  ﬂip chart for all to see.
  3. Read the following aloud:
  “Reverse the direction of your problem statement. This reversal doesn’t have to be a direct reversal
  of any particular problem aspect. You may change the verb, the goal, or any words in the deﬁnition.
  Thus, reversal is deﬁned broadly as any change in a problem statement.”
  4. Tell them to write down on a ﬂip chart each reversal as a new (possibly silly-
  sounding) problem statement, beginning with the phrase, “How might we. . .?
  5. Direct them to use each reversal as a stimulus for new ideas, write the ideas on
  Post-it® Notes, and place them on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Reversals have great potential for all-purpose idea generation. They provide an easy way
  to “force” people to view an initial problem differently. They ﬁguratively force one out of
  a current “thinking box” and into another with the ability to trigger new ideas. You may
  want to emphasize that a reversal, as used in this exercise, does not have to be a direct or
  literal change. Changing any aspect of a problem often is all that is required.
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
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  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Grab Bag: Miscellaneous Activities
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Problem Reversals Handout
  Suppose you want to design a new soda can. Possible reversals include the following
  problem statements, each beginning with the same phrase. How might we design . . .
  • an old soda can (classic picture or bottle shape)?
  • a soda bottle?
  • a soda can?
  • a new beer can?
  • a new trash can?
  Next, use these reversals to help think of ideas:
  • A can with a classic logo or picture
  • A can in the shape of a bottle
  • A can that decomposes after use
  • A can with two compartments, with one side containing soda and one beer
  • A can that beeps after being emptied until it is deposited in a recycling bin. The beep-
  ing stops after sensors are activated when the can is placed in the bin.
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  52
  Turn Around
  Background
  Turn Around was originally developed by creativity consultant
  Steve Grossman (1984) as Assumption Reversals. It is a relative of
  the Law Breaker exercise [50] and generates ideas by reversing
  problem assumptions in any way possible. The difference between
  the two activities is that Law Breaker reverses what is commonly
  accepted as a “should” about a problem (for example, chocolate should be brown),
  whereas Turn Around reverses more general assumptions (for example, people eat choco-
  late).
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Turn Around Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Exaggerate That [39]
  • Law Breaker [50]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Turn Around Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  2. Instruct the groups to state their problems simply and clearly and write them on a
  ﬂip chart for all to see.
  3. Tell them to list all assumptions about their problems on a ﬂip chart. Remind them
  that even very obvious assumptions might be valuable.
  4. Tell them to reverse each assumption in any way possible (as done in the hand-
  out) and write each one down on ﬂip-chart paper.
  5. Tell them to use each assumption as a trigger for new ideas, write each idea on a
  Post-it® Note, and place them on ﬂip-chart paper for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Some problem assumptions are extremely basic and fundamental; others may be more
  abstract and esoteric. For instance, a basic assumption of a problem involving attracting
  new bank customers would be that the customers have money to invest. A more abstract
  assumption might be that customers put their money in banks primarily to satisfy their
  needs for security. Either type of assumption is appropriate for this exercise. So encourage
  participants to consider whatever assumption they think of, even if it may not be correct
  technically.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Turn Around Handout
  Assume you are the president of a bank and want to attract new customers. You might
  list the following assumptions:
  • Potential customers have money.
  • Placing money in the bank satisﬁes security needs.
  • Many potential customers are confused by banking procedures.
  • Banks lend money to make money.
  • People have to wait in line to get money.
  • When you withdraw your money, it is not really the same money you deposited origi-
  nally.
  • Banks keep money in vaults.
  Next, reverse these assumptions as shown in the following examples:
  • Potential customers have no money.
  • Putting money in the bank makes people insecure.
  • Potential customers all are knowledgeable bankers.
  • Banks lend money to lose money.
  • People never have to wait to get money.
  • Banks keep money in the open.
  Finally, use these reversals to suggest ideas:
  • Emphasize the lowest interest loans in town.
  • Stress security measures taken to protect the customers’ money.
  • Develop commercials showing the professional expertise of the bank’s ofﬁcers and
  staff.
  • Give customers who recruit other customers a higher interest rate.
  • Offer home ATMs.
  • Place a see-through bank vault door in the center of the bank.
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  “Just Alike Only Different”Activities:Analogies
  People who like using analogies will take to them like a duck takes to water or a pig takes
  to mud. If people really like these activities, it will be like falling in love for the ﬁrst time or
  the joy that comes from the birth of your ﬁrst child. People may like these activities because
  they help them function as smoothly as a ﬁne Swiss watch.
  The previous paragraph represents analogical thinking—comparisons based on similari-
  ties. Whenever we say something is “like” something else, we make an analogy.
  Such expressions enrich and enliven language and interpersonal communication in
  particular. Analogies also allow us to express ourselves creatively. Thus, all analogies are
  creative products.
  Analogies can help explain difﬁcult concepts and solve problems. For instance, educa-
  tors use analogies extensively when trying to teach difﬁcult concepts. Teachers pick one
  topic familiar to students and compare it with an unfamiliar topic. This enables students
  to understand the new topic more clearly based on their familiarity with the ﬁrst topic.
  Outside of the classroom, we also may use analogies when trying to explain a difﬁcult
  subject to someone.
  Analogies have broad applicability in the business world. One of the most famous
  examples involves the use of analogies to develop Pringles® potato chips. A client of the
  Cambridge consulting ﬁrm Synectics, Inc., (Gordon, 1961) gave the ﬁrm a problem of
  how to put more potato chips on supermarket shelves. Regular bags of potato chips con-
  tain a lot of air and take up valuable space. If the product could be compressed, the com-
  pany could increase its sales volume.
  To solve this problem, ﬁrm members thought of other things in life that are com-
  pressed. One that stood out was leaves. When crushed and mixed with water, the leaves
  would still be there but would use less space. So the ﬁrm applied this concept to potato
  chips by mixing water with dehydrated potato ﬂour, shaping the chips, stacking them,
  and putting them in small, cylindrical containers. Voila! An elegant solution using analog-
  ical thinking.
  The activities that follow are based on this same process of applying analogies, but
  these activities add a few twists. The only exception is the I Like It Like That [55] exercise,
  which provides a more structured approach to analogical thinking.
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  53
  Bionic Ideas
  Background
  Mother Nature is a pretty wise old gal. Among other things, she is a superior problem
  solver. Think about it. She has resolved countless problems for plants and animals
  (including humans). Many plants “know” how to turn toward a light source, for instance.
  And she helped bats to navigate without eyes, snakes to move without legs, and giraffes
  to eat leaves off tall trees.
  One speciﬁc type of analogy is known as “bionics.” Whereas general analogies reﬂect
  similarities anywhere in life, the Bionic Ideas exercise looks to Mother Nature for similari-
  ties. Why invent the wheel if Mother Nature has already done it?
  Research labs have resolved a variety of electronic, thermal, hydraulic, mechanical,
  and chemical problems using Bionic Ideas. For example, the eye of a beetle was used as
  an analogy to develop an aircraft ground-speed altitude indicator. Alexander Graham
  Bell used characteristics of the human ear to invent the telephone, and rattlesnake tem-
  perature-sensing organs helped suggest the guidance system for the Sidewinder heat-
  seeking missile.
  One famous analogy involved a product that is analogous to the common cocklebur.
  A hunter walking through a ﬁeld noticed how cockleburs caught on his trousers using a
  hook and loop mechanism. This closure system suggested the concept of Velcro®. An
  entire industry developed from this simple observation.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
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  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Bionic Ideas Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Chain Alike [54]
  • I Like It Like That [55]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Bionic Ideas Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  2. Have the groups state the problem as clearly as possible using an action verb and
  an object (for example, how to increase sales) and write it down on a ﬂip chart.
  3. Tell them to describe the major principle or process that underlies the problem.
  Cite, as an example, that increasing sales involves the principle of getting more of
  something.
  4. Ask them to think of similar principles in nature (that is, biological or botanical
  analogies).
  5. Instruct them to use these similar principles or processes to stimulate new ideas,
  writing them on Post-it® notes (one idea per note) to place on ﬂip charts for evalu-
  ation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Some people may have trouble generating analogies for this exercise. One way to help is
  to have the participants brainstorm more analogies than they might use. Another way to
  help would be to provide a list of processes and principles found in biology (for example,
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  osmosis, cell structures). Such lists would be available in biology texts or on the Internet.
  Consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Bionic Ideas Handout
  Assume you are the manager of a department store. Your assistant has informed you that
  the store’s losses due to shoplifting are greater than ever. To help resolve this problem,
  you decide to try Bionic Ideas.
  You state the problem as “How could we prevent shoplifting in our store?” Next, you
  describe the major principle or process as prevention. You then make a list of things in
  nature that involve the concept of prevention:
  • Most birds build their nests in trees to prevent predators from reaching the nests.
  • Some animals change the color of their skin to blend in with their environment and
  prevent attacks from enemies.
  • Squirrels put away nuts for the winter to prevent starvation during the cold months.
  • Many animal couples take turns guarding their nests to prevent harm to their off-
  spring.
  • Camels store large quantities of water in their bodies to prevent thirst and dehydra-
  tion.
  • Turtles quickly pull into their shells to prevent predators from biting their heads or
  legs.
  • Mother Nature installs a strong sex drive in most animals to prevent extinction of the
  species.
  • Many plants turn toward a light source to prevent loss of growth (the so-called pho-
  totropic response).
  • Leaves drop off many trees to prevent the trees from having to provide nourishment
  during the winter months.
  • Many animals make loud noises to prevent enemies from attacking.
  These comparisons might suggest the following ideas:
  • Install cameras in ceilings to watch for shoplifters.
  • Have security personnel pose as shoppers to blend in and nab any shoplifters.
  • Save extra money to make up for stolen merchandise.
  • Have employees rotate turns looking for shoplifters.
  • Encourage customers to turn in shoplifters by having a lottery among customers who
  report shoplifting. The winner receives an ocean cruise.
  • Install a sensor so that all the doors close automatically when the device detects that
  someone is trying to leave the store with stolen merchandise.
  • Offer employees rewards to encourage them to help perpetuate proﬁts for the store by
  catching shoplifters.
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  • Have all the store’s lights begin ﬂashing whenever someone attempts to leave with
  stolen items.
  • “Drop” very expensive items into tall boxes to prevent people from reaching the
  items. Instead, expensive items must be retrieved electronically by a clerk.
  • Install an alarm that sounds whenever someone tries to pick up an item before a clerk
  has turned off the alarm.
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  54
  Chain Alike
  Background
  If you generate ideas using analogies, your source of stimulation is generally limited to
  comparisons with the basic problem principle. For instance, the problem of preventing
  shoplifting (the Bionic Ideas [53] illustration) is limited to analogies involving the princi-
  ple of prevention. Although there is nothing wrong with this limitation, it does restrict the
  number of possible problem perspectives. And that’s not good.
  Fortunately, all is not lost. The Chain Alike activity attacks problems from multiple
  perspectives. And that’s good.
  Chain Alike is based on the Attribute Analogy Chains procedure developed by
  Koberg and Bagnall (1976). Ideas are generated by listing problem attributes, developing
  analogies for each attribute, and then using the analogies to prompt ideas.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2′′ diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • (Optional) One paper or electronic thesaurus for each group
  Handout
  • Chain Alike Handout
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  Time
  60 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Bionic Ideas [53]
  • I Like It Like That [55]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the handout, review it with the participants, and answer any questions
  they may have.
  2. Tape a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper lengthwise on a wall or table.
  3. Read the following instructions aloud:
  “On the left side of the paper, list in a single column all major problem attributes (for example,
  name, form, parts, shape, structure, processes, materials, functions). For each attribute, list several
  subattributes that describe the attributes. Thus, ‘round’ and ‘square’ would be examples of two
  types of shapes. Write these in a line to the right of each attribute.
  “On a separate sheet of paper, write down several analogies or words similar in meaning for each
  subattribute. The word ‘round,’ for example, might spark ‘circular,’ ‘a dog chasing its tail,’ and ‘a
  rolling ball. You may use paper or electronic thesauri to help select these words.”
  4. Tell them to examine each word analogy as a group, see what ideas are triggered,
  write them on Post-it® Notes (one per note), and place them on ﬂip-chart paper for
  evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Chain Alike is slightly more complicated than other analogy-based activities. More work
  is required to set up the stimuli to use as idea triggers. Ask the participants if they felt the
  extra work was worth the effort and if the quality of ideas was any better than when com-
  pared with other activities.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Chain Alike Handout
  Assume you are the manager of a department store. Your assistant has informed you that
  the store’s losses due to shoplifting are greater than ever. To help resolve this problem,
  you decide to try the Chain Alike activity.
  • Customers
  • Merchandise
  • Money
  • Security
  • Observing customers
  Next, list subattributes:
  • Name: Shoplifting
  • Customers: Children, elderly, middle-aged, rich, poor, educated, uneducated
  • Merchandise: Electronics in display cases, clothing on shelves and racks
  • Money: Dollar bills, coins, credit cards, debt, charging, exchange rates
  • Security: Guards, cameras, alarms, lighting, electronic sensors
  • Observing Customers: Watching, unobtrusive, disguises, equipment
  Next, look at the subattributes and develop analogies for each one. For instance, some
  sample word analogies might include the following:
  • Name: Disappearing merchandise
  • Customers: Small people, money collectors, enhanced brains
  • Merchandise: Electronic organizers, viewing boxes, stacking levels
  • Money: Circular disks, plastic debits, substituting values
  • Security: Caretakers, visual image capturing devices, illumination projection
  • Observing Customers: Hidden recesses, cover-ups, electronic information processors
  Finally, generate ideas using these word analogies:
  • Lock all merchandise in display cases (from “disappearing merchandise”).
  • Install a system so that people must pay for merchandise on their way out to unlock
  an exit door. People who don’t buy anything subject themselves to personal inspec-
  tions (from “money collectors”).
  • Place video cameras on merchandise counters (from “viewing boxes”).
  • Provide educational seminars in schools on the pitfalls of shoplifting (from “substitut-
  ing values”).
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  • Place monitors throughout the store that show shoplifters being arrested (from “visu-
  al image capturing devices”).
  • Project onto the walls pictures of previous customers who were caught shoplifting
  (from “illumination projection”).
  • Put all merchandise in vending machines (from “hidden recesses”).
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  55
  I Like It Like That
  Background
  This activity is the grandparent of all the “just alike only different” activities. It is based
  on general analogical thinking that relies on the direct comparison of one thing or action
  to another. As with Bionic Ideas [53], comparisons are used to spark ideas. The difference
  is that the comparisons may be drawn from anywhere, not just from Mother Nature, as
  with Bionic Ideas. Once the similarities have been identiﬁed, they are elaborated and then
  used to stimulate ideas.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2′′ diameter)and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • I like It Like That Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Bionic Ideas [53]
  • Chain Alike [54]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the I Like It Like That Handout, review it with the participants, and
  answer any questions they may have.
  2. Tell group members to think of the major principle underlying their problem and
  use it to generate a list of things similar to the problem. To help generate this list,
  say, “This problem is like. . . .” (See the handout for an example.)
  3. Instruct them to select one of the analogies and describe it in detail, elaborating as
  much as possible, listing parts, functions, or uses. Remind them to include many
  action-oriented phrases and, if possible, select an analogy that is controversial or
  out of the ordinary.
  4. Have them review each description and use it to stimulate ideas that they should
  write on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place on ﬂip-chart paper for evalu-
  ation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Some research suggests that analogies are more likely than other direct stimulation activi-
  ties to yield unique ideas. Analogies also seem to work especially well for mechanical
  problems. For instance, analogies have been used to design a new type of thermos bottle
  closure and a way to attach spacesuit helmets. Although this activity may take a little
  more effort, it is quite useful for difﬁcult problems.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  I Like It Like That Handout
  Suppose you decide to use analogies to help recruit more engineers for your organization.
  The major principle in this case is, “getting more of something.” Thus, you might think of
  analogies prompted by the phrase, “This problem is like . . .”
  • asking your parents for an increase in your allowance.
  • asking your boss for a raise.
  • asking a cook for more food.
  • asking your boss for more time to complete a project.
  • an employee trying to get more power over another employee.
  • a football team trying to win more games.
  • a panhandler begging for more money.
  • calling people to sell more magazines.
  Select one of these analogies and elaborate.
  A panhandler begging for more money involves the following things:
  • Deciding which people to ask
  • Not being too overbearing
  • Watching out for the police
  • Looking pathetic
  • Using creative requests, such as asking for a quarter to call about graduate school
  admission
  • Looking as presentable as possible
  • Maintaining eye contact
  • Finding the best location
  • Using many different locations
  Finally, use the elaborations to suggest ideas for recruiting engineers:
  • Screen potential candidates using recommendations and background checks.
  • Use a “soft sell” approach; don’t seem overly interested.
  • Conduct security checks.
  • Tell top recruits how much you need them.
  • Give prospects a toll-free number to call if they have questions.
  • Scout out the best recruiting locations.
  • Search for a variety of personality and ability types by recruiting from many different
  schools in various regions of the country.
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  56
  What Is It?
  Background
  Advertising and marketing professionals frequently push products based on assumptions
  regarding core motivations and needs. Rather than appeal to people to buy a product
  based on its features, advertisers try to show potential customers how a product will sat-
  isfy some need.
  For instance, one advertisement might push a brand of coffee because it tastes good.
  Another, in contrast, might emphasize how the product will satisfy the need to feel
  secure. Because security may be a stronger motivator than the taste of coffee, consumers
  may respond more positively to the need-satisfaction approach.
  Here are some other possible examples:
  • A convertible isn’t a car, it’s excitement.
  • A watch isn’t a timepiece, it’s a piece of jewelry.
  • A job position recruitment campaign isn’t for a job, it’s for prestige and recognition.
  • A coat isn’t for warmth, it’s a fashion statement.
  All of these relate to the question, What is it? Hall (1994) uses this question as the
  basis for an idea generation method by the same name. It generates ideas by thinking
  what else a problem is and then using these descriptions as idea stimuli.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2′′ diameter)and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
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  Handout
  • What Is It? Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Essence of the Problem [38]
  • Turn Around [52]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the What Is It Handout, review it with the participants, and answer any
  questions they may have.
  2. Tell the participants to describe their problems in at least six different ways that
  capture the “essence” of their problems (see the handout for examples).
  3. Instruct them to use their descriptions to prompt ideas, write them on Post-it®
  Notes (one idea per note), and place them on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This activity differs from most in its emphasis on human emotions and how they drive
  our creative abilities. It can be especially useful for new product development because of
  its ability to uncover consumer needs and supply ways to meet them. However, it also is
  extremely versatile in its ability to provide diverse problem perspectives by helping
  uncover hidden or unwarranted assumptions. You might ask participants to compare its
  ability to generate unique ideas with a an activity that relies on unrelated stimuli such as
  words, pictures, or objects.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  What Is It? Handout
  Consider the problem of improving an ofﬁce desk. First, describe what desks are. For
  instance, you might say that ofﬁce desks are not just desks, they are
  • Smooth writing areas
  • Occupational centers
  • Computer support stands
  • Leg and lap covers
  • Hollowed-out wooden boxes
  Then use these descriptions to generate ideas:
  • A variable-tilt writing surface built into the desk top
  • Desks tailored to different occupations. For instance, a doctor’s desk might have a
  place to hold a stethoscope, a blood pressure cuff, and other diagnostic tools, as well
  as a built-in computer screen with the Physician’s Desk Reference on a CD
  • A computer monitor that ﬂips up when needed, a CPU under the desk, and a key-
  board built into the desk top
  • A desk with heating pads and foot warmers
  • A desk that can be collapsed easily and stored in a compact area
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Group Only 
  Activities
  L
  L
  TLFeBOOK
  
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Chapter 9
  Brainstorming with 
  Related Stimuli
  B
  rainstorming with related activities is classic brainstorming as developed and popu-
  larized by Alex Osborn. It’s idea generation that focuses on the problem and uses the
  ideas of other group members as stimuli. The key to successful brainstorming is adher-
  ence to the following brainstorming principles.
  1. Defer Judgment
  Withhold all evaluation of ideas during idea generation. That is, separate generation from
  evaluation. Once you have listed all possible ideas, then go back and evaluate them.
  There’s a lot of logic behind this principle. First, most groups don’t follow it and, as a
  result, are less than productive. Second, deferring judgment increases the odds of ﬁnding
  at least one good idea. If you spend a lot of time evaluating each idea as you think of it,
  you may run out of time before you can list all possible ideas. It’s a matter of probability.
  Finally, separating evaluation from generation helps you avoid creating a negative
  group climate. Idea generation generally is a fun, positive experience. If you stop to criti-
  cize each idea as it is proposed, you’re interjecting a negative process that disrupts the
  more positive aspects. Thus, you may never produce a climate healthy enough for effec-
  tive idea generation. Separate the processes and you’ll be amazed at how productive your
  group can be.
  2. Quantity Breeds Quality
  The more ideas you list, the more high-quality ideas you’ll get. Again, it’s all a matter of
  probability. Let’s assume there is a potential pool of ﬁve hundred ideas. That’s how many
  ideas you could generate hypothetically if you had all the brains and time in the world.
  Of these ﬁve hundred ideas, assume there are twenty-ﬁve you would consider as high
  quality. If you use the sequential generate-evaluate, generate-evaluate-generate-evaluate
  cycle, you may get “lucky” and produce a total of twenty-ﬁve ideas during a one-hour
  brainstorming session. Now, just what are the odds that a majority of these would be the
  LLLL
  247
  TLFeBOOK
  
  same twenty-ﬁve high-quality ideas? The answer: not very high. The sequential approach
  relies on pure chance to produce a high-quality idea. It is more logical to increase the
  odds by ﬁrst listing as many ideas as possible. You always can go back and evaluate them
  later. Moreover, each idea you list can help spark other ideas. So if you defer judgment
  and shoot for quantity, you may produce 125 ideas. Now what are the odds that one of
  those is a high-quality one? The answer: very high. You don’t need to be a statistician to
  ﬁgure out this one.
  3. The Wilder the Better
  Although idea quantity is essential for idea quality, it may not always be sufﬁcient. You
  can’t always rely on the laws of probability. Thus, you need to free your mind and turn
  off censors and shake off constraints. Shoot for wild, crazy, silly, off-the-wall ideas. These
  ideas—and the ones they spark—are the ones you need for high-quality, winning ideas.
  Don’t worry about practicality when generating ideas. Remember, you’re supposed to
  separate generation and evaluation. Instead, focus on how many wild ideas you can think
  of. Some conventional ideas are O.K., too. But don’t make a habit of it. Go for the unusual
  and see what results.
  4. Combine and Improve Ideas
  Another way to ensure high-quality ideas is to not let your ideas get lonely. Give them
  relatives and friends. That is, use your natural powers of free association and see how
  you can combine an existing idea with another one to form a completely new idea. Or
  encourage your ideas to be all they can be. Empower them to use their full potential. Take
  an existing idea and try to improve it. How else might it be implemented? What could
  you substitute, change, reverse, or make larger or smaller? What would make it better?
  Go for it and you’ll increase your IQ (Idea Quotient) and generate better ideas as well.
  NOTE:FOR ALL ACTIVITIES,REMIND PARTICIPANTS 
  TO DEFER JUDGMENT WHILE GENERATING IDEAS.
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  57
  Be #1
  Background
  You want to be number one, don’t you? Who doesn’t? In the busi-
  ness world, it’s important to carve out a niche and then work to
  dominate it.
  Hall (1994) describes how you can use this emphasis on being
  number one to help generate ideas. All you do is list current beneﬁts
  of some product or process and then transform them into winning,
  number one ideas.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Be #1 Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Related Activities
  • Idea Links [41]
  • Skybridging [46]
  Procedure
  1. Have the groups tape a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper lengthwise on a wall or table.
  2. Distribute the Be #1 Handout, review it with the participants, and answer any
  questions they may have.
  3. Tell the groups to list on the paper, in a single column, the current core beneﬁts of
  their general business category. Prompt them to include both the trivial and the
  essential.
  4. Have them create a second column in which they transform each beneﬁt into its
  best state. Have them use the phrase “the best” or a word that ends in “est” (for
  example, “fastest”).
  5. Direct them, in column three, to list ways to achieve this elevated status. Note that
  these are their ideas.
  6. Instruct them to repeat Steps 3 through 5, but to list in column one new beneﬁts
  that currently do not exist.
  7. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  An appealing feature of this exercise is that it may bring out a competitive spirit that can
  be translated into creative applications. More importantly, the matrix structure of this
  activity might provide the structure needed for some people to generate ideas instead of
  having to “pull them out of the air.” It also provides a potentially useful visual focus for
  group members to direct their attention. If participants have trouble generating ideas
  with this exercise and time is available, consider having them start over but using new
  beneﬁts.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Be #1 Handout
  Consider a problem involving a company that wishes to improve its line of ﬂoor cleaners.
  Examples of current beneﬁts, being the best, and ideas are shown in Table 9.1.
  Current Beneﬁts
  Being the Best
  Ways to Realize (Ideas)
  Shines ﬂoors
  Best shine
  Use luminescence
  Cleans ﬂoors
  The best cleaner
  Antiseptic, good smell
  Easy application
  Easiest to apply
  New, precise applicator
  Table 9.1.
  Example of Current Beneﬁts
  After generating ideas using current beneﬁts, repeat the process using new beneﬁts.
  Examples of new beneﬁts, being the best, and ideas are shown in Table 9.2.
  Current Beneﬁts
  Being the Best
  Ways to Realize (Ideas)
  Quick drying
  Fastest drying
  Dries instantly
  Waxes ﬂoors
  Best cleaner and waxer
  Combination product
  Easy-to-hold package
  Best ergonomic design
  Dispenser also cleans
  Table 9.2.
  Example of New Beneﬁts
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
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  58
  Blender
  Background
  A blender mixes two or more products together to produce something that may not even
  resemble the original products. Sometimes the ﬁnal product is better than either of the
  originals. That’s the philosophy behind the Blender activity.
  According to Warﬁeld, Geschka, and Hamilton (1975), Blender originally was devel-
  oped by Helmut Schlicksupp at the Battelle Institute in Frankfurt, Germany. His name for
  the method was SIL, a German acronym meaning Successive Integration of Problem Ele-
  ments. This activity combines elements of brainwriting and brainstorming, thus taking
  advantage of the strengths of each.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Blender Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Force-Fit Game [74]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Blender Handout, review it with the participants, and answer any
  questions they may have.
  2. Ask each person in the small groups to write, on Post-it® Notes (one idea per
  note), ideas for the problem, without speaking, for about 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Tell them to have two group members each read one of their ideas aloud.
  4. Have the other group members attempt to integrate (blend) the two ideas into one
  idea and ask one group member to write it down on a Post-it® Note.
  5. Instruct them to have a third group member read an idea aloud and have the
  groups integrate it with the result of Step 4 (that is, all three ideas now are inte-
  grated, because the third idea is integrated with the product of the ﬁrst two ideas).
  Tell them that someone in their group should write down this new idea on a Post-
  it® Note.
  6. Tell them to repeat this process until all ideas have been read and the group has
  attempted to integrate them (some ideas may defy integration).
  7. Have the groups stop when the members ﬁnd an integrated idea acceptable to all
  or time runs out.
  8. Tell them to write down any other ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and
  place all ideas generated on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This exercise has the potential to spark some unique ideas by blending together a number
  of concepts. One downside is that the potential limitations posed by integrating ideas,
  some of which might have been better as a stand-alone solution. To overcome this disad-
  vantage, encourage the participants to write down any ideas on Post-its for evaluation,
  even if the idea is combined with another. This way, possibly valuable ideas won’t be lost.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Blender Handout
  Assume you belong to a group of volunteer speakers. The group has met to brainstorm
  ways to improve their speeches. Group members silently generate ideas in writing for
  about 10 minutes. Then Mary reads her idea: “Ask the audience to submit questions on
  your topic before you speak.”
  Next, John reads his idea: “Tell an opening story to get the attention of the audience
  and to illustrate your major theme.”
  The group members think about these ideas and integrate them into one idea: “Ask
  the audience to submit brief stories illustrating a theme, take a break to analyze their
  responses, and then tell them the outcome.”
  After everyone agrees on this idea, Fred reads his idea: “Have audience members pair
  up with one other person to introduce themselves.”
  The group members attempt to integrate this idea and come up with this: “To illus-
  trate how people miscommunicate, tell one audience member in a row a ‘secret’ and have
  that person tell it to the next person in the row who tells it to the next person and so forth.
  After the secret makes it to the end of the row, ask the last person to tell the entire audi-
  ence the secret. The ﬁnal version of the ‘secret’ usually is a gross distortion of the origi-
  nal.”
  Melvin then suggests his idea: “Project your image on screens around the room.”
  The group attempts to integrate this idea and comes up with the following: “Continu-
  ally project audience members’ facial reactions on a screen to demonstrate feedback
  through nonverbal communication.”
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  59
  Drawing Room
  Background
  You have probably browsed in a museum at one time or another. On a visit to a museum
  in Washington, D.C. (the Phillips Collection), I was struck with the variety of ideas
  expressed by the paintings from different periods: a Picasso from his blue period commu-
  nicated some degree of depression, a Renoir showed a group of people enjoying them-
  selves at a boating party luncheon, and a Degas showed ballet dancers preparing to
  perform. Of course, these are just my subjective impressions. You may not agree with
  what I see and experience. And that’s just ﬁne.
  The paintings provide rich sources of stimulation to help us interpret and understand
  our world. Groups can use this principle of visual stimulation to generate ideas and have
  fun at the same time.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter), four sheets of 8.5” x 11” white paper, at least four crayons of different
  colors, and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Time
  30 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Picture Tickler [17]
  • Rorschach Revisionist [18]
  • Ideatoons [26]
  • Doodles [37]
  • Modular Brainstorming [62]
  Procedure
  1. Tell each group member to draw, individually, a picture representing a solution to
  the problem. Say that the picture may be either abstract or realistic and that artis-
  tic talent is not important.
  2. When they have ﬁnished, tell them to tape their pictures to the walls or on a ﬂip
  chart.
  3. Instruct all participants from all groups to walk around the room and examine the
  drawings just as people would do in a museum. As group members examine the
  pictures, tell them to write down on Post-it® Notes any comments or new ideas
  triggered.
  4. Instruct each group to reconvene and share their ideas, in turn, and try to think of
  any new ideas.
  5. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Participants don’t need artistic talent for this exercise. In fact, this activity may work
  extremely well for visual thinkers who can play off of visual stimuli to help trigger ideas.
  Because some drawings may be more abstract than others, encourage participants to dis-
  cuss whether they found more value in concrete or abstract drawings, or if it even made a
  difference.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Variations
  • Ask one-half of the group draw an abstract version and the other half a more realistic
  representation. Instruct the groups using Steps 2 through 4 above.
  • Have participants pass their drawings around the table before ﬁnishing them.
  Encourage other participants to add to the drawings until each has gone around the
  table once. Instruct the groups using Steps 2 through 4 above.
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  60
  Get Real!!
  Background
  We’ve all heard it before: “That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard!” “It’ll
  never work!” “That’s pretty dumb.” “Get real!!” We seem to be condi-
  tioned to react negatively whenever we hear a new idea. Sometimes, the
  more innovative the idea, the more repulsed we are. It’s as if our attitude is
  “If I haven’t heard of it (or thought of it) before, then it can’t be any good”
  (the “not-invented here syndrome”).
  Well, get real! Such a negative attitude isn’t going to beneﬁt us
  individually or in groups. In fact, this attitude can establish a nega-
  tive climate that eliminates the possibility of developing any useful,
  innovative ideas. There is a bright side to such an attitude, howev-
  er. It can be turned around and used to stimulate ideas.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2′′ diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Get Real!! Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Picture Tickler [17]
  • Rorschach Revisionist [18]
  • Ideatoons [26]
  • Doodles [37]
  • Drawing Room [59]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Get Real!! Handout, review it with the participants, and answer any
  questions they may have.
  2. Instruct the participants in each group to brainstorm ideas for approximately 15
  minutes.
  3. Tell them to write down each idea, individually, on a Post-it® Note (one idea per
  note) and place it on a ﬂip chart for all to see.
  4. Have the group members select the two or three stupidest, most impractical, and
  most unworkable ideas from among those posted on the ﬂip chart.
  5. Direct the group members to examine each of these ideas and see what smart,
  practical, workable ideas the original ideas might stimulate.
  6. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This can be a fun and interesting exercise, especially for participants who tend to be high-
  ly judgmental. It can be surprising to see how supposedly “bad” ideas actually can be
  used to spark creative solutions. This information can be useful for training in creative
  thinking if participants will transfer it to other problem-solving situations. Ideas do not
  always have to be the perfect match for a problem; they also can be springboards to more
  practical ones.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Get Real!! Handout
  Suppose your organization wants to attract people to its arts foundation fund raisers. You
  and some others brainstorm some ideas and select two of the worst ones:
  • Call all the people in town and ask them to attend.
  • Offer to pick people up and drive them to the seminar.
  With these ideas as stimuli, the group generates some more practical ideas:
  • Hire a marketing ﬁrm to call people most likely to beneﬁt from such a seminar.
  • Advertise on a radio show and offer a discount to the ﬁrst twenty people who enroll
  by phone.
  • Pay mileage to seminar participants.
  • Lease buses to transport people from a common collection point.
  • Rafﬂe off a free rental car at the seminar.
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  61
  Idea Showers
  Background
  Let the ideas rain on down. Flood your group with thoughts
  about how to solve your problem. Try for as much conceptual
  precipitation as you can generate. It’s time for Idea Showers.
  Ideas Showers is another name for the classic brainstorming
  method developed years ago by advertising executive Alex
  Osborn.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes.
  Handout
  • Idea Showers Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Get Crazy [5]
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  • Idea Links [41]
  • What if. . . ? [49]
  • Phillips 66 [64]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Idea Showers Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  2. After reviewing the handout, emphasize the importance of each of the four princi-
  ples. Stress that the number one rule is to defer judgment.
  3. Ask the groups to select a problem statement in the form of: “How might we. . . ?”
  For instance, “How might we better market our product or service?”
  4. Instruct them to spend 15 minutes generating ideas to resolve this problem, with
  each person writing an idea on a Post-it® Note, after suggesting it verbally.
  5. Call time and tell them place their ideas on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Ask the participants to discuss the following questions:
  • Why is deferring judgment so important?
  • Is it more important than the other three brainstorming principles? Why or why not?
  • How feasible is it to defer judgment in practice?
  • How might groups overcome obstacles to deferring judgment?
  • Why are the other three principles important?
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Idea Showers Handout
  Advertising executive Alex Osborn’s four principles for brainstorming are
  • Defer judgment
  • Quantity breeds quality
  • The wilder the better
  • Combination and improvement are sought
  The trick is to translate these principles into workable brainstorming behaviors. The
  ﬁrst principle suggests that your group should agree to think of all the ideas they can
  before evaluating any ideas. If you stick to this principle, you also should be successful
  with the second principle of quantity breeds quality. Separating generation from evalua-
  tion has been found to increase idea quantity, with a corresponding increase in quality.
  The third principle reinforces the second in that letting go and not being concerned with
  idea practicality is likely to increase idea quantity. Finally, the fourth principle—combina-
  tion and improvement are sought—is likely to improve idea quality. Building on others’
  ideas helps improve existing ideas while triggering new ones.
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  62
  Modular Brainstorming
  Background
  You’ve certainly heard the expression “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, you
  might also say that a picture is worth a thousand ideas. Modular Brainstorming (also
  called “Component Detailing”) was developed by Wakin (1985) to take advantage of the
  natural human tendency to use visualization during problem solving. This activity also
  helps provoke unique perspectives by positioning the pictures in a certain way.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Modular Brainstorming Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Picture Tickler [17]
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  • Rorschach Revisionist [18]
  • Ideatoons [26]
  • Doodles [37]
  • Drawing Room [59]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Modular Brainstorming Handout, review it with the participants,
  and answer any questions they may have.
  2. Tell the group members to generate a list of major problem components and sub-
  attributes for each component.
  3. Instruct the group members to each select a different component, that is, one per
  person; if there are more attributes than components, have them each select an
  additional one. (If the problem involves a tangible product, you might give the
  groups an actual product.)
  4. Tell the individual group members to study the component and its attributes, not-
  ing all details.
  5. Have the individuals draw a picture of their components, being sure to include as
  much detail as possible.
  6. Ask each group to collect their drawings and attach them to a wall or board or lay
  them out on a large table. Note that they should arrange the pictures so that their
  placement approximates the components of the actual problem/product.
  7. Have the members of each group examine this collage to stimulate new ideas or
  improvements. Note that the individual drawings typically vary in size and pro-
  portion, thus instantly creating new perspectives.
  8. Tell the participants to use the drawings to prompt ideas.
  9. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  The visualizations and creative juxtapositions generated by this activity give it the poten-
  tial to generate unique problem perspectives and innovative ideas. It is another visualiza-
  tion approach that can work well with people who can play off of concrete images. One
  unique aspect of this activity is that visual images of different sizes placed next to each
  other create unique perspectives not normally created with more traditional idea genera-
  tion activities.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
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  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Modular Brainstorming Handout
  To illustrate this activity, suppose you are a facilitator who agreed to help a company
  improve a common door lock. You ask group members ﬁrst to list components such as
  knobs, latches, pins, tumblers, keys, bolts, springs, and a striking plate. Next, they list
  subattributes of each component. For instance, springs have such characteristics as being
  spiral in shape, under tension, capable of being stretched, and varied in size.
  After group members draw pictures of the individual components, they arrange the
  pictures together and examine the collage for stimulation. Thus, the doorknob might sug-
  gest a new shape for a handle, and the bolt might be made larger and be designed to
  interlock with a different mechanism in the doorjamb.
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  63
  Pass the Hat
  Background
  Doug Hall (1994) uses Pass the Hat as a combination brainstorming/brainwriting proce-
  dure for two or more groups. Unlike some brainwriting activities, this activity involves
  generating problem attributes for stimuli instead of generating ideas. Other groups then
  use the attributes to spark ideas.
  Pass the Hat emphasizes blending together problem features to produce something
  new. This “mix and match” process has been around for a while. Consider, for instance,
  such products as wine coolers that blend wine and fruit juice.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • One sheet of 5.5” x 8.5” paper for each group
  • Pens or pencils for each group member
  Handout
  • Pass the Hat Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Brain Purge [82]
  • Idea Pool [85]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Pass the Hat Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  2. Give each small group a silly hat. (You can buy them from novelty stores or
  online.) If you don’t have any hats, use small paper bags, wastebaskets, plastic
  sacks, or pillow cases. (Of course, you’ll then need to change the name to “Pass
  the Plastic Sacks” or “Pass the Pillow Cases” or whatever.)
  3. Have each group write down ﬁve problem attributes, characteristics, emotions,
  general perceptions, traits, features, or beneﬁts of the challenge. (If there is more
  than one problem category—for example, different types of beverages such as
  punch, soda, and milk—instruct the groups to complete one list for each category,
  but no more than a total of three.)
  4. Tell each group to place its list into a hat and pass the hat to another group.
  5. Instruct each group to use the list it just received to think of ideas and write them
  on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) to be placed on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  6. Tell the groups that when they have ﬁnished with the list, to return it to the hat
  and pass it to another group, which then uses the list for stimulation.
  7. After the groups have used all the available lists or time is called, stop the exercise
  (a time limit will generally be needed only when there are multiple lists).
  Debrief/Discussion
  Although Pass the Hat was originally developed for use with multiple groups, it will also
  work with just one group. Simply use the lists individuals generate instead of one passed
  to you by another group. One nice feature of this activity is that it provides problem-relat-
  ed stimuli that might help provoke new ideas. A more important feature, however, is its
  use of ideas from other groups to help spark new ideas. A more rich idea pool is likely to
  result. If time is available, you might ask the groups to discuss the advantages and disad-
  vantages of sharing ideas with other groups.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
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  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Pass the Hat Handout
  Suppose you are concerned with packaging and marketing water in plastic bottles. Your
  group lists ﬁve attributes of this product:
  • The bottle has a screw-on cap.
  • The water is perceived as being pure and free from contamination.
  • The bottle can easily be recycled.
  • Different ﬂavors will enhance the taste of the water.
  • The bottle is unbreakable and lighter than a glass bottle.
  You place this list in a hat and pass it to the next group. This group examines the list
  and generates the following ideas:
  • Design a novelty bottle shaped like a water faucet.
  • Stress product purity in advertisements and label designs.
  • Demonstrate environmental awareness by providing recycling instructions on the
  label.
  • Use different colors of plastic that match different ﬂavors.
  • Package water in bottles shaped like the fruit used to ﬂavor the water.
  • Advertise by dropping plastic and glass bottles on a hard surface.
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  64
  Phillips 66
  Background
  Does the name of this activity make you want to gas up your car? Do you have a sudden
  urge to buy stock in an oil company? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions,
  you may be a little strange.
  The Phillips 66 activity has nothing to do with gasoline, the Phillips Petroleum Com-
  pany, or your personality. It has a lot to do, however, with the name of the person who
  devised this activity: Donald Phillips.
  Phillips (1948), a former president of Hillsdale College, created Phillips 66 (also
  known as the Phillips 66 Buzz Session) to help increase audience participation in large
  groups.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  • To involve a large audience in small group brainstorming
  Participants
  Small groups of six people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • One overhead projector, transparency markers, and at least one transparency sheet for
  each small group
  Time
  45 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Idea Showers [61]
  Procedure
  1. Tell the groups to select a discussion leader and a secretary/recorder who will
  record and report the group’s ideas.
  2. Have the groups generate ideas for 6 minutes and record them on a ﬂip chart. (If
  more time is available, allow the groups 15 to 20 minutes.)
  3. Tell each group to evaluate its ideas and select the best ones.
  4. Instruct the spokesperson for each group to read aloud the group’s best ideas to
  the large group.
  5. The facilitator (you or someone you appoint) should record each group’s best
  ideas on a ﬂip chart or overhead transparency visible to all.
  6. Give the ﬁnal list of ideas to an individual or committee for additional evaluation,
  or ask the larger group to discuss the ideas if time permits. Record any new ideas
  that result.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is a rather simplistic version of traditional brainstorming with the twist of sharing
  ideas from the other groups. When it ﬁrst was created years ago, it was novel in provid-
  ing a structured way to solicit ideas from a large group of participants—even several hun-
  dred. By breaking down the audience into small groups, everyone is ensured of a chance
  to participate and the structure can produce more ideas than otherwise might result. You
  probably should consider using the brainwriting variation separately or in conjunction
  with brainstorming. This should ensure more ideas and higher quality ones.
  Consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • Use brainwriting within the groups. Have each person write at least one idea on a
  Post-it® Note and pass it around the group for others to use for stimulating ideas. The
  group then would select the best ones to present to the large group.
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  65
  Play by Play
  Background
  Play by Play is another Doug Hall (1994) brainchild that he describes as a step-by-step
  adventure. This activity is much like doing a mini-commercial for television. It is especial-
  ly appropriate for process or new product improvements. However, it also could apply to
  other types of problems such as those involving marketing or human resources.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes.
  • One camera for each group capable of taking instant pictures or a digital camera and
  small printer capable of printing photos on demand (either directly from the camera
  or via a computer)
  • For each group, examples of products or processes that might need improvement and
  any associated accessories. For instance, if you want to improve fruit drinks, you
  would bring existing fruit drinks, fruit, drink containers, drinking cups, straws, ice, et
  cetera.
  Time
  75 minutes (requires preparation one week prior to the activity)
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  Related Activities
  • Picture Tickler [17]
  • SAMM I Am [33]
  • Say Cheese [44]
  Handout
  • Play by Play Handout
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Play by Play Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  2. Distribute one camera to each group or ask them, in advance, to bring a camera.
  3. Discuss using the cameras to be sure everyone understands how to use them.
  4. Instruct them to photograph each step involved in using a product or process,
  starting from as far back as possible, and to try to go far into the future. In the fruit
  drink example, a group might start with a picture of different types of fruit and
  end with some exotic looking concoction.
  5. After they have taken all the pictures, have the groups arrange their pictures in
  order and examine them.
  6. Instruct them to look for moments that might be improved, moments that seem to
  have best captured the essence of the product or process, and the most intriguing
  moments.
  7. Tell them to redo any pictures that need improvement.
  8. Direct the groups to examine all the pictures again and use them to help generate
  new ideas.
  9. Have them write their ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place them
  on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This exercise typically is very popular because of its fun, hands-on approach and its use
  of individual creative talents and visual images. To ensure successful implementation,
  plan ahead for technical problems that might arise, such as cameras not working properly
  to take or print pictures. A couple of extra cameras probably would be a good idea. This
  also is an excellent exercise to use for a group discussion of what else could be added to
  make it more interesting or useful.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
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  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Play by Play Handout
  Assume you manufacture soup and want to improve sales. You might create scenes in
  which a small child is shown:
  • Walking into a kitchen
  • Pushing a chair toward a cabinet
  • Smiling as she reaches for a can of soup in the cabinet
  • Retrieving a can opener from a drawer
  • Opening the can of soup with her tongue projecting from one corner of her mouth
  • Retrieving a pan from underneath a counter
  • Pouring soup into the pan
  • Stirring the soup
  • Ladling the soup into a bowl
  • Eating the soup with it dripping from her mouth
  • Drinking the soup from the bowl
  • Sitting and smiling
  With these pictures as stimuli, a soup company brainstorming group might think of
  the following types of ideas:
  • Easy-open cans for children
  • “Cartoon” soups with appropriate themes and pictures
  • A soup can with a built-in heating pan
  • A can with a pour spout
  • A can with a built-in or attached “classic” soup spoon
  • Ready-to-eat cold soups with straws
  • Soup cans with small mirrors on the label in which a child’s face can be seen as the
  head of some cartoon character
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  66
  Rice Storm
  Background
  Not all brain activities help all people. If one activity doesn’t seem helpful, try another.
  But if you ﬁnd yourself totally stumped during idea generation, it may be time to back up
  instead of plunging blindly ahead with more ideas. The solution may not be trying more
  activities or ﬁnding more creative people. Instead, you may need to devote some time to
  ensuring that the problem is understood.
  This need for clarifying a problem is especially critical in groups. The more people
  involved in problem solving, the greater the number of perceptions that must be dealt
  with. Each individual may see a problem from a different perspective. In such situations,
  the group won’t be able to generate ideas until all group members are aligned in their
  perceptions.
  Rice Storm (also called the TKJ Method) is a Japanese activity developed by
  Kobayashi and Kawakita as described in Michalko (1991). It has two stages: (1) under-
  standing the problem and (2) solving the problem. Understanding involves ensuring that
  each group member grasps the essence of the problem; solving involves encouraging
  individuals to participate in idea generation.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, one ﬂip chart, masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart sheets,
  and one deck of 4 x 6 index cards.
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
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  Handout
  • Rice Storm Handout
  Time
  60 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Picture Tickler [17]
  • Rorschach Revisionist [18]
  • Ideatoons [26]
  • Doodles [37]
  • Drawing Room [59]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Rice Storm Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  Problem Deﬁnition
  1. Tell group members to write pertinent facts about the problem on index cards
  (one fact per card).
  2. Have someone in each group collect and redistribute the cards among the group
  members so that no one receives his or her original card.
  3. Instruct the groups to have one person read one card aloud.
  4. Tell the group members to select facts on their cards that are related to the one
  read. They are then to read these facts aloud to the other members, thus building a
  set of facts.
  5. Have someone record these facts on a ﬂip chart.
  6. Instruct the groups to label the set of facts using a name that reﬂects the set’s
  essence. Tell them to derive this name by considering all the facts and then boiling
  them down to extract essential features. This name must be (a) veriﬁable using the
  facts from which it was generated; (b) speciﬁc (not too general); and (c) a simple
  combination of the subset of facts.
  7. Have them repeat this process (Steps 4 through 7) until all the facts have been dis-
  tilled into name sets.
  8. Instruct the groups to combine all the sets until there is one all-inclusive group of
  sets that they must name. This name must (a) reﬂect the essence of the all-inclu-
  sive problem deﬁnition set and (b) include all of the previously discussed facts
  and essences.
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  9. Tell the group members they should afﬁrm individually this ﬁnal deﬁnition and
  feel that a consensus has been reached.
  Problem Solution
  1. Tell group members to write potential solutions to the problem on index cards
  (one idea per card).
  2. Have someone in each group collect and redistribute the cards among the group
  members so that no one receives his or her original card.
  3. Instruct the groups to have one person read one card aloud.
  4. Tell the group members to look over the solutions on their cards and select the
  ones related to the solution just read. Have the members share these related solu-
  tions and use them to build solution-set card piles.
  5. Have the groups name each set and place a name card on it.
  6. Instruct them to continue this process (Steps 3 through 5) until an all-inclusive
  solution set is achieved.
  7. Emphasize that the essence of this ﬁnal solution should incorporate all the previ-
  ous solutions and capture the essence of all the solutions.
  8. Ask, “What is the essence of the properties and characteristics that are indispens-
  able to these ideas? Use your answers to this question to trigger new ideas.”
  9. Encourage the groups to select and combine the best suggestions into a ﬁnal solu-
  tion set, writing the ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and placing them
  on ﬂip-chart paper for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This can be a powerful exercise because it exploits the close interplay between problem
  elements and eventual solutions. That is, the more a problem is understood by gathering
  and analyzing facts, the more likely a solution is to emerge. A well-deﬁned problem is a
  solved problem. For instance, if a group discusses what they know about a problem, they
  are exploring its different facets that lead to different perspectives, which, in turn, can
  result in solutions popping up. Thus, Rice Storm provides a structured way to explore a
  problem prior to focusing on idea generation. This relationship between problems and
  solutions could provide an interesting discussion topic for the groups.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Rice Storm Handout
  To illustrate Rice Storm, Michalko (1991) describes a group of computer specialists using
  Rice Storm to consider ways to improve the home computer. The group ﬁrst lists veriﬁ-
  able, relevant problem facts:
  • We can produce computers that operate twenty to ﬁfty times faster than standard
  computers.
  • Computer screens can be mounted on walls.
  • Fiberoptics make higher resolution possible.
  • Full-motion video can be mixed with computer graphics.
  • Laptops are becoming more portable.
  After considering these and other facts, you describe the essence of its challenge as
  follows: “In what ways might we develop a home computer that is faster, multiuse, mul-
  timedia, and high resolution with multiscreens for a variety of purposes?”
  Next, group members individually generate ideas. The following ideas are suggested:
  • A portable computer so small that you could carry it while holding two bags of gro-
  ceries
  • A merger of video and computer capabilities with a very high bandwidth link for
  video access to every movie ever made
  • Electronic publishing involving home computer access to data banks about education,
  travel, medicine, sports, and so on
  • Cellular transponders in wall outlets to permit placement of computer screens any-
  where, allowing movies to be embedded in such novel objects as desks or work areas
  These and other solutions are grouped into sets, named, renamed, and grouped again
  into an all-solution set that best describes the essence of all the previous solutions: “A
  home multimedia Roger Rabbit.” This solution involves a home computer networking sys-
  tem with such features as entertainment (access to every movie ever made); handwriting
  machines that transfer thoughts automatically to the computer; a scanner; smart software
  agents to scan databases for useful information and store it in the computer; and custom-
  designed screens that can be embedded in desks, hung on walls, or carried around.
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  67
  Spin the Bottle
  Background
  Around and around it goes. Where it stops, only the bottle knows. Do you remember
  playing “Spin the Bottle” as a child (or even as an adult)? The Spin the Bottle idea genera-
  tion exercise, developed by Hall (1994), is very similar, except you don’t have to kiss any-
  one. Instead, groups use a bottle to point to someone who must suggest an idea.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • One empty, glass, long-necked bottle per group (or, as Hall suggests, light beer bottles
  for “less substantial ideas”)
  Time
  60 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Picture Tickler [17]
  • Rorschach Revisionist [18]
  • Ideatoons [26]
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  • Doodles [37]
  • Drawing Room [59]
  Procedure
  1. Give each group one bottle.
  2. Tell each small group to sit on the ﬂoor in a circle with a bottle in the center, lying
  on its side.
  3. Tell the groups to have one of the group members spin the bottle.
  4. Say that the person to whom the bottle points must suggest an idea.
  5. Have the groups discuss the idea for 107 seconds and try to use it as a spring-
  board for additional ideas (Hall prefers using a more unconventional way of
  approaching time to further emphasize creative perspectives).
  6. Tell them that the person who suggested the previous idea must spin the bottle
  again and the group repeats Steps 5 and 6 until everyone has suggested several
  ideas.
  7. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Spin the Bottle is a relatively simple exercise that most participants should experience as a
  fun activity, although the quality of ideas will depend on the creativity of the participants.
  This is an exercise you should monitor to ensure that each group’s energy level is main-
  tained and that they don’t run out of ideas. If they do, you should move to another activi-
  ty or have participants change groups.
  Consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  68
  Story Boards
  Background
  Story Boards originated with Walt Disney, who created series of pictures to illustrate
  major scenes during animated ﬁlms. Each scene then was used as a point around which a
  complete story could be built. A variety of related procedures for generating ideas has
  evolved since then. Although there are signiﬁcant differences among these procedures,
  these activities all share the common feature begun by Walt Disney: laying out key con-
  cepts that are linked together to form a complete whole.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 5 x 7 (or larger) Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Story Boards Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Ideas in a Box [25]
  • Parts Is Parts [30]
  • SAMM I Am [33]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Story Boards Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  2. Tell group members to brainstorm solution categories (attributes) and write each
  one on a large Post-it® Note and place them in a row approximately ﬁve feet above
  the ﬂoor along a wall.
  3. Instruct group members to use each category as a stimulus for problem solutions
  and write these solutions on new notes.
  4. Have them place the solution notes below the appropriate category card.
  5. Have the group members examine the solutions and try to generate additional
  ideas from them or combine solutions across categories and use them as stimuli
  for new ideas.
  6. Tell the participants to continue this process (Steps 4 and 5) until the group gener-
  ates a sufﬁcient number of ideas or time runs out.
  7. Direct them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and
  place them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is an “oldie but goodie” approach that provides some structure to the idea genera-
  tion process while providing a fun, energizing activity. Unlike most other activities, Story
  Boards allows people to walk around and be active during idea generation—a feature
  found in some research to be conducive to creative thinking. Because of the ﬂexibility the
  large Post-it® Notes provide, you might ask participants to devise their own variations of
  this procedure. For instance, you might suggest that they experiment with “afﬁnity
  groups” and use the notes to cluster together related ideas.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Story Boards Handout
  Suppose you are an automobile manufacturer and your problem is developing ways to
  reduce auto theft. You get together a group of your best engineers and decide to use Story
  Boards. You generate problem attributes and write them on cards, as shown in Figure 9.1.
  Next, you use each category to help stimulate ideas. Finally, you examine all the solutions
  and see what new solutions might be suggested.
  The nine ideas listed in Figure 9.1 suggest additional solutions when combined. For
  instance, someone who tries to break a window might receive a shock (from “break-proof
  glass” and “car shocks when touched”). Or the car might automatically photograph any-
  one who walks within ﬁve feet of it (from “ﬂashing lights” and “automated voices”).
  Figure 9.1.
  Story Board Example
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  69
  That’s the Ticket!
  Background
  This activity is “the ticket” to enhancing your group’s creativity. And it’s well worth the
  price of admission. All you have to do is turn in your tickets and watch the ideas ﬂow. It’s
  as simple as that. That’s the Ticket! is a relatively uncomplicated brainstorming variation I
  developed as another form of brainwriting (that is, ideas are generated silently and in writ-
  ing), which has been shown to result in more ideas than traditional brainstorming activities.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • As many blank paper tickets as there are participants (the same size as movie theater
  tickets, approximately one inch by three inches) available at novelty stores and party
  shops (Tickets can also be cut from blank pieces of paper or index cards)
  Handout
  • That’s the Ticket! Handout
  Time
  20 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Pass the Hat [63]
  • Idea Pool [85]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the That’s the Ticket! Handout, review it with the participants, and
  answer any questions they may have.
  2. Give each group member ten blank tickets.
  3. Tell them to write one idea on each ticket and place them in the center of a table.
  4. Have one group member withdraw two tickets and read them aloud to the group.
  5. Instruct the groups to use the combination of the two ideas as possible stimulation
  for new ideas.
  6. Tell them to return the two tickets to the middle of the table and have another
  group member select two more tickets.
  7. Ask them to repeat the process of choosing tickets and generating ideas until all
  group members have selected two tickets at least once or time has expired.
  8. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This activity has three primary strengths. The ﬁrst is that it is a brainwriting variation in
  that ideas are generated in writing. Research (Diehl & Stroebe, 1991; VanGundy, 1993)
  indicates that brainwriting will result in substantially more ideas than conventional
  brainstorming, since multiple ideas are generated more or less at the same time—unlike
  brainstorming, in which one idea at a time is contributed. However, it also provides ver-
  bal brainstorming when combining two tickets, thus offsetting the brainwriting weakness
  of lacking verbal interaction. The second is that you are guaranteed at least ten ideas per
  group member (assuming each member follows the instructions). Thus, if you have ﬁve
  group members, you’ll get at least ﬁfty ideas before beginning brainstorming. The third
  and less important strength is that the activity provides a more interesting way to gener-
  ate ideas.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  That’s the Ticket! Handout
  Suppose your problem involves improving a telephone. Two ideas might be (1) a padded
  ear piece and (2) a built-in radio that either listener can hear if put on hold. These two
  ideas together suggest the idea of a built-in radio with volume control (from “padded ear
  piece,” which suggests the concept of making something soft).
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  70
  What’s the Problem?
  Background
  “So, exactly what is the problem?” That’s a frequently heard query in brainstorming
  groups as they struggle to analyze and deﬁne a problem. Groups should devote consider-
  able time to understanding a problem before generating ideas. But by then, it may be too
  late. They’ve already corrupted any potential ideas.
  Creative problem solving is a “darned if you do, darned if you don’t” situation.
  Deﬁning problems and generating ideas often lead to a paradox. Effective creative prob-
  lem solving demands that you analyze and deﬁne a problem to ensure that you start from
  the most productive perspective. There is nothing inherently wrong with this. Things get
  challenging, however, when we start generating ideas following extensive analysis and
  redeﬁnition.
  The more we analyze a problem, the more we understand it. The more we understand
  it, the closer and more involved we become. Although these outcomes may produce fresh
  perspectives, they also limit our ability to generate unique ideas. Too much problem
  knowledge tends to lead to conventional, mundane solution proposals. Thus, this is
  another case of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing.
  To overcome this problem, William Gordon (1961), a cofounder of the Synectics con-
  sulting ﬁrm, developed this activity. What’s the Problem? attempts to counter our natural
  tendency to exhaust all conventional solutions and then declare we have run out of ideas.
  Because Gordon developed his procedure while working at the Arthur D. Little consult-
  ing ﬁrm, VanGundy (1988) referred to Gordon’s procedure as the Gordon/Little method.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
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  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • What’s the Problem? Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Essence of the Problem [38]
  Procedure
  Note: There are two ways to facilitate this exercise. One is to guide all of the groups
  through the steps. The other is to train individual facilitators for each group. The proce-
  dure below assumes that you are facilitating all of the groups at once. It also assumes that
  the group members are not aware of what the challenge is—although that is not essential.
  1. Distribute the What’s the Problem? Handout, review it with the participants, and
  answer any questions they may have.
  2. Describe a general, abstract problem without revealing the “real” problem. This
  abstract problem should describe the general principle underlying the real prob-
  lem (see the handout).
  3. Ask the participants to generate ideas for the abstract problem.
  4. Describe a slightly less abstract, more speciﬁc version of the real problem and ask
  the groups to generate ideas for it.
  5. Describe an even more speciﬁc version of the real problem and ask the groups to
  generate ideas for it.
  6. Reveal the real problem and instruct the group members to examine the ideas for
  the two abstract problems and use them as stimuli for new ideas.
  7. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This activity stands alone among idea generation activities. Its premise is different from
  all other activities in that it assumes that the participants are not aware of the problem. As
  a result, this approach helps participants get outside of themselves (or “outside the box”)
  in a way not possible with other activities. If the participants are not aware of the prob-
  lem, then they are prevented from making unwarranted assumptions that typically block
  most people when trying to resolve a problem.
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  Consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  What’s the Problem? Handout
  Suppose the problem involves ways to develop a snack that would surprise children. The
  group leader ﬁrst might ask the group to think of ways to catch people’s attention. The
  group might make the following suggestions:
  • Tap them on the shoulder.
  • Yell at them.
  • Expose yourself to them.
  Next, the leader asks the group to think of ways to shock people. They suggest these
  ideas:
  • Electrocute them.
  • Urinate in public.
  • Swear at them.
  • Do something sexually provocative.
  Then the leader asks the group to think of ways to surprise children—a problem even
  more closely related to the real problem. For this problem, the group generates such ideas
  as:
  • Play peek-a-boo.
  • Short-sheet their beds.
  • Burst a balloon.
  Finally, the leader reveals the problem and asks the group to use all the ideas as stim-
  uli to generate new ideas:
  • When a child unwraps candy, a scary face appears (from “peek-a-boo”).
  • A telescopic candy bar (from “short-sheet their beds”).
  • Insert a small voice box in candy that yells “ouch!” when bitten (from “yell at them”).
  • Candy-coated small balloons that burst harmlessly when eaten (from “burst a bal-
  loon”).
  • Candy shaped like a toilet bowl (from “urinate in public”).
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Chapter 10
  Brainstorming with 
  Unrelated Stimuli
  T
  he activities in this chapter use unrelated problem stimuli to help generate ideas. For
  some problems and some groups, brainstorming with unrelated stimuli may result in
  better ideas. Unrelated stimuli can help create different perspectives, because they are not
  similar to the problem. Therefore, there is more likelihood that unique ideas will result.
  (All the “tickler” activities in Chapter 5 also rely on unrelated stimuli, so they also may
  produce more novel solutions.)
  Remember the old saying “You can’t see the forest for the trees”? The “trees” are
  problem elements that encourage you to focus all your attention on the problem. In other
  words, there may be parts of a problem that distract you from a more central focus. Such
  use of related stimuli provides a narrow focus, limits your perspectives, and actually may
  make it more difﬁcult to generate creative ideas.
  Although unrelated stimuli may help you generate better ideas, there is no guarantee.
  Many other factors also are involved. Problem solving success is determined by the type
  of problem, the degree to which it is understood and structured, and the personalities and
  creative abilities of the group members. Nevertheless, the unrelated activities in this chap-
  ter will increase your odds of getting unique ideas.
  NOTE:FOR ALL ACTIVITIES,REMIND PARTICIPANTS 
  TO DEFER JUDGMENT WHILE GENERATING IDEAS.
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  LLLL
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  71
  Battle of the Sexes
  Background
  Gender wars rage all around us—at least in the minds of people who pay attention to
  such things. Regardless of your interest in the battle of the sexes, gender differences play
  a signiﬁcant role in many areas of life as women strive to gain equality. Gender differ-
  ences are, of course, not necessarily bad. Remember, “Vive la difference!”
  Males and females can make unique contributions in many situations, including creative
  problem solving. And that’s exactly what Doug Hall (1994) had in mind when he devel-
  oped this activity.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • For each group of males: an assortment of male-oriented magazines such as Esquire,
  Field & Stream, and Men’s Health.
  • For each group of females: an assortment of female-oriented magazines such as Red-
  book, Cosmopolitan, and Mademoiselle.
  Handout
  • Battle of the Sexes Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Picture Tickler [17]
  • Text Tickler [20]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Battle of the Sexes handout, review it with the participants, and
  answer any questions they may have..
  2. Divide a large group into smaller groups of all women and all men, four to seven
  people per group.
  3. Instruct the group members to generate two ideas using these criteria:
  • The perfect solution from the perspective of their gender
  •  The perfect solution from the perspective of the opposite gender
  4. Distribute to the male groups a variety of male-oriented magazines such as
  Esquire, Field & Stream, and Men’s Health.
  5. Give the female groups several women’s magazines such as Redbook, Cosmopolitan,
  and Mademoiselle.
  6. Tell the groups to look through the magazines and examine words and pictures
  for potential idea stimulation that would be either stereotypically feminine or
  masculine.
  7. Have the groups write down on Post-it® Notes, individually, any ideas suggested,
  and place them on a ﬂip chart.
  8. Tell the male and female groups to share their best ideas and for the large group to
  try to think of any additional ideas.
  9. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note), and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  A unique aspect of this activity is that it can create some friendly competition between
  groups. You may want to make some mild comments to encourage such competition,
  such as asking the participants to predict which sex can produce the greater number of
  ideas. After all the ideas have been generated, ask the members to discuss if the gender of
  the groups played a signiﬁcant role in each group’s ability to generate ideas.
  Variation
  • Use mixed-sex groups.
  • Give the male groups female-oriented magazines and the female groups male-orient-
  ed magazines. Have the members try to adopt the attitudes of the other sex and use
  them to generate ideas.
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  Battle of the Sexes Handout
  Consider a problem of how to decrease employee absenteeism. The female groups might
  suggest “feminine” ideas such as holding teas to develop support systems and “mascu-
  line” ideas such as organized sports teams. The male groups might suggest “masculine”
  ideas such as having managers and workers socialize in bars after work and “feminine”
  ideas such as sewing circles during lunch periods. Although some or all of the ideas might
  not be practical, all group participants would then develop more workable solutions.
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  72
  Best of ...
  Background
  Remember how some children grow up taunting their friends that their father is smarter,
  stronger, richer, or nicer than someone else’s father? Or have you noticed how athletes on
  television point their index ﬁngers upward while chanting, “We’re number one”?
  Our society seems to have an insatiable appetite for the best of everything. Hall
  (1994), creator of this activity, once conducted a computer search of newspaper abstracts
  from 1991 and 1992 and found more than 11,000 instances of headlines containing the
  word “best.” Every day some television show or magazine bombards us with a “Top Ten”
  list or other ratings of movies, books, plays, and music. We’re a people obsessed with
  who or what is best.
  One beneﬁt of these “best of” lists is that they have value as idea stimulators. Accord-
  ing to Hall, brainstorming groups can use such lists to generate ideas.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Best of . . . Handout
  Time
  45 minutes (requires preparation prior to the activity)
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  Related Activities
  • Text Tickler [20]
  Procedure
  1. Prior to the exercise, tell the participants to collect, as individuals, a variety of
  “best of” lists. The lists may or may not be related to any speciﬁc problem, and
  they don’t need to be “ofﬁcial.” If group members don’t have access to ofﬁcial
  lists, they may generate their own lists by reading movie reviews, brainstorming
  the best books of the year, the best cars, et cetera, or search the Internet.
  2. Divide the participants into groups of four to seven people.
  3. Distribute the Best of . . . Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  4. Have the groups select one of the member’s lists and generate traits that make
  each item a certiﬁable “best.”
  5. Tell the group to use the traits for each item to spark ideas, write them on Post-its
  and place them on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  6. Instruct the groups to repeat Steps 4 and 5 until they have generated a sufﬁcient
  number of ideas.
  Debrief/Discussion
  The lists used for this exercise are not as important as their diversity and number. In other
  words, the more stimuli the groups have, the greater the number of ideas they are likely
  to produce. The lists themselves also can introduce a humorous element that, of course, is
  conducive to creative thinking.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • Instead of having the participants bring lists to the sessions, ask each group to gener-
  ate its own lists at the start of the exercise. This may help engage all of the participants
  immediately and serve as a warmup for generating ideas.
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  Best of ...Handout
  Imagine you are part of a group charged with inventing a new coat hanger (Hall, 1994).
  One of the lists involves Top Ten television shows, and the group develops traits and
  ideas for the top three from the list.
  Top TV Show: “Roseanne”
  Traits: Irreverent, loud, earthy, big, salty, disrespectful, working-class family
  Ideas: Extra-strength coat hangers for large or bulky clothes
  Top TV Show: “Cheers”
  Traits: Friends, leisure time, ﬂippant, beer, sports
  Ideas: Hangers with built-in deodorant properties for hanging sweat clothes in lockers
  Top TV Show: “60 Minutes”
  Traits: Exposes, shocks, champion of the little person, ambushes, confronting
  Ideas: A hanger with a heating tube that dries clothes still wet from the wash, thereby
  eliminating scandalous shrinkage and the blight of dryer wrinkles
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  73
  Brain Splitter
  Background
  One management approach that has received consider-
  able attention over the years is the concept of left- and
  right-brain thinking. Although much of the literature
  exaggerated or misunderstood how the brain hemi-
  spheres actually function during thinking, the basic pro-
  cesses are relatively straightforward.
  The right brain is considered the seat of creative,
  holistic, artistic, nonlinear thinking; the left is the center
  of logical, analytical, non-artistic, linear thinking. The
  right brain is emotional, disorderly, experiential, subjective, nonjudgmental, fantasy-like,
  and concerned with spatial relations and metaphorical meanings. The left brain, in con-
  trast, is more rational, orderly, intellectual, objective, judgmental, realistic, and concerned
  with verbal relations and literal meanings.
  We all have right- and left-brain hemispheres. Although there is evidence that many
  people have developed certain hemispheric functions more highly than others, no nor-
  mal, healthy human is truly a left- or right-brain person. The human mind relies on both
  hemispheres to think and solve problems. The structure that transfers information
  between the hemispheres is a bundle of nerve ﬁbers known as the “corpus collosum.”
  You may wonder what all this has to do with brainstorming ideas in groups. Well,
  you can use the stereotypical aspects of brain functions to prompt ideas (VanGundy,
  1983). And it can be a fun experience as well!
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
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  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2′′ diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes.
  Handout
  • Brain Splitter Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Get Crazy [5]
  • Blender [58]
  • Force-Fit Game [74]
  Procedure
  1. Tell the participants that this will be an exercise based on the metaphor of brain
  hemispheric dominance. Brieﬂy explain the differences between right- and left-
  brained thinking as described in the Background section.
  2. Divide the participants into smaller groups of four to seven people based on their
  professed right- or left-brain dominance. That is, ask them to decide which type of
  thinking best would characterize them in general. (If necessary, you may have to
  assign people arbitrarily to one of the two categories to equalize the size of the
  groups.) Try to create an equal number of left- and right-brained groups. (If you
  want to be more precise in dividing the participants, you could have them com-
  plete the Hermann Brain Dominance Questionnaire, available at: www.hbdi.com.)
  3. Distribute the Brain Splitter Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  4. Instruct the left-brain group members to generate as many practical, conventional,
  and logical ideas as they can in 20 minutes.
  5. Tell the right-brainers to generate as many far-out, unconventional, and illogical
  ideas as they can in 20 minutes.
  6. After they have verbalized their ideas, have all participants write them down on
  sheets of ﬂip-chart paper.
  7. Ask the members of each group to count off by twos. Have all of the left-brain
  “ones” move to a group with right-brained “ones” and the left-brained “twos”
  with the right-brained “twos.” There now should be at least two groups com-
  posed of one-half left-brain thinkers and one-half right-brained thinkers. These
  groups represent symbolically the “corpus collosum” function of the human
  brain.
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  8. Tell the group members originally in a right-brain-only group to share with their
  new left-brain group members a copy of their idea lists, so that each combination
  group now has one list of left-brain ideas and one list of right-brain ideas.
  9. Have the groups randomly select one idea from each list and use the combination
  to help think of new ideas, write new ideas down on Post-it® Notes, and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This activity exploits the natural tendency of people to generate logical, practical ideas
  that, of course, rarely lead to breakout ideas. By insisting that people intentionally think
  of illogical ideas instead, participants are forced to create new perspectives and consider
  more innovative approaches. You might suggest that the participants discuss how well
  they were able to demonstrate right- and left-brained thinking and whether combining
  the two types of thinking made a difference in the quality of ideas produced.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Brain Splitter Handout
  Assume you manufacture umbrellas and want to develop improved designs and features.
  First, the groups generate two lists:
  Left-Brain Ideas
  1. Use a more durable fabric.
  2. Strengthen metal supports.
  3. Design the handle like a pistol grip.
  4. Improve the ability of fabric to shed water.
  5. Use less expensive materials.
  Right-Brain Ideas
  6. Create an umbrella that automatically opens when wet and closes when dry.
  7. Add air jets that blow down from the top edges of the umbrella to keep rain off
  the lower body.
  8. Create an umbrella that repels rain before it hits the fabric.
  9. Make an umbrella that is small enough to carry in a wallet.
  The groups combine ideas from each list to produce the following ideas:
  Combination Ideas
  • 1 & 6: Develop a faster-drying fabric.
  • 1 & 8: Make an umbrella that vibrates off water.
  • 1 & 9: Make a wallet that doubles as an umbrella.
  • 2 & 7: Put air jets in the ends of the metal spikes to rotate the umbrella automatically, 
  throwing off water.
  • 2 & 8: Eliminate the need for metal supports.
  • 2 & 9: Develop a carrying device designed like a hip or shoulder holster.
  • 3 & 6: Use compressed-air capsules to open the umbrella.
  • 3 & 9: Have the umbrella double as a pistol.
  • 4 & 5: Develop an inexpensive fabric that can be replaced easily when damaged.
  • 4 & 7: Build in air pockets so the umbrella can double as a ﬂotation device.
  • 4 & 8: Eliminate fabric and use only air jets to repel water.
  • 5 & 9: Design a plastic, foldable parka with an umbrella hat.
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  74
  Force-Fit Game
  Background
  Even the best groups sometimes have trouble generating ideas. Idea generation activities
  usually help when this occurs. There are times, however, when even basic idea generation
  activities fail, such as when a group simply lacks the necessary motivation. Thus, it’s not
  so much the fault of the activity as it is the people.
  One way to motivate groups under these circumstances is to introduce a little friendly
  competition. Brain Splitter [73] does this a little, but competition is not included as a basic
  mechanism. (Force-Fit Game is similar to Brain Splitter, however, in that each technique
  generates ideas from stimulation provided by both practical and impractical ideas.) To
  ensure competition, you have to use a procedure based on competitive elements. And
  that’s exactly what the Force-Fit Game does as developed by Helmut Schlicksupp (in
  Warﬁeld, Geschka, and Hamilton, 1975).
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Time
  45 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Blender [58]
  • Brain Splitter [73]
  Procedure
  1. Arrange small tables capable of seating four to seven people so that pairs of tables
  are placed close enough for members from both tables to hear each other.
  2. Divide the large group into sets of two small groups each of four to seven people.
  For example, if there are twenty people, you would divide them into four groups
  of ﬁve people each. Groups 1 and 2 are one set and Groups 3 and 4 are another.
  (You do not have to have an equal number of people in each group, however.)
  3. Ask for one volunteer from each set (not each group) to assume the role of refer-
  ee/recorder. In the example in Step 2, there now would be two sets of groups with
  two, ﬁve-person groups in each set. Label the ﬁrst set, Set A and the second, Set B.
  4. Direct one group of each set to start by suggesting an idea that is silly or remote
  from the problem.
  5. Give the second group of each set 2 minutes to develop a practical solution from
  this idea.
  6. Tell the referee/recorder for each set to write down the idea on a ﬂip chart and
  award the second group 1 point if he or she judges the idea to be practical; if the
  referee/recorder determines the group was unsuccessful, he or she gives the ﬁrst
  group the point.
  7. After 30 minutes, ask the referee/recorder to declare the group in each set with
  the most points the winner.
  8. Tell them to write down all ideas generated on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note)
  and place them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  There are at least four unique aspects of this activity: (1) having one group suggest
  impractical ideas; (2) using these ideas as stimuli for more practical ideas; (3) having two
  groups interact with each other; and (4) awarding points based on an idea’s practicality.
  All of these can make for an engaging and productive group experience. If time is avail-
  able after generating ideas, you might ask the participants to discuss what worked well
  and what did not and to suggest ways to improve on the exercise. One approach, for
  instance, would be to ask participants to share written ideas on paper airplanes thrown at
  the other group.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
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  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  75
  Grab Bag Forced Association
  Background
  This activity is similar to Tickler Things [21], except Hall (1994) modiﬁed it for groups
  instead of individuals. It is especially effective for people who respond well to tangible
  stimuli and are good at visual thinking.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • For each group: one grocery sack containing various small items and toys such as lit-
  tle cars, funny glasses, balloons, corks, spinning tops, buttons, squirt guns, novelty
  items, and so forth (Novelty and toy stores are excellent sources for these items)
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Idea Shopping [14]
  • Tickler Things [21]
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  Procedure
  1. Distribute to each group one grocery bag containing the items listed above.
  2. Tell the participants that one group member should reach into the bag without
  looking and retrieve one item.
  3. Instruct all of the group members to describe the characteristics and traits of the
  item and then use them to trigger ideas.
  4. Have them write down all ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  5. Tell them to have another group member select a second item and use it to sug-
  gest ideas and record the ideas as described in Steps 3 and 4.
  6. Have the groups continue this process until they have used all of the items in their
  bags or all members have selected at least one item to use for stimulation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  As mentioned, Grab Bag Forced Association is similar to “Tickler Things” [21] in that it
  uses unrelated stimulus objects to help groups generate ideas. However, instead of the
  groups thinking of objects to use, the Grab Bag approach provides the objects and allows
  them to be selected randomly. In this respect, it is more of a “hands on” activity because
  the group members actually touch the objects. It also introduces an element of surprise
  that can be conducive to a creative climate within the groups.
  Consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  76
  It’s Not My Job
  Background
  Have you ever been curious about other people’s jobs? What exactly do they do? How do
  they do it? How do they feel about it? Henry Andersen (1991), a former marketing man-
  ager for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Europe, Ltd., had a similar curiosity. One difference
  was that his curiosity was directed more at how ideas could be generated by borrowing
  from different work disciplines.
  Andersen developed “The Diamond Idea Group” to promote use of multidisciplinary
  perspectives during idea generation. He envisioned the Diamond Idea Group as a world-
  wide resource organizations could use to generate ideas for any number of problems. His
  primary activity for generating ideas is what he calls “Trans-Disciplinary Analogy” (TDA).
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • It’s Not My Job Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • I Like It Like That [55]
  • Rolestorming [77]
  Procedure
  1. Divide participants into small groups of four to seven people each.
  2. Assign a facilitator to each group (or solicit volunteers).
  3. Distribute the It’s Not My Job Handout, review it with the participants, and
  answer any questions they may have.
  4. Ask each group to select a discipline (professional or nonprofessional activity) of
  interest to the group members. This discipline does not have to be a group mem-
  ber’s primary occupation or a traditional academic discipline. It even may be
  some activity such as gardening or building model airplanes. However, the group
  should be relatively knowledgeable about the choice.
  5. Tell the groups to identify central concepts or themes from the discipline selected.
  6. Instruct the facilitator in each group to record these concepts on a ﬂip chart.
  7. Have the groups select one of the concepts or themes and ask the contributor to
  describe it in some detail.
  8. Tell the groups to use the descriptions to generate ideas, record them on Post-its,
  and place them on ﬂip-chart paper for evaluation.
  9. Have the groups repeat Steps 4 to 8 until enough ideas are generated or time is
  called.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This activity helps personalize the idea stimuli by using group members’ knowledge of
  different disciplines. Although it is similar to analogies, the familiarity involved with the
  disciplines could be either a positive or negative factor. One positive feature is the famil-
  iarity that results in increased problem understanding; a negative is that too much famil-
  iarity might make it more difﬁcult to think of unique ideas. Because of the relatively
  unusual nature of this approach, you might ask the group members to discuss its pros
  and cons and any ways it might be improved.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  It’s Not My Job Handout
  Suppose you want to improve a bathtub. One group member’s interest area is gardening
  and he decides that its central concept is nurturing. The group selects this concept and the
  group member describes it as follows:
  • Watering as needed
  • Tilling to eliminate weeds
  • Spraying insecticide to eliminate bugs
  • Covering small plants during cold weather
  • Adding fertilizer to promote growth
  Next, the group uses these descriptions to suggest the following ideas:
  • Button on top of tub (closer to hands) that adds more water when pushed
  • Tub with built-in planter
  • Tub that automatically sprays disinfectant inside tub after use
  • Designer cover or cabinet to hide tub
  • Tub that can be raised or lowered hydraulically to create a sunken tub look or to make
  it easier for older or disabled people to enter
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  77
  Rolestorming
  Background
  We all play various roles in our lives: butcher, baker, candlestick maker, mother, father,
  brother, teacher, friend, and so on. In one sense, we all are actors strutting on the stage of
  life (with apologies to The Bard). Life requires that we wear many different hats to inter-
  act with various people. We act our way through most interpersonal situations.
  Most of our “acting” is genuine in that we aren’t intentionally trying to become some-
  one else. Rather, we may act out little scenarios to add spice to our interactions. Thus, we
  might sometimes put a little twist in our behavior and temporarily pretend we’re some-
  one else or act slightly out of character. Such role-playing behavior helps emphasize a
  point and simply makes life more interesting.
  Role playing also provides new perspectives. Marriage counselors often ask spouses
  to role play a dialog from the other spouse’s point of view. This allows both spouses to
  see things differently and increases their understanding of the other. As a result, they may
  think of new ways to interact.
  Griggs (1985) devised the Rolestorming activity to capitalize on the advantages of role
  playing. Griggs believes that many brainstorming sessions are unproductive because peo-
  ple feel inhibited. We take a risk every time we suggest something new. If our ideas are
  not received well, we stand to lose face.
  To help prevent inhibition, Griggs suggested that group members generate ideas from
  someone else’s perspective, which is the premise of this exercise.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
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  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2′′ diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Time
  60 minutes (requires prior participant activity)
  Related Activities
  • It’s Not My Job [76]
  Procedure
  1. Tell group members to defer judgment and brainstorm twenty to thirty ideas for
  their problem (before the role-playing process), record them individually on Post-
  it® Notes, and place them on a ﬂip chart (this serves as an “idea purge”).
  2. Instruct each participant to think of an historical ﬁgure they have admired. Tell
  them to take about 5 minutes and write down what they know about this person.
  Have them think about the attitudes, preferences, opinions, and beliefs of the per-
  son, and pretend that the person has a stake in the group’s problem.
  3. Direct them to have one member in each group share whom they chose.
  4. Tell the group members to generate ideas based on what they think this person
  might say about the problem. Encourage the person who suggested the person to
  say such things as: “My person would try to. . . .” or “My person would want to. .
  . .”
  5. Repeat Steps 3 to 4.
  6. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This exercise builds on empathetic design (that is, using another’s perspective) and any
  dramatic ﬂair participants may have. If the group members have trouble describing the
  person they selected, tell them that it is not important to be accurate. Instead, they should
  focus on being as descriptive, detailed, and dramatic as possible. The goal is to create
  stimuli to help trigger ideas.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
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  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • Have the participants use people personally known to everyone. This person could be
  a co-worker, manager, secretary, staff person, or anyone else known to them. Caution
  them to be careful about any inappropriate characterizations that might be harmful or
  disrespectful to others.
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  78
  Roll Call
  Background
  Are you an extrovert? Did you always try to answer teachers’
  questions in school? Do you like to shout out ideas when
  brainstorming? Do you shoot from the hip? If you answered
  yes to any of these questions, then you and others like you
  probably will enjoy this activity.
  Although we have been taught to think before we speak,
  this advice may sometimes be counterproductive. If we think
  too much before we talk during idea generation, we may judge
  our ideas prematurely and restrict our creativity. Self-censors
  are the enemies of all creative thought and that is the basis for
  this activity, developed by Hall (1994).
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Roll Call Handout
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  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Text Tickler [20]
  • Blender [58]
  • Force-Fit Game [74]
  Procedure
  1. Divide the participants into groups of six people.
  2. Distribute the Roll Call Handout, review it with the participants, and answer any
  questions they may have.
  3. Ask half the members of each group to call out one word each. Explain that the
  words should be whatever pops into their heads. Note also that they shouldn’t
  think very long about what word to say and that the words should be unrelated to
  the problem.
  4. Give the group members 104 seconds to create a practical idea based on combin-
  ing the three words or using the individual words for stimulation. (Hall doesn’t
  say why he chose 104 seconds, but probably just to be different.)
  5. Instruct them to write down their ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and
  place them on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  6. Ask the participants to repeat Steps 3 to 5, but have the remaining group members
  call out the words.
  7. Repeat this process again using the original three members to call out new words
  and continue until time is called.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Unlike many situations in life, this activity works best when you talk before you think. Its
  major strength is that it encourages spontaneity and helps eliminate judgmental thinking.
  Group members are forced to leap to conclusions instead of leaping to ideas. Thus, they
  have little choice but to defer judgment and the result should be more novel ideas than
  had they constrained themselves.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
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  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Roll Call Handout
  Assume your group is dealing with the problem of how to improve a kitchen table.
  Group members call out such words as “radio,” “penguin,” and “icicle.” The group then
  uses these words to prompt ideas:
  • Radio built into the table
  • Musical lazy Susan with a cooling mechanism that keeps food cold
  • Table designed with a tuxedo motif
  • Table with holders to keep drinks cold
  • Table with an “arctic” motif
  • A “penguin table” with leaves that resemble penguin wings
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  79
  Sculptures
  Background
  For many people, a sculpture is a place for pigeons to light; for others, a sculpture may
  represent a sublime representation of the agonies of displaced human frailties (or some
  other equally esoteric line of art babble). However you perceive sculptures, they all repre-
  sent different interpretations of reality. As such, they also are stimuli capable of prompt-
  ing different perspectives.
  Most of the activities in this book help prompt different perspectives. An “aha!”
  should be going off in your head right now. Why not use sculptures to generate ideas?
  Unfortunately, most people don’t have ready access to sculptures. Although I might
  like to have a sculpture garden in my backyard, it will probably be a few years before that
  becomes a reality—if ever. Although most of us don’t have the resources for our own
  sculpture collection, we could visit a local museum. But that’s not always convenient or
  possible.
  Another option is to create our own sculptures. Such a method has been used for
  years as a management training activity. I learned of this version while visiting a manage-
  ment consultant in Oslo, Norway. The consultant, Ole Faafeng (1986), devised this activi-
  ty to help groups get more involved in brainstorming and to provide a source of
  unrelated stimuli.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2′′ diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
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  • For each group: a variety of materials unrelated to the problem to be solved, for
  instance: string, rope, blocks of wood, wire, books, colored paper, tape, scissors, paper
  clips, clay, cardboard, glue sticks, dowel rods, crayons, small chairs, and rubber balls
  (Toy, craft, and novelty stores are good sources for these items)
  Handout
  • Sculptures Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Tickler Things [21]
  • Museum Madness [86]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Sculptures Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  2. Tell each group to look over the materials and construct a sculpture that repre-
  sents an abstract version of their problem.
  3. Give them at least 20 minutes for this activity.
  4. When all groups have ﬁnished, ask the group members to discuss their sculptures
  among themselves and to note structures, parts, relationships, and any other
  observations they might care to make.
  5. Tell them to use these observations as stimuli, write down any ideas on Post-it®
  Notes (one idea per note), and place them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is another activity that can help generate ideas while also creating a climate con-
  ducive to creative thinking. It makes it easier for participants to express themselves cre-
  atively, and that could lead to more unique ideas. The activity level also is a plus since it
  encourages equal participation and may stimulate ideas just from physically moving
  around.
  Consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
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  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • Have the groups construct a sculpture completely unrelated to the problem and then
  use it as a stimulus for ideas.
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  Sculptures Handout
  Imagine you are in a group using Sculptures to improve communication within an orga-
  nization (Faafeng, 1986). Part of the sculpture you create involves a string stretched
  between two objects. The string reminds one group member of a communication network
  within the organization. He then thinks of a way to alter a communication line in a novel
  way. Other group members join in and reﬁne and elaborate on his idea, including such
  ideas as giving everyone “walkie-talkie” type cell phones for more instantaneous com-
  munication and reducing the number of intermediate people as communication networks
  because they might slow down message transmittal.
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  80
  Super Heroes
  Background
  “Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane!” These words, which describe the super hero
  Superman, may evoke childhood memories of super deeds and exploits—days when a
  fantasy character could come to our rescue. Then we grew up and learned that our super
  heroes are imaginary and may not always be there for us. Well, fret not. The Super Heroes
  have returned! And now they can help us solve some real-world problems.
  Consultants Steve Grossman and Katherine Catlin (1985) developed Super Heroes as
  a way to introduce a playful spirit during brainstorming sessions. (See VanGundy, 1988,
  for a more detailed description.) Group members assume the identity of various super
  heroes and use the characters’ perspectives to prompt ideas. It is similar to Rolestorming
  [77], but differs in the added stimuli provided by the various powers of the super heroes.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: one roll of cellophane tape for attaching yarn to signs, markers, two
  ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart sheets
  • For each participant: one 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper, yarn to attach to the paper, one
  sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots (1⁄2” diameter), and one pad of 4 x 6
  Post-it® Notes
  Handout
  • Super Heroes Handout
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  Time
  75 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Fairy Tale Time [40]
  • Imaginary Mentor [42]
  • Rolestorming [77]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Super Heroes Handout, review the different super heroes with the
  participants, and answer any questions they may have.
  2. Tell each group member to select a character and assume that character’s identity.
  If group members really want to get into the spirit, they may don their characters’
  costumes; if not, each group member wears a sign around his or her neck with the
  name of the character on it.
  3. Have individual group members read their character descriptions silently. Tell
  them to summarize these descriptions aloud, describing special powers, strengths,
  weaknesses, habits, and other special characteristics.
  4. After hearing each character description, direct all the group members to use the
  descriptions as stimuli for ideas. For instance, Superman’s x-ray vision might sug-
  gest using hidden cameras to detect employee and customer theft in a store.
  5. Tell them to write down any ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip-chart paper for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is another role-playing exercise in which trying to view the world from another’s
  perspective can create unique insights. Well-suited for drama kings and queens, Super
  Heroes is sure to invigorate a lethargic group. To ensure that the role playing is sufﬁcient
  to help produce ideas, be sure to allow at least 10 minutes for the participants to learn
  about their characters and think of ways to play them to help trigger ideas in themselves
  and others. When you are reviewing the descriptions of Super Heroes, you might encour-
  age participants to suggest other Super Heroes to use to generate ideas.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
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  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Super Heroes Handout
  Here are some sample Super Heroes and their major characteristics:
  • Batman—ﬁrst-rate detective; can outwit the worst criminals; uses bat paraphernalia
  such as a Batmobile, a Batplane, a Batcycle, Batrollerskates, and a Batrope. Batman’s
  alter ego is millionaire Bruce Wayne.
  • Captain America—represents the ultimate in American ideals (truth, justice, mom,
  apple pie), has a winning personality with great powers of persuasion, maintains a
  positive outlook on life, is very athletic, and uses his Captain America Shield to pro-
  tect himself from harm.
  • Dr. Strange—a skilled magician and sorcerer who can create numerous illusions. He
  can also cure sicknesses, control people and situations, and transform objects into
  other objects. He often has temporary losses of concentration.
  • Mr. Fantastic—the smartest man in the world; can stretch his body into any length and
  has tremendous ﬂexibility.
  • The Human Torch—a short-tempered hothead who has the power to emit and control
  ﬁre without burning himself. He also can ﬂy.
  • The Invisible Girl—can make herself or other people and things invisible and make
  them reappear. When in danger, she creates an invisible shield that protects her from
  harm.
  • Spiderman—can shoot webs out from his wrists and quickly swing from different
  buildings. Has the ability to attach himself to ceilings or hang upside down. Dedicat-
  ed to helping people in trouble.
  • Superman—has x-ray vision and super hearing, can ﬂy faster than a speeding bullet,
  and is the strongest man on earth. Clark Kent, mild-mannered newspaper reporter, is
  his alter ego. Can be weakened only by Kryptonite. Is able to leap tall buildings in a
  single bound. Often mistaken for birds or airplanes.
  • Wonder Woman—a true Super-woman with super strength, agility, and athletic ability
  who can overpower anyone. Has magical bracelets that deﬂect bullets, and she can
  capture almost anything or anyone with her magical lasso. Once lassoed by Wonder
  Woman, a person must tell the truth. Flies an invisible airplane.
  • Storm—a character in the X-Men movie series, she has the power to control the weath-
  er, to call up ﬁerce winds, blinding snow or rain, or intense heat, among other weath-
  er-related outcomes. She originally was from Africa, where she was orphaned when
  her parents were killed and their house destroyed, trapping Storm inside. For the rest
  of her life she was afraid of being in closed-in places. Local tribes worshipped her as a
  god until she moved to the United States.
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Chapter 11
  Brainwriting with Related Stimuli
  T
  he group activities in this chapter produce ideas using silent, written idea generation
  with stimuli related to the problem. Ideas typically are written on Post-it® Notes and
  then retained for evaluation or shared with other group members to help prompt new
  ideas. These activities may not produce ideas as unique as ideas generated using unrelat-
  ed stimuli. However, the right combination of group members can spark ideas regardless
  of the stimuli used.
  As with other brainwriting activities, some activities in this chapter require group
  members to share their ideas, whereas others involve no sharing. (Activities in this chap-
  ter that do not involve sharing during idea generation include Group Not [83], Organiza-
  tional Brainstorms [87], and Your Slip Is Showing [90].) Research suggests that sharing
  should produce more ideas and higher-quality ideas (VanGundy, 1993).
  Brainwriting, with or without sharing, may be one of the best ways to guarantee large
  numbers of ideas in a group. When compared to conventional brainstorming activities,
  the Brain Purge activity [82] described in this chapter has been found to be especially use-
  ful for increasing idea quantity in groups. Research by VanGundy (1993) has shown that
  Brain Purge groups generate four times as many ideas as conventional brainstorming
  groups. And, as you may know, idea quantity is often linked directly to idea quality.
  So what makes brainwriting so special? Brainwriting activities compensate for a seri-
  ous deﬁciency of most brainstorming groups. Speciﬁcally, only one person can generate
  ideas at a time during brainstorming. This is known as “production blocking.” Brainwrit-
  ing overcomes production blocking by enabling all group members to generate ideas at
  the same time since they all are writing down ideas—more or less—at the same time.
  Most brainwriting activities also are simple and easy to use. What more could you
  want in a group activity? After all, the objective of most idea generation sessions is to
  think of lots of ideas.
  Unfortunately, the downside of brainwriting is that most people enjoy the social satis-
  faction that accompanies brainstorming. In brainstorming groups, productivity often
  takes a back seat to satisfaction of social needs. So what to do? Use both brainstorming
  and brainwriting. They complement each other nicely.
  NOTE:FOR ALL ACTIVITIES,REMIND PARTICIPANTS 
  TO DEFER JUDGMENT WHILE GENERATING IDEAS.
  LLLL
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  81
  As Easy As 6–3–5
  Background
  As Easy As 6–3–5, originally known as Method 6–3–5 (VanGundy, 1988), is a very basic
  brainwriting procedure that structures how people interact and generate ideas. There are
  at least three versions of this activity, so you get three activities in one! You may want to
  read through all of the versions to choose the one that would work best with your situa-
  tion.
  John Warﬁeld and his colleagues (1975) developed the ﬁrst version of this activity;
  German creativity consultant Horst Geschka and his associates (1981) developed the sec-
  ond (Some claim it is the ﬁrst brainwriting method); the third version was originated by
  creativity consultants in Germany and Holland and then developed further by University
  of Manchester (U.K.) business professor Tudor Rickards (1974). It is similar to the other
  versions except that it is slightly more structured and no time limit is imposed.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of six people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Time
  20 minutes
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Related Activities
  • Brain Purge [82]
  • Group Not [83]
  • Organizational Brainstorms [87]
  • Your Slip Is Showing [90]
  Procedure:Version 1
  1. Have six people sit around a table and discuss the problem.
  2. Tell the group members to write down, individually, on a sheet of paper, three
  ideas in a 5-minute period.
  3. At the end of the 5 minutes, tell the group members to pass their papers to the
  person on their right.
  4. Inform them that the person receiving a paper should examine the ideas and try
  to generate new ideas or elaborations.
  5. Continue this process until each group member receives his or her original paper.
  6. Have the group members transfer all of their ideas to Post-it® Notes and place
  them on a ﬂip chart for evaluation. Or write the ideas on a ﬂip chart for evalua-
  tion.
  Procedure:Version 2
  1. Have six people sit around a table and discuss the problem.
  2. Instruct the participants to draw three equal sized, vertical columns (lengthwise)
  on a sheet of paper and write down one idea at the top of each column.
  3. After 5 minutes, tell them to pass their papers to the person on their right and
  write down at least one idea that improves on the one listed at the top of each col-
  umn. (If they can’t think of a way to improve an idea, instruct them to write down
  new ideas.)
  4. Continue this process of writing down improvements or new ideas until each per-
  son receives his or her original paper or time is called.
  5. Have the group members transfer all of their ideas to Post-it® Notes and place
  them on a ﬂip chart for evaluation. Or write the ideas on a ﬂip chart for evalua-
  tion.
  Procedure:Version 3
  1. Have six people sit around a table and discuss the problem.
  2. Assign a member number to each group participant so that each group contains
  members one through six.
  3. Give each group member a pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes and instruct them to write
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  down one idea each on three of the notes. (In each group, there now should be a
  total of eighteen ideas on the notes.)
  4. Direct them to pass their notes to another, pre-selected member. For instance,
  group member 1 may be instructed to pass his or her notes to member 2; member
  2 to member 3, and so forth.
  5. Tell the members receiving the notes to read them and write any new ideas or
  improvements on a separate note.
  6. Continue this process until group members have responded to each idea ﬁve
  times.
  7. Have the group members place all of their Post-it® Notes on a ﬂip chart for evalua-
  tion.
  Debrief/Discussion
  If you will be facilitating a number of idea generation sessions, it might be interesting to
  experiment and see which of the three versions seem to work best (if any) and which ones
  are preferred by the participants. To do this, you might consider evaluating them with
  respect to idea quantity and quality as well as ease of use.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  82
  Brain Purge
  Background
  Before we can think of creative solutions, we often must purge ourselves of more tradi-
  tional or obvious ideas. Brain Purge, originally developed by Geschka (1979) as Pin
  Cards, allows you to ﬂush out ideas you can think of immediately or ideas you have been
  waiting to express. However, don’t use this activity just to get rid of conventional ideas. It
  also is a handy way to generate many ideas—in a relatively short time—for almost any
  problem situation. You’ll ﬁnd that Brain Purge is similar to As Easy As 6–3–5 [81], but not
  as structured.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Time
  20 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Idea Pool [85]
  • Organizational Brainstorms [87]
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  • Your Slip Is Showing [90]
  • The Shirt Off Your Back [101]
  Procedure
  1. Give each member of a group a pad of Post-it® Notes and pens or pencils.
  2. Tell each participant to write one idea on a Post-it® and pass it to the person on his
  or her right.
  3. Instruct the group members to read the ideas on the Post-its they just received and
  use these ideas to stimulate improvements or entirely new ideas.
  4. Tell them to write any improvements or new ideas on new Post-its and pass them
  to the persons on their right.
  5. Allow this process to continue for about 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Call time and ask group members to sort the Post-its into categories of similar
  ideas for evaluation. Tell them to do this on a table, a ﬂip chart, or a wall.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is one of the original brainwriting activities developed in Germany and one of the
  most popular activities in use today throughout the world. It is a natural complement to
  brainstorming and should be used whenever at least 15 minutes of time is available.
  Many trainers and facilitators use this approach as a way to kick off a brainstorming ses-
  sion in that it can serve as a purging activity to allow participants to share their pre-ses-
  sion ideas without having to wait.
  Perhaps the most useful discussion question to use with this exercise is to ask partici-
  pants to discuss why this method would generate more ideas than traditional brainstorm-
  ing or brainwriting activities in which the ideas are not shared.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  83
  Group Not
  Background
  The title of this activity refers to an interesting question in small-group problem solving:
  When is a group not a group? The answer is that a group isn’t a group when members
  don’t interact during a group activity. Such “nongroups” are known as “nominal”
  groups.
  Group Not is based on one of the most heavily researched small-group idea genera-
  tion activity: the Nominal Group Technique (NGT), developed by Delbecq and Van de
  Ven (1971). Although this activity allows group members to discuss their ideas, the mem-
  bers do so only after all the ideas have been generated.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • As Easy As 6–3–5 [81]
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  Procedure
  1. Divide participants into small groups and give each member a pad of Post-it®
  Notes and pens or pencils.
  2. Ask group members to write down ideas individually on their Post-its without
  sharing them with others. Stress that they should write down only one idea per
  Post-it®.
  3. Tell the group members to take turns reading aloud one of their ideas and have a
  leader/recorder write down these ideas and number them on a ﬂip chart. Empha-
  size that, during this activity, they are not supposed to discuss ideas.
  4. Ask the leader in each group to point to each idea listed and ask for discussion.
  Note that the purpose of this activity is to clarify the meaning, purpose, or logic
  behind each idea.
  5. Instruct the group members to select, individually, between ﬁve and nine favorite
  ideas and write each on a separate Post-it® Note.
  6. Have them write the number of the idea (from the master list) in the upper left
  corner of each note and record their rating of the idea (1 = not important; 5 =
  important) in the lower left corner.
  7. Tell the group leaders to collect all the notes and record the votes on a ﬂip chart.
  (You may want to allow all the groups to take a break while the group leaders
  tally the votes.) Have the group leaders note the idea receiving the greatest num-
  ber of votes. If a clear winner emerges, tell them that the process is ﬁnished.
  8. If no clear winner emerges or there is some doubt about the vote tallies, tell the
  group members to examine the vote tally sheets for peculiar patterns (for exam-
  ple, if an idea receives many high and low votes). If they notice an odd pattern,
  tell group members to discuss the item to clarify why that pattern resulted.
  9. If necessary, have the groups conduct a ﬁnal vote using the procedure outlined in
  Steps 6 and 7.
  Debrief/Discussion
  As with similar activities, a major disadvantage of NGT is that group members don’t see
  each other’s ideas during idea generation. On the other hand, this activity provides a
  highly structured process for both idea generation and evaluation. Unlike the other activi-
  ties, Group Not builds in a speciﬁc process to achieve decision-making closure on the
  ideas. This structure can be especially valuable when there is little time for decision mak-
  ing. On the other hand, the structure itself may limit decision quality if closure is forced
  before adequate discussion of an idea’s strengths and weaknesses. You might want to ask
  the participants to discuss how they experienced the structure.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
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  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  84
  Idea Mixer
  Background
  I don’t know much Japanese, so I have to assume that Hiroshi
  Takahashi is correct when he says that NHK is a Japanese
  acronym for the Japan Broadcasting Corporation. Takahashi
  developed what I call Idea Mixer while he worked for NHK
  (he calls the method NHK Brainstorming). Although he refers
  to it as a brainstorming activity and it involves some oral idea
  generation, Idea Mixer actually is a combination brainwrit-
  ing/brainstorming activity.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • (Optional) One overhead projector, at least ten blank transparencies, and markers
  Procedure
  1. Divide participants into small groups and give each member of a group a pad of
  Post-it® Notes and pens or pencils.
  2. Ask group members to write down ideas individually on their Post-its without
  sharing them with others. Stress that they should write down only one idea per
  Post-it. Allow no more than 10 minutes for this step.
  TLFeBOOK
  
  3. Have each individual read aloud, in turn, one of his or her ideas.
  4. Tell the other group members to write down, on a Post-it, any new ideas that
  might come to mind (one idea per note).
  5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until each group member has read aloud at least one of his or
  her ideas. If you want more ideas, have them repeat the round.
  6. Instruct the groups to collect and group the ideas into categories of related
  themes, using a ﬂip chart or a wall.
  7. Ask the participants to form new groups of two or three people, brainstorm ideas
  for the themes at their new tables, and write the ideas on Post-it® Notes, one idea
  per note.
  8. After one hour or less, ask each group to sort its ideas by themes and present
  them to the larger group. Write down these ideas on a ﬂip chart or overhead trans-
  parencies visible to all.
  9. Have the participants form new groups of ten people, brainstorm ways to
  improve the ideas listed, write them down on Post-its (one idea per note), and
  place them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This exercise introduces several “wrinkles” into a brainwriting/brainstorming process
  that should yield a fairly large number of ideas. It takes advantage of the strengths of
  both brainwriting and brainstorming while mixing up group composition.
  This latter feature can be effective to keep groups from becoming stale and to continu-
  ally bring in new perspectives. A downside to changing group composition is that groups
  that are “clicking” together and cranking out ideas ﬂuently could be broken up and lose
  their productivity when combined with others.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  85
  Idea Pool
  Background
  Idea Pool (also known as Brainwriting Pool) is a close relative of
  the Brain Purge activity [82]. It was developed at the Battelle
  Institute in Frankfurt, Germany (Geschka, Schaude, and Schlick-
  supp, 1973). One difference between the two activities is in how
  the ideas are shared among the group members. In Brain Purge,
  members pass ideas around the group, whereas in Idea Pool
  members put ideas in the center of a table to form a “pool.”
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each person: one sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper (lined or unlined) and pens or pencils.
  Procedure
  1. Give each group member one sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper.
  2. Tell them to silently write down, individually, four ideas on the sheet of paper.
  3. Instruct each group member to place the sheet of paper in the center of the table
  and exchange it for another sheet.
  4. Instruct participants to examine the ideas on the new sheet and write down
  improvements or new ideas.
  5. Have them place this sheet in the center of the table and exchange it for a new one.
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  6. After 10 to 15 minutes of this activity, tell them to collect the idea sheets and tape
  them to ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Idea Pool is another quick way to generate a relatively large number of ideas in a short
  time. As with Brain Purge, Idea Pool relies on the ideas of others to help trigger new ones.
  It differs, however, in that each person has at least four ideas to respond to as stimuli.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  86
  Museum Madness
  Background
  Museum Madness (also known as the Gallery Method) is another of the many group
  activities originally developed at the Battelle Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, by Horst
  Geschka and his associates (1981). It is similar to other group activities that use unrelated
  stimuli. However, it is different in one signiﬁcant way: instead of passing ideas around
  the group, members walk around to the ideas. Thus, Museum Madness reverses the pro-
  cess that most group brainwriting activities use. The title of the activity derives from the
  way people browse around a museum looking at works of art.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • At least one sheet of ﬂip-chart paper for each participant (if there are fewer than thirty
  people; if more than thirty, use one sheet for every two people)
  • Masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart sheets
  • One dark-colored marker for each participant
  Procedure
  1. Attach sheets of ﬂip-chart paper to the walls of a room (ﬂip charts on stands also
  can be used).
  2. Tell the participants to silently write several ideas on a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper.
  3. After about 10 to 15 minutes of writing, ask the participants to spend 15 to 20 min-
  utes walking around the room, read each other’s ideas, and take notes on
  thoughts that might pop up.
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  4. Ask the group members to generate ideas again, silently, on one sheet of ﬂip-chart
  paper. This time, however, tell them to try to use the other ideas to stimulate
  improvements or new ideas and write them down on a ﬂip chart.
  5. At the end of the second round of idea generation, have the participants evaluate
  all the ideas.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is a great activity to use after lunch or at the end of the day during a brainstorming
  session. Research indicates that people often are more creative if they can move around.
  Although it may be frustrating to some to remain silent during idea generation, the result
  typically will be a relatively large quantity of ideas. Remind the participants that they will
  have an opportunity to talk during idea evaluation.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  87
  Organizational Brainstorms
  Background
  John Haefele (1961), an employee of Procter & Gamble, developed this activity and called
  it the Collective Notebook Method. It is unique among the group activities in this book in
  that it is the only activity in which ideas are not generated in a small-group setting.
  Instead, ideas come from a select group of employees throughout an organization.
  The original version of Organizational Brainstorms is somewhat similar to Group Not
  [83] and Your Slip Is Showing [90]. All these activities involve generating ideas without
  sharing them with other participants. A variation, however, does permit limited idea
  sharing.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Selected participants from throughout an organization
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • One notebook and pens or pencils for each participant
  Procedure
  1. Pre-select participants from throughout an organization (representing different
  areas of knowledge related to the problem) and give each a notebook containing
  problem information and instructions on the process.
  2. Instruct the participants to write one idea per day in their notebooks.
  3. At the end of one month, instruct the participants to summarize their best ideas.
  4. Collect all the notebooks, record and categorize the ideas, and prepare a summary.
  5. Provide the participants a copy of the summary and invite them to discuss the
  ideas generated during a face-to-face meeting.
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  Debrief/Discussion
  This activity obviously was developed years before email became a common way of com-
  municating. Computer technology now makes it possible for organizations to collect
  ideas via intranets. According to Business Week, IBM demonstrated the power of global
  brainstorming over the Internet when it received ideas from thousands of international
  employees (November 24, 2003). Organizational Brainstorms differs in that it requires at
  least one idea per day for a month. Nevertheless, new technology makes this exercise
  almost obsolete. The new emphasis in many organizations is on “idea management,”
  where companies use enterprise idea management software to solicit and process ideas.
  (One of the leading companies in this area is Imaginatik.com.)
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variations
  • Alan Pearson (1978) has used this activity with one signiﬁcant variation: participants
  proceed as just described, except they exchange their notebooks with another person
  after two weeks. Tell the participants to use the ideas in the new notebooks to trigger
  additional ideas over the remaining two weeks.
  • Another variation is to collect the ideas daily via email. It then would be relatively
  easy to share all of the ideas with the participants on a daily basis. The result might be
  a greater idea quantity.
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  88
  Out-of-the-Blue 
  Lightning Bolt Cloudbuster
  Background
  Hall (1994) developed this activity to spark ideas during extended group idea generation
  sessions. As with some other activities in this chapter, written ideas are shared among
  group members. However, the procedure used to share ideas is much more unstructured
  (to say the least). Group members write their ideas on paper airplanes and throw them
  about. The result can be a lot of fun. And where there’s fun, there are often many creative
  ideas.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • At least ﬁve sheets of multi-colored, bright (for example, AstroBrites®), 8.5” x 11”
  paper for each participant, plus pens or pencils
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the paper to each participant, making sure that they receive a variety of
  different colors.
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  2. If necessary, demonstrate how to fold a paper airplane. If some aren’t able to make
  a paper airplane, instruct them to write an idea on a piece of paper and crumple it
  into a ball that they then would throw instead.
  3. During an extended idea generation session, tell the participants that whenever
  they think of an idea, they should write it on a wing of an airplane and throw the
  plane into a designated location (for example, a non-burning ﬁreplace, a box,
  wastebasket, or a corner of the room).
  4. At the end of the idea session, distribute the airplanes to the group members and
  ask the participants to ﬂy the planes to someone else, all at the same time.
  5. Tell the participants to examine the idea written on an airplane, write down any
  improvements or new ideas, and then launch the airplane again. Encourage par-
  ticipants to write whatever comes to mind and repeat this process until each par-
  ticipant has thrown a plane four or ﬁve times.
  6. Tell the groups to collect airplanes, write down the ideas on Post-it® Notes (one
  idea per note), and place them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This exercise has proven to be an excellent approach for jump-starting a group and creat-
  ing a fun environment conducive to creative thinking. I have used it numerous times in
  practice and it always has been well-received because it introduces the “Fun Factor.” Use
  it to kick off an idea generation session or when an energy burst is needed. It also works
  extremely well when very little time is available since it is a brainwriting variation and
  doesn’t require verbal interaction.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • Instead of having participants arbitrarily write down ideas during a session and ﬂy
  them to a designated location, instruct them to ﬂy their planes (with ideas) as the core
  part of this exercise. In other words, tell them to write one idea on an airplane and
  then ﬂy it to others upon command and then follow Steps 4 to 6.
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  89
  You’re a Card,Andy!
  Background
  Many people play cards to relax and enjoy the company of others. Others play cards to
  escape their troubles. For instance, I remember fellow students in college who loved to
  play cards. Unfortunately, many of them loved playing cards more than they loved study-
  ing. After less than a year, most of these folks found that they had all the time in the
  world to play cards—no college education, but plenty of time for cards.
  One conclusion from this story may be that playing cards can be unproductive. This is
  true if card playing is taken to extremes. It is possible, however, to play cards while gener-
  ating ideas. Thus, you can have fun while also being productive. You’re a Card, Andy! is a
  brainwriting activity developed by Goodman and Shields (1993). It is similar to Brain
  Purge [82] but has the potential to generate a more fun atmosphere. Just be careful that
  the group doesn’t pay more attention to playing cards than to generating ideas!
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: one deck of 100, 4 x 6 or 3 x 5 index cards, markers, two ﬂip charts,
  and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart sheets
  • For each participant: pens or pencils and one sheet each of three different colors of
  sticking dots
  Time
  30 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • As Easy As 6–3–5 [81]
  • Brain Purge [82]
  • Idea Mixer [84]
  • Idea Pool [85]
  • Out of the Blue Lightning Bolt Cloudbuster [88]
  Procedure
  1. Tell the groups to select one member to be the “dealer.”
  2. Ask the dealer in each group to deal the others (and the dealer) seven index cards
  each as their “starting hands.”
  3. Tell them to write one idea on a card and pass it to anyone they choose in the
  group. Have them continue this process for 10 minutes or until there is a lull in
  activity.
  4. The only restriction is that each member must receive at least two cards each.
  5. Have each member show his or her “hand” (that is, read aloud the ideas) and then
  place the cards in the center of the table.
  6. Instruct the groups to create a “pot” of additional ideas. To do this, note that each
  person should ante up his or her cards (put them in the center of the table) in turn,
  after writing an idea on each card.
  7. Tell all participants that the last person in each group with an additional idea
  when time is called (15 minutes) will win some prize such as a dream date, vaca-
  tion, or whatever prize the group decides is appropriate. You also might offer a
  prize for the group with the most ideas.
  8. Direct the group members to pin the cards to a bulletin board, foam boards, or just
  lay them out on a table in logical clusters involving commonalities (aka “afﬁnity
  groups”).
  9. Ask the group members to review the ideas and see if any new ideas are prompt-
  ed. If so, have them add new idea cards to the clusters and evaluate the ideas
  using Post-it® Notes on ﬂip charts.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This activity capitalizes on the fun people can have playing cards in addition to individu-
  al competitiveness. Most idea generation activities exhort participants to generate a given
  number of ideas. Although this can be motivating, the desire to “win” a game can be even
  stronger. If your participants include some who are familiar with card games, you might
  ask for suggestions on variations of this exercise.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
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  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  90
  Your Slip Is Showing
  Background
  This activity (also known as Crawford Slipwriting) may be the
  “mother of all formal small group idea generation activities”—at
  least in terms of being a progenitor of brainwriting activities. Dr.
  C.C. Crawford developed this activity in the United States in the
  1920s (see Crawford & Demidovitch, 1983; Whiting, 1958), and
  Charles Clark (1978) has popularized the method over the years.
  It is especially useful when you want to gather ideas from a large
  number of people, such as participants at a conference.
  Although it can accommodate a large number of people, Your
  Slip Is Showing differs from Organizational Brainstorms [87] in
  two ways. First, the participants in Organizational Brainstorms
  are members of the same organization, submit ideas individually, and typically are by
  themselves when submitting their ideas. The second difference is that participants in Your
  Slip Is Showing generate their ideas while in small groups in the presence of other people,
  although they do not have to share their ideas with others.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Thousands or as many as there are resources to process all the ideas. They may be in
  small groups, but do not have to be since all ideas are generated by individuals and not
  shared.
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each participant, one pad of 3 x 5 or 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes and pens or pencils (If
  Post-its are not available, substitute slips of paper, giving each person at least ten
  slips)
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • As Easy As 6–3–5 [81]
  • Group Not [83]
  • Idea Pool [85]
  • Museum Madness [86]
  • Organizational Brainstorms [87]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Post-its or paper slips to all participants.
  2. Tell them to begin writing one idea on each slip.
  3. After 5 to 10 minutes, tell them to stop writing and collect the notes or slips.
  4. Appoint a task force to evaluate the ideas. This task force ﬁrst should sort the
  ideas into categories according to frequency of occurrence or degree of usability.
  Have the task force select the best ideas and develop them into workable ideas.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This represents the most basic form of brainwriting. Its primary advantage is audience
  participation and the ability to collect a large number of ideas from a large number of
  people in a short period of time. If you accept the premise that quantity breeds quality,
  then it theoretically should be possible to produce some high-quality ideas (that is, ideas
  capable of resolving a problem).
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Variations
  • Clark also suggests some variations, such as using abstract graphics to prompt ideas.
  Or participants could divide into pairs and one person in the pair could record ideas
  for both people—a sort of mini-brainstorming group.
  • As with Organizational Brainstorms [87], ideas also could be submitted electronically.
  For instance, at a conference where the participants are in attendance, they might sub-
  mit ideas via their personal laptops or computers set up just for the conference.
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  TLFeBOOK
  
  Chapter 12
  Brainwriting with 
  Unrelated Stimuli
  T
  he activities in Chapter 11 are all based on stimuli related to the problem. Theoretically
  this means that the resulting ideas may not be as unique as those generated with unre-
  lated stimuli. Of course, that’s not always the case, because other factors (such as a highly
  creative personality) may determine the quality of a group’s ideas. All things being equal,
  however, unrelated stimuli are more likely to lead to winning ideas.
  The activities in this chapter are based on sources of stimulation not related directly to
  the problem. In that respect, they resemble the unrelated brainstorming activities in
  Chapter 10. The difference, of course, is that the activities in this chapter are based on
  basic brainwriting methods (the silent, written generation of ideas in a group).
  As noted in Chapter 3, some research suggests that brainwriting may outperform
  brainstorming, regardless of the stimulus source. Thus, unrelated brainwriting activities
  have the highest hypothetical potential to produce the “best” ideas. This is only a conclu-
  sion based on some research. The best activities may represent all categories, depending
  on the user and the problem.
  NOTE:FOR ALL ACTIVITIES,REMIND PARTICIPANTS 
  TO DEFER JUDGMENT WHILE GENERATING IDEAS.
  LLLL
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  91
  Altered States
  Background
  Many of the activities in this book are based on changing perspectives. Creating a new
  way of seeing things disrupts locked-in viewpoints. Although many people fear change,
  changing perspectives should be welcomed in creative thinking. Altering a dysfunctional
  or narrow perspective can provide the insights needed to generate breakthrough ideas.
  Change your perspective and you’ll open up new worlds of thought.
  Hall (1994) developed Altered States to help people change their frames of reference
  and see their problems differently. Once a person’s perspective has changed, new ideas
  should ﬂow more freely.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  Handouts
  • Altered States Handout
  • Altered States Questions Handout
  Time
  45 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • As Easy As 6–3–5 [81]
  • Brain Purge [82]
  • Idea Mixer [84]
  • Idea Pool [85]
  • Museum Madness [86]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Altered States Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
  any questions they may have.
  2. Distribute to each group members one copy of the Altered States Questions Hand-
  out.
  3. Instruct the participants to answer the four questions, individually and in writing,
  and list three bizarre, wild, altered states for each question. Encourage them to
  avoid over-analyzing or being too concerned with practicality, and try to be spon-
  taneous.
  4. After they have ﬁnished answering the questions, instruct the group members to
  pass their lists to another group member.
  5. Instruct the group members to examine the lists they receive, use the responses to
  trigger ideas, write them down on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note), and place the
  notes on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  One positive feature of this exercise is that the questions force participants to move out of
  their narrow perceptions about a problem and create novel ones. Of course, the altered
  states themselves may seem bizarre at ﬁrst to people not accustomed to using unrelated
  stimuli. However, most people catch on relatively quickly, especially after reviewing the
  Altered States Handout. Another positive is that group members use the altered states of
  others, rather than the ones they generated. This is another wasy to force people to think
  differently about a problem to which they may have become too close.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Altered States Handout
  Suppose you want to generate cereal product ideas. First, list bizarre, wild, altered states:
  • When is the product or service consumed or purchased?
  Response 1: In the bathtub
  Response 2: When the user craves vampire blood
  Response 3: When the user is rolling on the ﬂoor
  • Why is the product or service consumed or purchased?
  Response 1: To alleviate boredom
  Response 2: To cure cancer
  Response 3: To impress the neighbors
  • Where is the product or service consumed or purchased?
  Response 1: In Martian vending machines
  Response 2: In public restrooms
  Response 3: In butcher shops
  • What components, ingredients, or elements make up the product or service?
  Response 1: Silly Putty
  Response 2: Light bulbs
  Response 3: Bricks
  If you received this list of responses, it might help you think of such ideas as:
  • Cereal boxes shaped like bathtubs
  • Cereal shaped like blood clots to “gross out” children
  • Designer cereal boxes with snob appeal
  • Cereal sold in vending machines
  • Meat-ﬂavored cereal that doubles as pet food
  • Transparent cereal boxes
  • Cereal boxes that, when empty, can be used as molds for bricks to build homes for the
  homeless
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  Altered States Questions Handout
  1. When is the product or service consumed or purchased?
  Response 1:
  ________________________________________________________________
  Response 2:
  ________________________________________________________________
  Response 3:
  ________________________________________________________________
  2. Why is the product or service consumed or purchased?
  Response 1:
  ________________________________________________________________
  Response 2:
  ________________________________________________________________
  Response 3:
  ________________________________________________________________
  3. Where is the product or service consumed or purchased?
  Response 1:
  ________________________________________________________________
  Response 2: ________________________________________________________________
  Response 3:
  ________________________________________________________________
  4. What components, ingredients, or elements make up the product or service?
  Response 1:
  ________________________________________________________________
  Response 2:
  ________________________________________________________________
  Response 3:
  ________________________________________________________________
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  TLFeBOOK
  
  92
  Balloon,Balloon,Balloon
  Background
  The fun factor is an important ingredient during any idea generation ses-
  sion. Several activities in this book incorporate fun elements to heighten
  creative perceptions and increase the potential for large numbers of ideas.
  Developed by Hall (1994), Balloon, Balloon, Balloon is one of these fun
  factor activities. Although it is similar to others, it can provide the lift a
  group needs to generate hot ideas. Try it right after lunch or at the end of
  a day and I guarantee no one will fall asleep.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for post-
  ing ﬂip-chart sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of stick-
  ing dots (1⁄2′′ diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • For each participant: two balloons of different colors, approximately
  9′′ to 12′′ in diameter
  Handout
  • Balloon, Balloon, Balloon Handout
  Time
  45 minutes (requires prior preparation)
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  Related Activities
  • As Easy As 6–3–5 [81]
  • Group Not [83]
  • Idea Pool [85]
  • Out of the Blue Lightning Bolt Cloudbuster [88]
  Procedure
  1. Before the session, prepare two sets of paper slips, small enough
  to be inserted into the balloons. For the ﬁrst set (for example, for
  blue balloons), write one silly, abstract, nonsensical phrase unrelat-
  ed to the problem on each slip (for example, “rhubarb ink
  javelins,” “worm lips on parade,” “rotating cat lemons”, “vibrat-
  ing elephants in your ear”). On each slip in the second set (for
  example, red balloons), write one word or phrase related to the
  problem—any of its features, beneﬁts, or attributes. (If time is
  available, you might have the participants come up with these
  words and insert them into the balloons).
  2. Insert the slips into their respective color of balloon, then blow up
  and tie all of the balloons. (Or wait until the session and ask the
  participants to help you.)
  3. Begin the session by distributing the Balloon, Balloon, Balloon
  Handout, reviewing it with the participants, and answering any
  questions they may have.
  4. Turn on some high energy, rock music, and tell the members of all
  groups to tap the balloons back and forth (if there is only one
  group, the individual members tap the balloons around within
  that group).
  5. Stop the music after about 2 minutes and ask the participants to
  gather at least one balloon of each color. Have them sit on their
  balloons or pop them with a pen, pencil, or other sharp object.
  (Warn them not to do this too close to their eyes—which shouldn’t
  be a problem for those who sit on the balloons!)
  6. Instruct the participants to ﬁnd one slip from each color balloon
  and return to their respective tables.
  7. Have one of the group members read aloud what is on the two
  slips, and use the combination as a stimulus for new ideas. (You
  might suggest that one member of each group could write these
  words on a ﬂip chart for all group members to view.)
  8. Have the person who suggests an idea write it down on a Post-it®
  Note and pass it to the person on the right. Tell the people receiv-
  ing the notes to think of possible new ideas and write them on
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  Post-it® Notes. (This procedure of writing new ideas on the notes helps ensure that
  no ideas are left out of consideration.)
  9. Tell them to repeat this process (Steps 7 and 8) until they have considered all pos-
  sible pairs of stimuli (that is, related and unrelated from the different balloon col-
  ors) and generated as many ideas as possible, writing them on Post-it® Notes (one
  idea per note) and placing them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This approach is similar to using paper airplanes (Out of the Blue Lightning Cloudbuster
  [88]) in terms of the amount of fun involved. As a facilitator you will want to manage
  how much fun the groups have, so that they keep focused on the task of generating ideas.
  In addition to creating a climate conducive for idea generation during this exercise, the
  fun factor also can help spark a productive climate in subsequent idea generation ses-
  sions.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  1. Use any combination of balloon colors and give each participant two balloons.
  2. Have them write, on a small slip of paper, an idea for resolving the problem,
  insert their papers into the balloons, and blow them up.
  3. Tell them to tap the balloons around the large group as described above, pop two
  balloons each, and return to their tables with the two slips of paper.
  4. Ask each person in a group to read one of the ideas aloud and have the other
  group members try to improve it or think of another idea.
  5. Ask another person to read one of the ideas on their paper slips and again have
  the other group members think of improvements or new ideas.
  6. Once everyone has shared one of his or her two original ideas, repeat the process
  (Steps 4 and 5) using the second slips of paper.
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  Balloon,Balloon,Balloon Handout
  Assume you want ideas about how to sell more ofﬁce chairs. Your group examines sever-
  al slips from the balloons and comes up with the following ideas:
  • Pen holders built into a chair’s arms (from “arms” and “rhubarb ink javelins”)
  • A self-propelled ofﬁce chair (from “wheels” and “rhubarb ink javelins”)
  • A chair with a drink holder for different cup sizes (from “arms” and “rotating cat
  lemons”)
  • A built-in vibrating seat and back (from “back” and “vibrating elephants in your ear”)
  • A built-in stereo radio in the top of the seat back (from “back” and “vibrating ele-
  phants in your ear”)
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  93
  BOUNCING BALL
  Background
  You’ve probably heard the expression “Let’s bounce                      that idea around.” Well,
  this activity allows a group to do almost exactly that. Bouncing Ball is a fun activity, and
  it’s probably one of the easiest activities to implement as well.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • For each group, at least three foam balls approximately four inches in diameter (they
  should be heavy enough to throw and be caught easily)
  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Spin the Bottle [67]
  • Roll Call [78]
  • Out of the Blue Lightning Bolt Cloudbuster [88]
  • Balloon, Balloon, Balloon [92]
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  Procedure
  1. Have each group select a recorder to write down ideas on a ﬂip chart.
  2. Tell the members of each group to stand in a small circle and throw the balls to
  each other for a few minutes.
  3. From each group, collect all the balls except one.
  4. Say that whoever is holding this ball must throw it to another group member.
  5. Say that whoever catches the ball must shout out a random word or phrase.
  6. Tell this person to throw the ball to another person, who then shouts out a word
  related to the problem.
  7. Instruct the recorders in each group to write down on a ﬂip chart these two words
  as a combination.
  8. Have the entire group use this combination to stimulate new ideas and ask indi-
  vidual members to write down their ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) to
  be placed on ﬂip-chart paper for evaluation.
  9. After all ideas are exhausted for that combination, tell the last person to catch the
  ball to throw it to someone else and repeat Steps 5 through 8.
  Debrief/Discussion
  The basic elements of Bouncing Ball are virtually identical to those of Balloon, Balloon,
  Balloon [92]. A major difference is in how the random and nonrandom words are select-
  ed. Bouncing Ball is easier to implement, but Balloon, Balloon, Balloon will probably pro-
  vide more sustained fun.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • Simplify and use this exercise as a warm-up exercise. Instead of requiring related and
  unrelated words, just have whoever catches the ball shout out an idea that then is
  written on a ﬂip chart or Post-it® Note by a recorder.
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  94
  BRAINSKETCHING
  Background
  If you’re like many people, you may enjoy drawing
  doodles and sketches of various objects. You may do
  this absentmindedly while talking on the phone, for
  instance, or intentionally while trying to visualize
  some problem aspect.
  Brainsketching draws on this natural activity and
  applies it in a group setting.
  Brainsketching was developed by Pickens (1980) as
  a modiﬁcation of the Brain Purge activity [82]. The pri-
  mary difference is that Brainsketching involves pass-
  ing pictures around a group instead of ideas. Another
  distinction is that the sketches may be more abstract
  and symbolic than the ideas used by the Brain Purge
  activity.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • For each participant: one 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper, a small box of crayons, and a pen
  or pencil
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  Time
  45 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Rorschach Revisionist [18]
  • Drawing Room [59]
  • Modular Brainstorming [62]
  • Brain Purge [82]
  • Idea Pool [85]
  • Museum Madness [86]
  • Doodlin’ Around the Block [95]
  Procedure
  1. Tell each group member to draw a sketch of a problem solution. Say, “This sketch
  doesn’t need to represent a direct, clear-cut solution; it may be relatively abstract
  and symbolic. Don’t be concerned if you are not artistic; what you draw is more
  important than how you draw it. No talking is permitted while sketching, and
  please do not share your sketches while drawing them.”
  2. After 5 minutes, tell group members to pass their sketches to the person on their
  right.
  3. Instruct the group members receiving a sketch to review it and try to improve it
  by adding to the sketch, making brief comments, or drawing an entirely new
  sketch.
  4. When they have completed Step 3, tell them to pass this drawing to the person on
  their right.
  5. Tell the participants to repeat Steps 3 and 4 until time is called.
  6. Have them collect all the sketches and review them, in turn, with other group
  members. (You might suggest that they tape each sketch on a ﬂip chart.)
  7. Direct them to examine each sketch and use it to brainstorm ideas.
  8. Have them record any new ideas stimulated by the sketches on Post-it® Notes
  (one idea per note) and place them on a ﬂip chart for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Artistic types or “doodlers” should especially enjoy this exercise. Drawing is a physical
  activity that also can help our thinking. Both the act of drawing and the images created
  can help prompt new perspectives. Sharing the sketches with others can spark new ideas,
  just as revealing intangible thoughts can. This exercise also can serve as an excellent
  warm-up to get everyone involved before a brainstorming session that requires full par-
  ticipation to be effective.
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  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  95
  DOODLIN’AROUND THE BLOCK
  Background
  This activity is a little like Brainsketching [94] in that it involves some doodling. Brains-
  ketching uses doodles of pictures and abstract symbols; Doodlin’ Around the Block, in
  contrast, uses a very speciﬁc type of doodle: a square or rectangle. It also differs in that it
  introduces some game-like competition, much like The Name Game [97].
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • For each participant: markers or crayons, at least one per person
  • Small prizes for the winning group
  Handout
  • Doodlin’ Around the Block Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Rorschach Revisionist [18]
  • Doodles [37]
  • Drawing Room [59]
  • Brainsketching [94]
  Procedure
  1. Ask participants to place a sheet of ﬂip-chart paper on a table or on a ﬂoor hard
  enough to be written upon.
  2. Direct one group member to draw a large rectangle on the paper, approximately
  one by two feet in size.
  3. Have each group member write inside the rectangle one word unrelated to the
  problem. Tell them to write the words approximately the same distance from each
  other and spread them out within the rectangles.
  4. Note that if there are six group members, for example, there should be six words
  spread around within different rectangles. Refer them to the Doodlin’ Around the
  Block Handout.
  5. Direct the participants by saying:
  “When I tell you to start, each one of you simultaneously will begin drawing squares—about two
  inches by two inches—from the edges of the paper. Use the unrelated words as stimuli and write
  down ideas inside the boxes, one idea per box. Your will receive one point for each box with an idea.
  You may draw squares in any direction as long as they are connected. However, you must draw
  each square without lifting up your pen or pencil, so that each square will be connected. You may
  retrace lines if you wish. Group members who no longer can connect squares must stop writing.”
  6. Refer them to the Doodlin’ Around the Block Handout for an example and
  instruct the participants to begin drawing.
  7. After all squares have been completed, ask each group to total their ideas and
  report to the large group.
  8. Award the winning group small prizes and ask all the groups to record
  their ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place them on a ﬂip
  chart for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  Although it may seem counterintuitive, some of the best ideas from this exercise might
  result when participants quickly draw the squares and generate ideas. Hesitation can
  result in more conventional, analytical thinking. If participants are involved and motivat-
  ed to complete this exercise, more unique ideas may pop out, so it is important that par-
  ticipants do not spend too much time contemplating where to draw their boxes. The fact
  that they may retrace lines should help facilitate this aspect.
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  Doodlin’Around the Block Handout
  Assume that you manufacture food products and decide to generate some snack food
  ideas. As shown in Figure 12.1, a group member draws a large rectangle and the others
  write in one word each.
  Figure 12.1.
  Sample Doodlin’ Word Rectangle
  The members then begin taking turns and draw boxes around three of the unrelated
  stimulus words and generate seven snack food product ideas for a total of seven boxes
  with ideas (Figure 12.2). Another session might result in a different number of boxes and
  ideas, depending on the number of participants and time available.
  Figure 12.2.
  Sample Doodling’ Exercise
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  96
  GREETING CARDS
  Background
  There is little doubt that a playful group atmosphere is more likely to result in quality
  ideas than a more staid, serious environment. Several research studies have found that
  humor and creativity go hand in hand (Dovidio, Gartner, Isen, & Lowrence, 1995; Russ,
  1993). When laughter is present, good ideas seem to appear.
  Many of the activities in this book help create a fun environment. Prominent among
  these are Spin the Bottle [67], Battle of the Sexes [71], Sculp-
  tures [79], Super Heroes [80], and Balloon, Balloon, Balloon
  [92]. In addition, the Greeting Cards activity seems to work
  especially well for making creative thinking fun.
  Greeting Cards (Pickens, 1985) is a hands-on activity
  that allows group members to express themselves in an
  environment conducive to creative thinking. Unlike most
  activities, the group leader should avoid telling the group
  the problem if possible (the problem will be revealed later
  as part of the process).
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart sheets,
  four or ﬁve magazines and catalogs (for pictures), ten sheets of colored construction
  paper, and two to three each: glue sticks, boxes of crayons, and rolls of adhesive tape
  • For each participant: pens or pencils, markers, and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
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  Handout
  • Greeting Cards Handout
  Time
  45 minutes (requires prior preparation)
  Related Activities
  • Brain Purge [82]
  • Museum Madness [86]
  • Altered States [91]
  • Brainsketching [94]
  Procedure
  1. Give out copies of the Greeting Cards Handout and answer any questions the
  members may have.
  2. Provide each group with the materials needed to create greeting cards.
  3. Instruct group members to look through the catalogs and magazines and cut out
  about ten pictures that look interesting.
  4. Tell the group members to paste the pictures onto sheets of paper folded in half
  and write catchy text. Indicate that the most effective cards use humor for tradi-
  tional themes such as belated birthday, divorce, friendship, or get well.
  5. After all the cards are constructed, reveal the problem to the participants.
  6. Direct the group members use the text, pictures, and themes of the cards as stim-
  uli for ideas.
  7. Have them write down their ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note), and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is an excellent exercise to allow participants to express their creativity, to create a cli-
  mate conducive to creative ideas, and to generate ideas. It obviously is a “hands on” exer-
  cise that can keep participants engaged in a fun activity and generate some ideas as well.
  As with many group idea generation activities, this activity also can provide a team-
  building function due to the type of interactions required.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
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  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • If there is more than one group, ask the groups to exchange cards and use them to
  trigger additional ideas.
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  Greeting Cards Handout
  Imagine your group is trying to help an airline generate ideas to attract international pas-
  sengers (VanGundy, 1988). One of the participants created a card for a recently divorced
  male friend. The front of the card read, “True, the judge may have awarded her the alimo-
  ny . . .” When the card is opened, a picture of a male torso in underwear is revealed. The
  caption under this picture reads “. . . So we’re awarding you support.” The group mem-
  bers then used this card to think of designing seats with adjustable support (such as an
  inﬂatable lumbar device).
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  97
  THE NAME GAME
  Background
  In developing The Name Game (also known as the Brainwriting Game), Woods (1979)
  sought to create an activity that was fun but did not require a high degree of leader or
  participant skills. Although this exercise is slightly more complex than other brainwriting
  activities, it still is relatively easy to implement.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • For each participant: ﬁve to ten pennies (or poker chips)
  Time
  60 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Get Real!! [60]
  • Brain Purge [82]
  • Altered States [91]
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  Procedure
  1. Tell participants that the objective of this exercise is to develop the most improba-
  ble idea and that whoever suggests the least probable idea wins the game.
  2. Have each group select a leader and give each leader a pad of Post-it® Notes.
  3. Ask the leaders in each group to assign to each group member—including them-
  selves—a consecutive number beginning with “1.” Thus, if there were ﬁve mem-
  bers, they would use the numbers 1 to 5.
  4. Tell each group member to buy one of the numbered (but otherwise blank) notes
  from the leader at one cent each and write their assigned numbers in the upper
  right-hand corner of the note (for identiﬁcation later).
  5. Instruct all participants to write, on the notes they just purchased, the most
  improbable idea they can imagine.
  6. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until at least ﬁve notes have been purchased by each person
  and one idea has been written on each one.
  7. Once all ideas are written, tell them to place their notes on the ﬂip chart for the
  entire group to read.
  8. Tell the groups to study all ideas as individuals, and think of ways to make them
  more practical to reduce the idea owner’s chances of winning. Note that they may
  not talk during this activity.
  9. Instruct them to write down any new or more practical ideas on Post-it® Notes
  and place them at the bottom of the ﬂip-chart paper or on another sheet.
  10. After 15 to 20 minutes, ask the group members to vote for the two most improba-
  ble ideas. The person whose idea receives the most votes is awarded the money
  that was exchanged for the cards.
  11. Divide each group into two subgroups, and give each subgroup one-half of the
  Post-its (with the ideas written on them).
  12. Have the groups use these ideas to stimulate a minimum of six practical problem
  solutions.
  13. After 20 minutes, have each group try to “sell” its ideas to another group and for
  both groups to try to agree on a ﬁnal list of the best ideas. (This step is optional, of
  course, if there is only one group.)
  14. Have them write down their ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place
  them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  The Name Game provides competition to motivate group members and is unique in that
  it uses impractical ideas as a source for practical solutions. Improbable ideas (which are
  also used as the basis for the Get Real!! activity [60]) have great potential to trigger work-
  able ideas. If time is available, you might ask the participants to discuss the somewhat
  paradoxical value of impractical ideas and why it exists. That is, impractical ideas 
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  shouldn’t be very practical, by deﬁnition. However, their very impracticality may serve as
  stimuli for practical ideas.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  98
  PASS THE BUCK
  Background
  “Passing the buck” is an old expression mean-
  ing avoiding responsibility by blaming or other-
  wise involving someone else. Various
  take-charge presidents and business executives
  helped popularize the expression by asserting
  that “the buck stops here.” Hall (1994) created a
  new use for the phrase “pass the buck” by
  developing an activity using the expression.
  Pass the Buck was designed for use by four
  different small groups. It can be modiﬁed easily,
  however, for just one group.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, one sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper, two ﬂip charts, and masking
  tape for posting ﬂip-chart sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • A musical CD or cassette player with relatively loud, high-energy music
  Time
  20 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • As Easy as 6–3–5 [81]
  • Idea Mixer [84]
  • Museum Madness [86]
  Procedure
  (Note: The following procedure is designed for four groups.)
  1. Ask the group members to take one sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper and draw a rectangle
  on it lengthwise so that there is about a one-half inch border. Then tell them to
  divide the rectangle into four cells by drawing straight lines. Have them number
  the cells as: “1” in the upper left, “2” in the upper right, “3” in the lower left, and
  “4” in the lower right.
  2. Play loud music while each group generates an “Absurd, Bizarre, Exotic Idea”
  and writes it in cell 1 on the worksheet.
  3. Have each group pass its worksheet to another group.
  4. Tell the groups receiving the worksheets to examine the ﬁrst idea, write a “Some-
  what Realistic” version of this idea in cell 2, and pass this worksheet to another
  group.
  5. Instruct the groups to examine the worksheets passed to them, write an idea that
  is “A Little More Realistic” in cell 3, and pass this worksheet to another group.
  6. Have the groups then write down the ﬁnal, most realistic idea in cell 4 and title it
  “The Buck Stops Here.”
  7. Ask the groups to share all their ideas with the other groups, record any new
  ideas on Post-its (one idea per note), and place them on ﬂip charts for evaluation.
  Debrief/Discussion
  A distinguishing feature of this activity is that it provides an opportunity for multiple
  groups to interact with each other. In addition to the competitive spirit and social satisfac-
  tion this interaction can provide, involving other groups also increases the number of per-
  spectives available for resolving a problem. It also is a relatively structured activity, which
  sometimes can be an advantage for groups lacking energy or wanting more boundaries
  instead of a free ﬂow of ideas. On the other hand, this structure might limit the number of
  ideas, so consider the tradeoffs involved. Ask the participants to discuss how the struc-
  ture might have affected them in comparison to more traditional brainstorming.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
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  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
  Variation
  • If you have just one group, you can modify this activity easily, especially if you have
  only four group members. Just have one group member write an idea in each of the
  cells. If you have more than four members, have them double up to ﬁll in the cells.
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  99
  POST IT,PARDNER!
  Background
  Those semi-sticky Post-it® Notes are good for something besides general ofﬁce work such as
  memos. They also can help generate ideas in a group and provide a fun experience as well.
  Post It, Pardner! is a relative of Museum Madness [86], in which group members write
  ideas on ﬂip-chart sheets attached to a wall and then browse around the room using oth-
  ers’ ideas as stimuli for new ideas. Post It, Pardner! uses a similar process, except it relies
  on unrelated stimuli to help trigger ideas. Speciﬁcally, instead of using ideas to prompt
  new ideas, group members use free associations generated by other group members.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets
  • For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots 
  (1⁄2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • A room with a variety of objects, including ﬁxtures and furniture such as lamps, win-
  dows, doors, tables, chairs, coffeepot, cups, glasses, table cloths, light switches, and
  plants
  Handout
  • Post It, Pardner! Handout
  Time
  30 minutes
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  Related Activities
  • Brain Purge [82]
  • Group Not [83]
  • Idea Pool [85]
  • Museum Madness [86]
  Procedure
  1. Distribute the Post It, Pardner! Handout, review it with the participants, and
  answer any questions they may have.
  2. Tell each group member to peel off three Post-it® Notes.
  3. Have all participants select an object in the room and use it as the stimulus for free
  associations (thoughts that can represent anything, not necessarily the original
  object).
  4. Instruct them to write one free association on each note and stick the note on or
  near the object.
  5. Have all participants from all groups examine the free associations written by
  other group members and use them to spark new ideas that they should write
  down on new notes, one idea per note.
  6. Ask them to place their Post-its® on a ﬂip chart and evaluate them later.
  Debrief/Discussion
  This activity combines a number of features, including brainwriting, physical movement,
  free associations, and unrelated stimuli. Alone, these features could help trigger unique
  ideas; when used in combination, they can increase the number of ideas possible.
  This would be an ideal exercise to engage the participants in some discussion regard-
  ing its positive and negative aspects and any difﬁculties they had in using unrelated stim-
  uli and free associations to generate ideas. If a large number of participants have trouble
  using this activity, you might skip the free associations and use just the selected objects.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  Post It,Pardner! Handout
  Suppose your group wants to generate ways to improve a bed. Group members place
  Post-it® Notes on the following objects and write the following associations for each:
  • Door: wood, grain, alcohol
  • Window: glass, clear, seeing
  • Table: ﬂat, smooth, slippery
  • Coffeepot: hot, cold, icy
  • Lamp: light, dark, black
  The group then generates ideas using these associations:
  • A built-in cereal dispenser (from “grain”)
  • An alcoholic beverage dispenser (from “alcohol”)
  • A bed with a children’s slide on the bottom (from “slippery”)
  • A built-in heating and cooling apparatus (from “hot” and “cold”)
  • A built-in ice machine (from “icy”)
  • Variable lighting brightness and focus (from “light” and “dark”)
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  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
  100
  PUZZLE PIECES
  Background
  In some respects, most problems are like jigsaw puzzles. We have
  to look over all the pieces, keep the big picture in mind, identify
  the boundaries, and plunge in and begin problem solving. If
  everything works out, we’ll solve the puzzle and go on to other
  things. The Puzzle Pieces activity takes advantage of these simi-
  larities by using pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to put together ideas.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for posting ﬂip-chart
  sheets, one set of approximately ﬁfteen blank jigsaw puzzle pieces available from
  school supply stores or online sources such as www.papergoods.com (If a blank puz-
  zle isn’t available, use the blank back of a standard puzzle)
  • For each participant: pens or pencils, one sheet each of three different colors of stick-
  ing dots (1⁄2” diameter), and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes.
  Time
  30 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Modular Brainstorming [62]
  • Doodlin’ Around the Block [95]
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  Procedure
  1. Place a set of blank puzzle pieces on each table.
  2. Tell the participants to mix up the puzzle pieces on their tables and divide them
  equally among the group members.
  3. Have group members write one practical idea on the ﬁrst piece, an unrelated
  word on the second piece, a practical idea on the third piece, an unrelated word
  on the fourth piece, and so on until all their pieces have been used.
  4. Tell the group members to assemble the puzzle.
  5. After they have ﬁnished, have them select two adjacent pieces and use the combi-
  nation to spark ideas.
  6. Tell them to write down their ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note), select
  another two adjacent pieces, and continue this process until time is called (after
  about 20 or 30 minutes).
  Debrief/Discussion
  This is another activity that provides a game-like atmosphere during idea generation. It
  requires both analytical and creative thinking to put together the puzzles and generate
  ideas using unrelated words. The use of a hands-on activity provides a different experi-
  ence than other activities. One downside is that it requires a fairly large number of puzzle
  pieces and group members might lose interest over time.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  101
  The Shirt Off Your Back
  Background
  If you’re in any type of competitive or stressful work environment, there are times when
  you would give the “shirt off your back” for a hot new idea. Well, this activity may help
  you get the idea you need, and you can keep your shirt on.
  Objectives
  • To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
  • To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
  Participants
  Small groups of four to seven people each
  Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
  • For each group: markers, two ﬂip charts, and masking tape for taping sheets of paper
  to participants’ backs and for posting ﬂip-chart sheets
  • For each participant: pens or pencils, one sheet each of three different colors of stick-
  ing dots (1⁄2” diameter), and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
  • For each participant: one sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper
  Time
  20 minutes
  Related Activities
  • Modular Brainstorming [62]
  • Idea Pool [85]
  • Museum Madness [86]
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  Procedure
  1. Instruct all group members to take a sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper and tape two pieces
  of 4-inch-long masking tape—about 5 inches apart—on the top of the sheet, allow-
  ing at least two inches of tape to hang over the edge and two inches on the paper.
  2. Tell them to write down one idea at the top of the sheet where the pieces of tape
  are located.
  3. Have them ask another group member to tape the sheet high on their backs.
  4. Instruct all participants from all groups to walk around the room reading the
  ideas on each other’s backs and use these ideas as stimuli to generate new ideas.
  5. Tell them that, when they think of an idea, they should write it on the paper
  attached to the other person’s back. Caution them to be careful that ink does not
  bleed through to clothing!
  6. After about 10 to 15 minutes of this activity, have the participants return to their
  groups, remove the papers from their backs, and record each idea on a Post-it®
  Note.
  7. Tell them to place the notes on a ﬂip chart, pick their favorite ideas, and then
  brainstorm any new ones, writing each one on a new Post-it® Note (one idea per
  note).
  Debrief/Discussion
  This can be a fun, energizing activity that will work well after lunch or at the end of a day.
  Just walking around and getting out of chairs can provide the energy required to spark
  additional ideas. The brainwriting involved helps ensure a fairly large number of ideas in
  relatively little time. And the brainstorming at the end allows group members to interact
  verbally and possibly generate more ideas. If the participants have experienced any other
  brainwriting activities, ask them to compare them with this one.
  Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:
  • What was most helpful about this exercise?
  • What was most challenging?
  • What can we apply?
  • How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
  • Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
  • What did you learn?
  • What will we be able to use from this exercise?
  • What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Repro-
  duced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
  TLFeBOOK
  
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  Taylor, J.W. How to Create Ideas. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1961.
  VanGundy, A.B. 108 Ways to Get a Bright Idea. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983.
  VanGundy, A.B. Managing Group Creativity: A Modular Approach to Problem Solving. New York: AMACOM,
  1984.
  VanGundy, A.B. Product Improvement CheckList (PICL). Norman, OK: VanGundy & Associates
  (avangundy@aol.com), 1985.
  VanGundy, A.B. Techniques of Structured Problem Solving (2nd ed.). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1988.
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  AMACOM, 1992.
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  Whiting, C.S. Creative Thinking. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1958.
  Woods, M.F. “The Brainwriting Game.” Creativity Network, 5, 1979, 7–12.
  Wycoff, J. Mindmapping: Your Personal Guide to Exploring Creativity and Problem Solving. New York: Berkley
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  References
  101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving. Copyright © 2005 by John Wiley &
  Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission of Pfeiffer, an Imprint of Wiley. www.pfeiffer.com
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  About the Author
  Arthur B. VanGundy, Ph.D., is considered a pioneer in his work on idea generation tech-
  niques and has written twelve books, including Idea Power: How to Unleash the Creativity in
  Your Organization, 101 Great Games & Activities, and Orchestrating Collaboration at Work:
  Using Music, Improv, Storytelling, and Other Arts to Improve Teamwork. He founded All Star
  Minds, a global Internet “e-storming” business and specializes in facilitating brainstorm-
  ing retreats for new products, processes, and services, as well as providing training in cre-
  ative problem solving. He has received leadership service awards from the Creative
  Education Foundation and the Singapore government.
  391
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  fieldbooks are companions to another, sometimes earlier, work, from which its ideas are derived; the fieldbook
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Collections/Kid Friendly/1. Parent & GM Advice & Helpful Hints/Teaching Using RPGs/101 Activities for Creativity an Problem Solving.pdf