(1) THE BAD IDEA
With so much pressure to discover the perfect idea, we can easily get stuck. Instead, try thinking up the worst ideas you can imagine. Stupid, impractical, illegal, or downright lousy. That’s right, conduct a Bad Idea Brainstorm. After you exhaust your bad thinking, review the list and see if you can flip the awful ones into something fresh and new.
(2) INVENT YOUR ENEMY
Imagine an ideal, make-believe competitor. Unlimited capital, no bureaucracy, top talent. Next, imagine you now work at this nemesis company and are tackling a tough problem or trying to seize an opportunity. How would they solve it? How would your enemy seize the opportunity? By projecting your thinking away from your current gig, you remove all fear of saying the wrong thing, thereby liberating your creativity.
(3) THE WORLD’S FIRST
In this idea generation session, you’re only allowed to share ideas that are the world’s first of its kind. This is a powerful way to get past what already is and imagine what could be. Challenge yourself and your team to discover ‘the world’s first ______’ that could solve your challenge or seize your opportunity in a bold, new, fresh manner.