Idea Generators: How to Stimulate Creativity in the Office

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A few years ago a group of cyberspace friends generated ideas for how to generate a ton of ideas in a company.

Here are a few hundred ideas you might have fun with in your company or office.

They are categorized in loose categories.

Activity >214) Require doodling and hand-toy play during meetings :D dhayes

Activity 171. >Find a "buddy" to share ideas with and to help you build on ideas "Chris Thomason"

Activity 174. >I would gather the companies 7 top leaders and gain their Supportport >Barbara Allison-Simpson

Activity 175. then I would request the each employees to identify 7 areas or departments in the company that need improving. >Barbara Allison-Simpson

Activity 176, Then each employee must come up with 7 ideas to improve each of the areas or departments. >Barbara Allison-Simpson

Activity 177. The copies of the suggestions are sent to 7 persons in each areas or departments. They can be sent by snail mail or email in letter form, drawings or other visual or auditory methods that will convey the suggestions. This would be done in 7 days. >Barbara Allison-Simpson

Activity 178. The areas or departments personnel will collate the suggestions, identify the first 7 ideas to implement also in 7 days. >Barbara Allison-Simpson

Activity 179. Then the implementation process will be done in increments of 7 days, 7 weeks, 7 months or 7 years. Each person who send out their 7 X 7 suggestions will be given special recognition through out the organization. >Barbara Allison-Simpson

Activity 182. >If you are small group/individual go out and experience something different.....like ice-cream try all the flavours, check out the colours or if you don't do ice-cream your favourite indulgence. :-) Cathy NZ

Activity 183. >Check the local gallery every week - for what artists are create-ing......what's new at the library :-) Cathy NZ

Activity 184. >Join up to email lists not just Creativity types but something aligned to person/business i.e. drag racing for a car manufacturer or frugal list for a food manufacturer. :-) Cathy NZ

Activity 185. >With so much better ease to the internet - what about unSupportervised www browsing regularily......in the firms time. :-) Cathy NZ

Activity 186. >Realtime magazines in staff rooms - not ones that are eons old but the latest :-) Cathy NZ

Activity 191. >Take out all the regular extras like gym, social area & give employees subscriptions to ones nearer their homes. :-) Cathy NZ Activity 192. >Or put in the these facilities and encourage inhouse use. :-) Cathy NZ

Activity 193. >Provide company transport like in bicycles or staff bus - so that employees will arrive home/work in better frame of mind i.e. less traffic stress. :-) Cathy NZ

Activity 194. >The reason to give or take these above is so when they are in the job create-ing they are focused on the problem/idea without worrying about the awful problems in the outside world - that's another businesses problem :-) Cathy NZ

Activity 201. >*have a swear fest: every sentence should contain at least one swear word and not just the usual suspects but a few shakespearean/ chaucerian ones too. try to insert the swearword into the middle of the target word (I've forgotten the name for this) >Paul Myszor

Activity 202. >*a vow of silence at certain times, dice throws etc >Paul Myszor

Activity 203. >*speak in clicks, as used in some S african langauges >Paul Myszor

Activity 204. >*everyone to speak with their tongue hanging out >Paul Myszor

Activity 205. >*compulsory smoking of Cuban cigars >Paul Myszor

Activity 206. >*fine people for laughing, smiling or joking >Paul Myszor

Activity 209. Use movies to stimulate ideation--a number of months ago someone on this list mentioned he took his staff to see "A Bug's Life"--a movie that illustrates how hard it is to be innovative in the workplace. I now use it as part of my creativity course to inspire efforts to overcome obstacles to creativity in the workplace. Ilene

Activity 210. Take a paradigm shift--adopt a new science approach to creativity (and leadership). For further reference, see Margaret Wheatley's book, Leadership and the New Science. I am totally fascinated with how the "new" science "explains" creation. Ilene

Activity 212. Take "gorilla" breaks. When I was the Manager of Financial Services for a zoo, I would take my staff to the gorilla enclosure (we had two baby gorillas at the time). Watching their uninhibited playfulness broke down some walls in our department. Ilene

Activity 218. Hold theme days where staff are encouraged to use ideas from a moive, book or TV show. George Torok Activity 219. Play if I were king or queen of the world I would... George Torok

Activity 221. Hold staff meeting at the zoo. George Torok

Activity 222. Hold a meeting where no one talks. George Torok

Activity 223. Form a band. George Torok

Activity 224. Write a play. George Torok

Activity 225. Hire Alan Black. George Torok

Activity 226. Fire Alan Black. George Torok

Activity 227. Look for messages in old Beatles albums. George Torok

Activity -275. hang a big black board on the department wall and write down on it "How can I do my job in different way? Write down at least three different ideas"( we can write it each monday and we can let people to try one of the ways) Ayse Esra

Activity -276. ask to the staff for their descriptions about their jobs/tasks in the workplace. And then ask to the staff how can describe different aims/mission of their jobs/tasks. Ayse Esra

Activity -342>7. Ask employees what they would rather be doing than being at work, and take them up on that. i.e. I'd rather be sailing, then go sailing. Then ask them about their experience and what makes it so enticing. Then see if you can apply some of the lessons learned to the workplace.

Activity-330>*- Take a new years dive in the ocean or nearby lake

Activity-331>* Let a small group of people make a movie or documentary about the company, one of the customers, or things they find important

Activity-332>* Introduce "the creative detective", an employee who can spend his time lurking in the dark and finding out new ways of thinking and doing things that people use in every day life but are not aware of.

Activity-334>*- Introduce the garbage-collecting meeting, once a month. Employees gather every boring piece of paper in their office and bring it to the meeting. They proclaim why it is boring an what they want to do instead. The new ideas are collected

Activity-335>*- Introduce the boring-buzzing bowl. This is a large bowl filled with small coloured and black balls. At the beginning of the day let the employees take out a black ball and a coloored ball. At the end of the day, let them return the black ball if they had no new idea, during the day. If they had a new idea, let them write it down and return the coloured ball. Save the black balls as a personal record. At the end of each month let the bowl be caried into the office meeting and evaluate how coloured you all still are. Award the person with the most black balls. Discuss the new ideas everyone has written down.

anal - 100) . - Das - Go through records of complaints, injuries, litigation, etc.

anal - 96. - Das - First you have to collect the material, i.e., make a list of unfavorable effects or conditions. This is easy to do. Let me point to a couple of natural issues that I use in an audit.

Application - 367>3. On a different track: Ask employees to submit ideas on improving and expanding creative thinking in their current workplace based on experiences they've had which generated positive results in their previous jobs. If the previous experience needs specific adaptation to fit the present workplace, it would be helpful to include that on the submission if possible. In some cases, the idea alone can be submitted, and the most feasible current adaptation would need further thought and consideration by others. (Company confidentiality should obviously be honored in submitting ideas from previous employers.)

Application 180. >Look back in the archives of the business and see what 'outta the box' ideas were put forward but never used because 'it will never work' :-) Cathy NZ

Application -241. > 1. Pick a local task that will generate tons of responses: Look through a signage catalog. I found that there were about 500 ways to impart a negative message (No parking, No entrance, etc.) and only about 25 ways to give a positive message (Welcome, Thanks for Visiting, etc.). With such a lop-sided effort to manage folks' activities, no wonder most of us are grouchy after returning from an outing. Have the group devise as many positive signs as can be found in the universe. I know this is like the activity to which I am responding, but, in particular, this signage exercise applies to virtually all organizations on the planet (and off?). >...rap

Application -242. > As a follow-up, the group could pick and choose from all the replies, those appropriate to be used as pick-me-ups for visitors and employees of their organization. >...rap

Application -243. > Implement the suggestions! Show them that creativity does benefit everyone in the organization. >...rap

Application -244.> Evaluate the benefit of these new signs (comments?). >...rap

Application-120.>- Put a suggestions box out and give prizes for best creative idea and try to implement at least one idea each month - announce this at a staff barbecue at the end of every month.-ss

Application-122. >- Form a social club which runs evenings / events for staff about four times a year. Have theme nights, trivia nights, fancy dress parties, etc. -ss

Application-123. >- cover a couple of tables in the meal area with several layers of white butcher's paper and put a jar of crayons there. Replace used sheets every day. -ss

Application-133. >Have sessions to watch FISH tape -Deanna

Application-136. >Give people 10 minutes a day for creativity walks -Deanna

Application-138. ># include creative thinking as KRA (key result area) in performance appraisals from top to bottom management -Vince

Application-147. ># develop a sustainable level of idea generation/processing/implementation -Vince

Application-198 Have a Retro Day. Have everyone come to work dressed in the style of his teens and problem solve with his teenage mind. Approach the problem from a '40s mindset, a '50s mindset, a '60s mindset, etc. Could we sell more if we gave the product a nostalgic touch. . (RB)

Application-284. >Pick a play or a movie. Assign the various roles of the story to people and generate ideas as if you were that person. Would be interesting to believe for a few moment that one is Hamlet or Julius Cesar or Inspector Clousot or Cleopatra!!! (DH-R)

Application-294.># Scavenge constantly for promising ideas, sometimes in the unlikeliest places

Application-295># Pass around and toy with ideas

Application-298># Test ideas for commercial potential

Application-304.Assume that we should do exactly, in some sense, the opposite of what we are doing already, i.e. at Airbus producing submarines instead of aeroplanes or at shool getting the children more stupid instead of clever. Or more crude: at hospitals kill people instead of cure them.

Application-305.What should we change in our procedures, communication, schemes and so on?

Application-306.What of all this would it nevertheless make sense to introduce into the existing world of ours and thus substitute for bad schematas.

Application-364>Sometimes great ideas come up in staff meetings or team sessions that we just don't have the time or resources to act on--we created an idea wall in a common area where all staff could peruse freely (perhaps when they are feeling the need to walk away from their computer or just kill some time or take a break) dedicated to posting these ideas...we write them down and stick them up there in no particular order...once a month (if we are lucky) we review, group, sort and see how we are doing...we are surprised how often an idea, which at the time it was placed on the idea wall seemed far fetched, is incorporated in our best solutions. Its like planting a seed...

col-200. Create a Tips for New Employees Book. Save someone the grief of making a major mistake - record what you've learned the hard way. . (RB)

Development -338>3. Take the staff to watch a variety of videos (especially the Disney special features).

Development-118. >- Night shift workers at one of my client sites (sheet metal foundry) now do Sam Lloyd Martin Gardner puzzles and cryptic crosswords and newspaper trivia columns to keep more awake - this makes them more creative as a result. -ss

Development-119. >- Copy one page from "The Inventions of Daedalus" by Jones (ex Scientific American column writer) and place on the junk food vending machine in the meal area -ss

Development-128. *have employees participate in The Artist's Way workshop and provide time for them to do morning pages each day - clearing the brain of "brain goo" will make room for lots of ideas to generate -kmf

Development-129. >*inclued families in on all the activities - make work and personal time a fine line, so that it really is LIFE -kmf

Development-142. ># train people in the tools of creative thinking -Vince

Development-363>Do yourself a favour and when someone makes an officious declarative statement about the nature of a thing, situation, or person--ask why or why not. mjj

Development-389>8) BANK OF INVENTIVE PROBLEMS: Ask workers to e-mail, to an Intranet, business and/or personal problems that the person considers impossible to solve but the solution of which would bring immense reward and satisfaction. There should be an option of making "anonymous" senders of e-mails. Later, the archived "inventive problems" could be classified with a view to providing "inventive solutions". . -r-king

emo - 102) . - Das - Have an anonymous "gripe box" next to an idea / suggestion box

emo - 13. Ensure that staff maintain their well-being - stressed people are low on creativity PL

emo - 97 . - Das - A) Bad feelings and criticism tends to surface on the top. They unload first. In my opinion this is why it is often difficult to produce great ideas in a hurry. It is easy to get people started on what bothers them. Tell them what you are after and take notes as they speak

emo - 98 . - Das - B) So called "difficult people" have a large accumulation of perceived problems (opportunities) They make a great resource for what we are after.

emo-148. ># consider emotional attachment people put into idea generation -Vince

Encouragement - 20. #� take advantage of the Seattle Fish Market videos to get people to LOVE their jobs and have fun doing them. JN

Encouragement - 92. . - Alice - Give people little" medicine" bundles to encourage and seed creativity and reflective thought (I make mine out of squares of silk with a candle, a gold wrapped candy, a piece of beach glass, and a dozen or so sequins) best thoughts

Encouragement -270.># Give permission to each member to allow themselves to go beyond their "norm" behaviour. Eliz G

Encouragement -3013) Encourage creative humor (i.e. jokes etc. with that creative twist) Patrick A

Encouragement-196. What's he Supportposed to be doing? A major problem is when an employer hires a kid and says he's to do entry level work half the day and spend the rest of the day learning more advanced work and then tells the kid's Supportervisor that he's hired a new file clerk or cleaner. The kid kills himself learning all kinds of new skills and then when evaluation time rolls around, he gets a poor evaluation because he was distracted from cleaning or filing - the only tasks being evaluated. If the kid doesn't quit, he sure has lost his motivation to do any extra thinking. That first evaluation sends a very strong positive or negative message regarding creativity. . (RB)

Environment - 10. Hold staff meetings in unusual places i.e. parks, fun-fair's by the beach etc. PL

Environment - 11. Create a stimulating visual environment

Environment - 12. Move staff around the office every 3 - 6 months, so they have a different perspective PL

Environment - 15. Have lots of windows or light spaces in the workplace PL

Environment - 21. #�� allow employees to have their own "personal space" (cubicle, bulletin board, etc.) through which each person can creatively express themselves. JN

Environment - 27 CMB walls of one of ten different strange colors or patterns: --blue with clouds

Environment - 28 CMB walls of one of ten different strange colors or patterns: --international disaster orange

Environment - 29 CMB walls of one of ten different strange colors or patterns: --Mondrian patterned walls ( I actually did this once)

Environment - 30 CMB walls of one of ten different strange colors or patterns: --big pictures of Grand Canyon

Environment - 31 CMB walls of one of ten different strange colors or patterns: -- big pictures of outer space

Environment - 32 CMB walls of one of ten different strange colors or patterns: --TV screens on all walls giving data feeds from your industry

Environment - 33 CMB walls of one of ten different strange colors or patterns: --all white boards

Environment - 34 CMB walls of one of ten different strange colors or patterns: --white board walls with ceiling mounted TV projectors tied to Internet

Environment - 345>1. each department to work once a week at one of the homes of the employees 1a. work 2 times a week from home, while being connected via a network to the work place, and go to work 3 times a week

Environment - 35 CMB walls of one of ten different strange colors or patterns: --paper walls with your company literature

Environment - 353>3. Design rooms to be multi-purpose. Each "room" in your organization should have multi-personalities. Some can have more than one at the same time; others can have a new one at the flip of a "switch". I teach in a room designed to be classroom, meeting room, computer laboratory, and general celebration space. None of the furniture is fixed -- everything can be moved and altered. It is fun to watch a meeting suddenly turn into a classroom and then morph into a celebration.

Environment - 36 CMB walls of one of ten different strange colors or patterns: --paper walls with competitors literature

Environment - 37 CMB Furnish room with: --kindergarden toys

Environment - 38 CMB Furnish room with: --exercise equipment

Environment - 39 CMB Furnish room with: --drama props

Environment - 40 CMB Furnish room with: --Kareoke machine

Environment - 41 CMB Furnish room with: --library of world's greates literature

Environment - 42 CMB Furnish room with: --library of technical literature

Environment - 43 CMB Furnish room with: --computers hooked to internet

Environment - 44 CMB Furnish room with: --computer with meeting Supportport software

Environment - 45 CMB Furnish room with: --tables and chairs

Environment - 46 CMB Furnish room with: --sofas and pillows

Environment - 47 CMB For sounds, provide: --silence

Environment - 48 CMB For sounds, provide: --noise cancellation

Environment - 49 CMB For sounds, provide: --interactive sound sculpture that reacts to your movements

Environment - 50 CMB For sounds, provide: --sounds of the production floor

Environment - 51 CMB For sounds, provide: --muzak

Environment - 52 CMB For sounds, provide: --Super learning type music

Environment - 53 CMB For sounds, provide: --Rock and Roll

Environment - 54 CMB For sounds, provide: --Salsa

Environment - 55 CMB For sounds, provide: --Music of the world

Environment - 56 CMB For sounds, provide: --instruments to make your own

Environment - 94. . - KRF -*make sure everyone gets their fair share of fresh air and daylight each day

Environment >215) set aside a music room full of various instruments ... provide a merit-pay incentive for use :D dhayes

Environment 170. >Go to ANY different environment to think - even for only 10 minutes. Find a "secret" place where nobody knows where you are. "Chris Thomason"

Environment 181. >blackboard or whiteboards with chalk or markers but no dusters in all bathroom areas or other loitering areas i.e. locker room :-) Cathy NZ

Environment 189. >Have no office/cubicles for employees - make them take potluck at a number of 'nameless' type areas from senior management through to typist errr data entry.....therefore no closed door scenario anywhere. :-) Cathy NZ

Environment 190. >Build a greenhouse/garden on one of the floors of a building or wherever suitable suggest people meander there. :-) Cathy NZ

Environment 207. Put in every room a big board to think in a wide area to collegt ideas (Icall it "play dark in my creativity box) Jens M

Environment 213) Have colored lights installed in the offices/cubicles .. and randomly throughout the day a color is chosen (thinking hat) and a PO is stated over the intercom :D dhayes

Environment 259 create mobile conference rooms that can be set-up anywhere David Whalen

Environment 260 have your kids decorate the office David Whalen

Environment 263 create a "community creativity center" to assist local civic and public groups with their creative endeavors David Whalen

Environment 265>Start the creativity by creating a _safe_ environment in which all creative attempts are welcomed. alice macp

Environment -280. Make a creativity room in the office. Put over there an equipment, a picture etc. And let people work on it how you can change it? At the end of each month share the results with the staff. Ayse Esra

Environment -2991) Expose employees to running water - waterfalls, fountains, outdoor lakes & streams or waves. There is something about running water that is just so conducive to creative thought. Patrick A

Environment -339>4. Conduct staff meetings while walking in a natural setting (i.e., a park, a beach, etc.)

Environment -340>5. Meditate outdoors in small or large groups. And then conduct your staff meeting.

Environment -341>6. Visit an art museum or science center, and on return to the office, brainstorm on how that experience related to the normal daily routine at work.

Environment 7.� dedicate a room or area as "creative space", where it's OK for creative and "different" activities to occur. -VM

Environment-117. >- Set up a reading space in the lunch room with comfy chairs and creativity books around-ss

Environment-125. ># Use a variety of music - fast, slow, classical, rock, rap etc. - changing within prearranged frame of time or have a pre-programmed CD mix ready to go. -eg

Environment-126. ># Dress in a completely different manner in which you are used to. -eg

Environment-127. ># Bring toys, odds and ends, string, ballons, etc into session so that a physical mind map can be built. -eg

Environment-135. >Add a creativity room -Deanna

Environment-293.>I like to stir things up (or settle them down) with fresh flowers when I have reason to encourage creative thinking. And if I have a relationship with the group I might even add some music. I have even had the lights off in the meeting room and had the flowers lit only (makeshift spotlight suspended from the ceiling tile grid work). It is then fun to debrief all the different individual reactions and see if we can apply them to the current opportunity. Once in a while we need to stretch everyone a little bit. (Ralph M)

Environment-313>*- Install workbenches in every office, so that people usally working with their heads and computers are able to work with their hands.

Environment-314>*- start a small glass green house in every open space office.

Environment-315>*- Introduce a aquarium in the form of a larger glass tube, running across the whole building like the one drawn in Guust (a comic book)

env-316>*- Introduce birds in the office, let them fly around free.

Environment-317>*- Dedicate every one in four walls to 'writings on the wall' people are free to write anything down.

Environment-318>*- Dedicate parts of the walls and ceiling to 'weird ideas'

Environment-319>*- Create a collecting robot.. a robot that moves around the office and collects ideas. Employees can write down their ideas on a piece of paper, mold it and throw it at the robot. The robot empties his collection at the end of the day in the 'just for fun' room. People willing to read and store the ideas can have a drink and something to eat in the just for fun room

Environment-320>*- Hand out paintbrushes, paint the desks, walls

Environment-321>*- Let everyone create their own doorknob (the thing you open the door with)

Environment-322>*- Let the doors make noise, let every workteam create its own noise

Environment-323>*- Introduce the idea-ball (a football). give every employee a washable marking pen to write ideas on the ball, throw the ball around.

env-324>*- Do the same with a baseball

Environment-325>*- Change the ground we walk on. Let every room have a different floor, not only carpet, but wood, tiles, sand, little rocks, turf, grass, mud, water, etc.

Environment-326>*- Let people walk barefooted in the office.

Environment-327>*- Changing the people Everyone is creative, they just don't take it with them to work. We have to change the boundary by ...Bring in the clowns, acrobats, jongleurs

Environment-328>*- Changing the people Everyone is creative, they just don't take it with them to work. We have to change the boundary by ...Organize a fancy fair at the office, were people can only sell self made goods or perform on a stage. Everyone has to do something. It is part of their job.

Environment-329>*- Let employees choose a musical instrument and create music as a work team. Every work team has to perform at the end of the year.

equip - 24. *� Create an electronic notepad on the workplace Intranet and solicit ideas on posted topics. RW

equip 8.� set up an anonymous email creativity list, so that ideas and discussions can take place without regard to personal issues. VM

eve - 14. Hold surprise 'theme' days every few months i.e. everyone comes in one morning to find their office looks more like a tropical island.� Ask staff to use this theme as an inspiration to generate new ideas about the business. PL

event-134. >Have creativity contests -Deanna

Exercise >216)type up memos with significant number of letters missing - see who can figure it out first :D dhayes

Exercise >217) play "Pictionary" during morning break, "Dictionary" lunch break, and "Boggle" afternoon break; hey I know .. allow breaks :D dhayes

Exercise 149. >Each week (or a period) a participant wears one of the six hats (can be a colored badge or a little clip-on). For that week most ideas and observations will be from that particular point of view. Naturally the mind will focus from other points of view or other hats also. Such ideas will be noted and handed over to a participant wearing that appropriate "other" color. Visibility and inquiry from other people will help keep the idea in mind. >Das Menon

Exercise 150. >Periodic meetings would create opportunities for various group methods (mentioned by listers) and exchange "other hat" information. One person will participate as a moderator and record all ideas. In seven weeks all get to participate in each hat and work as a moderator. This assumes a minimum of seven members and a seven week participation. Meetings (intervals for switching hats) and group membership are variables for different requirements. >Das Menon

Exercise 151. >Pose a problem, forget it and then meditate on nothingness (Say ZZZENNN). >Das Menon

Exercise 152. >Take the problem to the shower, keep a recorder on and sing new ideas real loud. >Das Menon

Exercise 153. >Ask Moses/ Jesus / Allah for a solution (pick only one please!) >Das Menon

Exercise 154. >Try to sketch answers while trying various yoga postures. >Das Menon

Exercise 155. >Imagine that you have only one day left on this planet and come up with as many ideas as possible. >Das Menon

Exercise 156. >Go to an open field (don't forget your pocket recorder) and tell jokes about absurd ideas. >Das Menon

Exercise 157. >Bump your head (gently please!) on a brick wall and imagine that you now have a new perspective. >Das Menon

Exercise 158. >Assume multiple personalities and speak out solutions or ideas in each accent. >Das Menon

Exercise 159. >Take a laxative and jot down all ideas before you have to...........(You will feel much better later) >Das Menon

Exercise 160. >Be religious and insist there is only ONE solution and then be irreverent to your belief. >Das Menon

Exercise 161. >Go to a strange place and ask strangers if they have any ideas for what you are considering. >Das Menon

Exercise 162. >Ask kids to come up with ideas (Not recommended for people with low self esteem) >Das Menon

Exercise 163. >Hold your breath till a new idea happens (A good way to eliminate linear thinkers) >Das Menon

Exercise 164. >Act sick. Go to any doctor's office (lobby), read odd books and jot down ideas. Don't worry..no one will notice! >Das Menon

Exercise 165. >Park behind a police car and write down ideas. If the police approaches. Ask for new ideas. The police will take off. >Das Menon

Exercise 166. >Go on a diet. Each time you have an idea, reward yourself with a milkshake! >Das Menon

Exercise 167. >Talk to a preacher about your creativity problem : )

Exercise 168. >Come up with ideas and tell your spouse why each won't work. You will have workable solutions. >Das Menon

Exercise 169. >Call your senator and demand three good ideas. (This is the last resort) >Das Menon

Exercise 172. >Scan for triggers - anything that sets you off on a course of thought "Chris Thomason"

Exercise 173. >Don't try to compose ideas on a computer - it limits your thinking ability - use pens and paper to sketch out ideas "Chris Thomason"

Exercise 220. List the dumbest things we do in this company/ business� & how to fix them. George Torok

Exercise -230. >One could organise sessions during school holidays for parents to bring their children to work and get them to contribute ideas to improve the business. The kids could do so in-groups with and without the parents. It should help stimulate creativity at the work place! Haven

Exercise -245.> 2. Develop a different Motto for the organization for each day of the week, month, year... >...rap

Exercise -246.> 3. Have the group collect as many different types of "graphs" and other unique visual presentations of data/statistics. Collect them all and remove the individual data/statistics. Invite the group to suggest uses for presenting information in the best "light" for their organization using these "blank" idea templates. This activity might be extended to the creating new methods of visual presentation. >...rap

Exercise -247.> 4. Provide a variety of tissue paper in different colors and patterns, and a cup of water. Ask the participants to express a suggestion (or respond to a suggestion) with just the provided materials. You really shouldn't be too surprised at the results. >...rap

Exercise -248.> 5. Sponges and small bowls of liquid tempera and a large sheet of newsprint or butcher paper. >...rap

Exercise -249.> 6. Use large, young childrens' wax coloring sticks instead of markers when you give presentations. How many other devices can you use for marking on surfaces? One demonstration used a lock of my hair, a rubber band, and a twig to make a paint brush. Only a bald participant took offense (but even he reminds me of my "scissor demo" from time to time). Hair should be freshly cleansed or water color will not be easy to use. Ice cream sticks dipped into ink. >...rap

Exercise 262 run your projects like the "Survivor Island" television show - everyone can join a project but you can get voted off of it at any time David Whalen

Exercise 266>Use a grafitti wall of paper to give people a chance to make creative comments anonymously. alice macp

Exercise -269.># Create unusual and colorful full face masks for each member of a session. Have each member choose their mask in secret that they will wear. Then let the fun begin. With a mask on members will act in ways other than their norm. Therefore they're output of creative brainstorming will range from the outrageous to the inspirational. Eliz G

Exercise -271.># Stage a play of the "problem" and creatively act out the different stages. Act I, the when, the what for...ActII, the conflict, the Apex.....ActII, the resolve. Go all the way and wear costumes.....allow yourself to make a "fool" of yourself, that you don't have to be right, to win. Eliz G

Exercise -272.>#Think 3 deminsionally (XYZ) instead of the usual 2-deminsional formula. Eliz G

Exercise -273. Make a list the things which is done in the workplace and generate creative ideas for each task. Ayse Esra

Exercise -274. choose three most creative ideas from each task by the all staff of by the each department Ayse Esra

Exercise -277. Take a decision related to company target and think about this decision with your colloquies with 6 thinking hats. Ayse Esra

Exercise -278. Take the last company decision and make a brain storming session on it What kind of different decision the company get other than this and what happens if it is like that?" Ayse Esra

Exercise -279. make the staff to choose one of their task Give the little prescriptions to the staff How they can make this task creatively.( for exmp, We can use a an instruction that you have in your book. Expand it. ,look through from different side, make it bigger etc.) Ayse Esra

Exercise -281. Put a question on a big paper each month and let people write down their ideas. For example What would happened if our boss was giant? Ayse Esra

Exercise -283. and then make them reply it. Take these ideas as an advertisement slogan of company. Ayse Esra

Exercise -302>Play game of "packing up" a box of written down creative ideas. Then give box to another player who unpacks the ideas, scrambles pieces of the ideas together and then packs a new box. John T

Exercise -303>Have a suggestion type box with a paper form that starts out:

Fun-382>1) MAGIC TRICKS: Invite, each month, creative magicians to perform "unique" magic tricks and have each magician explain the creative process by which (s)he created or developed each magic trick. During the week of Christmas or a suitable period, each worker should create and perform - with or without music - an "entertaining" magic trick; the performing character could be a real or an imaginary person, animal, plant, or "object". Presentations could also be made by teams or groups of worker-magicians. -r-king

Fun-386>5) FUN-COMPETITIONS AND REWARDS FOR BREAKTHROUGH THINKING: Arrange fun-competitions and rewards for developing systems that make creativity and creative problem-solving more widespread, "transparent", and understandable. There could also be competitions and rewards for the "worst ideas ever." And further competitions for turning the "worst ideas ever" into the "best ideas ever." . -r-king

Generate - 109- David W - Create a "bug list" - those items that bug employees - great source of problems for creative problem solving techniques. I call this, "Debugging EDS."

Generate - 22. *� Pass out boxes of crayons and blank paper to co-workers and ask them to write, draw, mind map, their ideas for the workplace based on "what if?". RW

Generate - 91. - Alice - Start a wish list by brainstorming what people want. Then use one of the creative linking exercises to find creative ways to get to that place (or another creative place that comes out of the linking)

Generate-197. Bring in Fresh Minds. Arrange a Problem Solving Day where each employee is matched with a student. The employee has to make the problem clear enough to be understandable to the teenager. The teenager is then given the task of finding possible solutions without being hampered by how thing are always done or who might be offended by change. While you have the teens there, ask if your product or delivery of service or advertising could be made more appealing to them. . (RB)

Generate-199 Cultural Awareness. Bring in a stack of National Geographic Magazines. Would your product be marketable in other countries? What changes would be necessary to make it more appealing to different ethnic groups? What is the ethnic breakdown in your marketing area and do you have people on staff with the language skills to service those customers? . (RB)

Generate-229.>Have weekly ice breakers. (MB)

Generate-233. >Have a company 'ideas car' - a people carrier that 6 -8 people can comfortably ride in. Take people off for creative 'journeys' - every time the clock registers another mile, you need to come up with an idea. (You can also do this with an elevator - a new idea every time you reach a new floor) . (PL)

Generate-254. >CREATIVITY BY COMMITTEE. Establish a "creative-idea" committee made up of volunteers. The goals of the committee should be to elicit, discuss, and implement employee's ideas. The committee can record the number of ideas on a thermometer-type graph. The company should recognize and reward people according to the quantity and quality of their creative contributions. .)MM)

Generate-297># Imagine new uses for old ideas / look for analogies

Generate-381>Using pictures, words and/or models (visual, auditory, kinesthetic), describe the ideal "thing" in as much detail and encompassing as many senses as possible. Make it so real that the differences between whatever exists today and the ideal is obvious. Then for 24 hours, while living life "normally," note all the opportunities for change to match the ideal. Express these in a "mind map" and look for ways to expand on the map.

inv - 88. . - KRF *have everyone get to know each other on a personal basis.� This way greater trust is established between people and ideas will flow, without judgement, with greater ease

inv - 89. . - KRF *make sure respect for everyone is established

inv - 90. . - KRF *make sure everyone knows what flow is and when they are in it.� This way creativity becomes fun and not work as one may understand it.

inv-115. >- Meet each month (week?) to discuss other good ideas in other industries / companies.-ss is happening and I do not know why. You fill out the part and others fill out next part of the form that gives their idea of why is happening/or not happening. The form then goes to another who fill out is a way to make it happen/or not to happen. John T

mgt - 95. - KRF -*create a position where the employee or the department is fully responsible for keeping the creativity flowing throughout the company (that tells them you are serious about this)� what better way the get the juices flowing than to be serious about the intentions (I would like that job.

Miscellaneous-291. When giving presentations, do NOT always rely on that Power Point deal. Yes,I can do a wonderful PP presentation and, in fact, do on many occasions in my career as a public speaker/adjunct faculty member at our local community college. BUT, some of the most powerful presentations I've ever given rely solely on ME as "the prop". Yes, I do interactive things with my audiences/classes, but I remain the focal point of the presentation. Vanity you ask? Nope...I've just seen too many of my colleagues "hiding behind" technology and simply thinking that the technology will "take care of everything". Not so... (Rebecca)

Miscellaneous-292. On occasion, I do shows at malls and community events. That's when I only have to hand out promotional material for my company. BORING for me.. But, I always find that really looking around me, whether at a show or doing an actual workshop, always helps me, also. Case in point...Last fall, had to do a show at a "Fall Foilage" event. I pulled everything together to make our "booth" look like fall....yellows, oranges, baskets in same colors, raffia tied here and there...I desperately needed leaves in same colors. Had only enough time the evening prior to the event to rush around to a couple of stores to find "leaves". Didn't find any paper ones, so just went to the show the next day. In the setup time, I walked right past three absolutely gorgeous maple trees that had produced not only red, yellow, orange leaves...but HUGE LEAVES and in perfect condition. Scooped them right up and they pulled my "booth" materials together. At a recent presentation/workshop to a rather large group, I became aware that the seats were set up (not purposefully I'm sure) in a airliner fashion. So, I started walking up and down "the aisle" asking folks for their luncheon orders, etc. Great ice breaker that was given to me at the last second only by my observation of my surroundings, and, of course, my "sense" that the crowd was playful. At another presentation, I needed to simplify a complicated concept for some members of my audience who just weren't grasping the idea I was trying to get across. This was a very informal presentation..I was seated at a big round table with my folks...yes, they wanted me to sit...they felt more comfortable with me. I noticed a HUGE plate of cookies off to one side of the table, and I knew in an instant that the plate of cookies, if pushed to "the center" of the table, would make everything clear. I was explaining the idea of a certain product being delivered to their locale from a long distance and its storage. Problem was.....the "product" was something that, for my audience, is never thought of as a product. In this case, the product was electricity. So, I guess my "creative" ideas involve mostly observing things around me and making a quick, last-minute adaptation to make things more interesting and personal for my audiences. I find that my creativity "flows" only when it is permitted free space. I approach creativity in two ways...(1) I have something "in mind". I don't panic, and I simply allow "it" to roll around "in there". Then, usually at the 11th hour, all the dots light up, the line connecting them pulsates, and I just go with it. (2) Sometimes I do plan a little more in terms of specifics such as a PP presentation, but with the idea in mind that I can always adjust, bend, twirl...etc. So....hope this helps. (Rebecca)

Meeting - 18. #� make staff/manager's meetings FUN.� Create a theme for them around the topic for discussion and carry it through the entire meeting--decorate the room--include treats--add music.� This will generate energy and encourage meeting participants to be creative too.� (especially if the discussion topic requires a lot of brainstorming, etc.) JN

Meeting - 19. #� use "anchors" in meetings...little symbolic giveaways people can take with them from the meeting to remind them of the topic or focus of the discussion. JN

Meeting - 23. *� Invite a small group of colleagues out for food, beverage, and conversation based on a work theme selected to generate ideas and discussion. RW

Meeting - 346>2. Have important meetings in restaurants/ coffee shops

Meeting - 349>5. Conduct "failure sessions" . Each employee must bring to the discussion table an "unsuccessful event/failure" to be looked upon as a stepping stone for success. ( something along the lines of SWOT)

Meeting - 350>6. Get the spouses to come once in a while to important meetings to give their input

Meeting - 57 CMB People the room with: --project teams

Meeting - 58 CMB People the room with: --individuals needing quiet

Meeting - 59 CMB People the room with: --personal physical trainers

Meeting - 60 CMB People the room with: --personal creativity trainers

Meeting - 61 CMB People the room with: --employees from other parts of the company

Meeting - 62 CMB People the room with: --retirees

Meeting - 63 CMB People the room with: --children

Meeting - 64 CMB People the room with: --skilled facilitators

Meeting - 65 CMB People the room with: --famous authors

Meeting - 66 CMB People the room with: --famous scientists

people - 99) . - Das - Talk to "difficult people" first.

people 187. >Invite the sons/daughters of employees in to contribute to problem, new product testing or whatever. :-) Cathy NZ

people 188. >Don't forget the significant other as well. :-) Cathy NZ

people -336.>1. Bring your children to work today. Invite them to sit in on staff meetings, and contribute from their perspective.

people -337>2. Have employees visit their childrens' school and participate in some of their classes. Observe how children think (Presuming the teachers are prepared to let them do that activity). As you allow your child inside of you the freedom, participate in the class.

pro - 365>1. Ask employees to list as many factors as possible which _inhibit_ creative thinking in their workplace -- and for each item, list one or more changes which could reverse or simply improve the situation. Because anonymity will be very important here: you could ask for typed submissions with no names, and have them either internally mailed to a specific address or dropped off in a physical (locked) box of some kind.

pro-141. ># visit each division (sort of a road show) and be the champion -Vince

pro-228. >Convince Director/CEO of the growth creativity will produce in the workplace. (MB)

pro-250. >IDEA LOTTERY. Have a monthly "idea lottery," using a roll of numbered tickets. Each time a person comes up with a creative idea, he or she receives a ticket. At the end of each month, share the ideas with the staff and then draw a number from a bowl. If the number on anyone's ticket corresponds to the number drawn, he or she gets a prize. If no one wins, double the prize for the next month.)MM)

pro-251. >ICONS OF CREATIVITY. Ask people to display items on their desks that represent their own personal visions of creativity in business. For example, a crystal ball might represent a view toward future markets, a bottle of Heinz catSupport might represent a personal goal of 57 new ideas on how to cut expenses, and a set of jumper cables might symbolize the act of jump-starting your creative juices to get more sales. .)MM)

pro-253. >STUPID IDEA WEEK. Make idea generating fun. Have a "Stupid Idea" week and stage a contest for the dumbest ideas. Post entries on a bulletin board and conduct an awards ceremony with a prize. You'll enjoy the camaraderie and may find that the stupid ideas stimulate good ones. .)MM)

pro-255. >HALL OF FAME. Turn an office hallway into an Employee Hall of Fame. Post photographs of those whose ideas are implemented along with a paragraph about the person, the idea, and its impact on the company. .)MM)

pro-311>* Make a wall where you put up sketches, photos etc from earlier projects, especially those where the results were good. It will remind people of the spirit that helped the ideas, and how they were working/thinking to get there.

pro-312>* Have a Polaroid or even better; an i-Zone camera to take pictures all the time when you're having fun and working, and stick them up on your new wall...

pro-385>4) INSIGHTFUL AND INSPIRATIONAL APHORISMS: Each week, everybody should e-mail, to an Intranet, insightful and inspirational aphorisms (e.g., "Paoisms") of their own creation. All aphorisms could be archived and later published in various office calendars for a particular year; colourful illustrations in the calendars could be done by workers under the motto: "We value our own creativity." . -r-king

pro-390>9) CREATIVITY NEWSLETTER: Have a creativity newsletter that reports on creativity, especially workers' creativity in and out of the workplace. . -r-king

prog - 108- David W - "Program-of-the-month" where each month everyone's creative focus is a particular set of policies, procedures or methods. I.E. January is Employee Evaluation month - how do we improve our evaluation process, February is Project Management month - how do we improve our PM, March is Leadership month, April is Team Building month, etc.

prog - 111- David W - Initiate a program of sharing employees with other companies.

proj - 113- David W - Instead of departments, treat all activities as projects that are temporary or need annual renewal.

Recreation - 16. Install a display - that changes each week - of creative work or objects/products PL

Recreation 258 reward/recognize employees for creative/high-risk projects that failed David Whalen

Recreation-195. Print out Alan's Challenge. Paste it on the front of a binder. Set the binder in a prominent place. Do this quarterly and take a group picture of everyone who contributed ideas and hang it in an area that employees pass frequently. (RB)

res - 285.>* Arrange to add to your organization's library a collection of the best creativity publications , including those authored by Michalko, Buzan, de Bono, Cameron, von Oech, Black (of course!), etc. Encourage colleagues to use them for their own learning and as idea and project tools. Rod W

res 208. Give every person a Tangram game to play and find out of the boxsolutions. Jens M

res1a>286. Day 1: I'd hand key decision-makers and "sneezers," the August 2000 issue of Fast Company magazine. The glowing cover that reads, "Ideas Rule" will grab attention. I'd mark the article inside titled, " Unleash your Ideavirus." (Dmi)

res1b>287. Day 2: I'd arrange to have lunch with a key decision-maker who would likely have read the article. At lunch, I'd share a quick and engaging example of creative thinking strategies. I'd suggest a problem that is relevant to the decision-maker and the company. I'd mention I maintain online contact with creativity gurus and if the decision-maker will assure me of their best thinking during the sessions, I could probably swing an exclusive session for upper management before it becomes common place. I'd mention the session directly affects company profits since we will learn new ways to generate extraordinary ideas in the session, and ideas fuel profits in this economy. I would say I did not foresee any budgetary constraints for a simple one-time tryout session, do they? (Dmi)

res1c>288. Day 3: I'd enlist the service of an experienced creativity consultant to direct a session as (s)he sees fit. (This list has several.) I'd fill the moderator in thoroughly on the personality of the decision-maker(s), and the culture of the company, including the unwritten rules of the company. I'd mention to the consultant that I'd like to see ideas emerge and develop into a sound bite that could spread rapidly throughout the company to become one avalanche idea. (Dmi)

res1d>289. Day of Session: I'd consider this my and the moderators chance to make the "first-impression" for improving or expanding creative thinking in the workplace. I'd remind myself the decision-makers need to feel this is important to the company. I'd be conscious of the dynamics of the relationships of the participants. I'd want it to be fun and positive throughout. I'd prefer to keep it short for the first session so the participants want more when its quitting time. (Dmi)

res1e>290. Day after Session: I'd collaborate with the creativity consultant to be sure all management/decision-makers were provided an immediate written short-report showing how the ideas generated likely impact the bottom line. (Dmi)

res-231. >give everyone funky, colourful walkie-talkies, so they can share ideas immediately. (PL)

res-234. >have a group of children come into the office once a month to play . (PL)

res-235. >encourage use of meditation and relaxation techniques so that staff feel free to. (PL)

res-237. >place whiteboards and colourful marker pens at various places in the workplace, so staff can do creative 'graffiti' . (PL)

res-296># Keep ideas alive by spreading information on who knows what within the organization

Reward - 17. Incentivise staff for coming up with ideas PL

Reward - 26. *� Give positive response for contributed ideas and encourage further participation. RW

Reward - 355>5. Create a new award -- and make it outstanding. -- a plucked rubber chicken (naked at first, but slowly clothed with regional costumes) given to the group that stuck its neck out furthest (or farthest, whichever) only to have an ax brandied nearby (too nearby).

Reward - 356>-- a small hand-painted wooden crow (possibly an antique from the 1920's) given to the group with the most failures in the month, along with coupons to the local ice creamery.

Reward - 357>-- a "Spot Office Check" certificate left on the chairs of any manager who had the audacity to be up and about, using company time out of the office to actually see what was going on in the group. Could be collected and redeemed for points, cash, time-off, etc., or just displayed on a wall with pride.

Reward - 358>-- a trophy pair, two cast pigs (two feet tall), sow and her companion, also in various garb as the award dictated. Kept for a year and then recycled.

Reward - 359>-- avoid "Orchids" unless in the guise of an outlandish cross-dresser's corsage. Our one foray into "orchids for prompting innovation" was quietly shamed into oblivion by the staff.

Reward-121. >Prizes could include newspaper subscriptions, magazine subscriptions, internet access prepaid kits, book vouchers, film tickets, or other educational prizes.-ss

Reward-130. >*for those hard who are reluctant, make it financially productive for them to participate in creative idea generation -kmf

Reward-362>The main thing is to use the suggestions and give credit to those whose ideas you use! If your staff members know that there suggestions will be used and that they will receive recognition that in itself will stimulate more creativity. Lee Q.

rules-333>*- People are creative, rules tie them down. Create 'break a rule' competitions. Let people describe what rule they broke and why. Let other employees vote who should win the competition. Do this 4 times a year.

Support - 110- David W - Provide financing/time to explore new areas of personal advancement.

Support - 366>2. Depending on how broad-minded, resilient, and willing the management is, the total list of factors which inhibit creative thinking could be either posted or distributed (assuming any personal information such as "The biggest inhibitor is my Supportervisor so-and-so" had been edited out). Then employees could submit multiple ideas for improvement, in the same anonymous manner as before. This version of submissions allows employees to contribute ideas on factors which they themselves didn't initially recognize (or at least submit) as inhibiting. (As a practicality, the inhibiting factors could be numbered on the distributed list, and improvements identified with the inhibiting factor by number.)

Support - 368>4. Ask employees to submit ideas on improving and expanding creative thinking in this workplace based on informal interviews they conduct with people they know and respect who are _not_ part of this workplace. This can be friends, relatives, neighbors, previous co-workers, etc. Again, obviously there would probably be some company confidentiality issues to use as guidelines on both sides. The point, however, is to informally gather "best practices" from other settings, using personally known sources. One advantage of this method (in addition to using standard best practices research) is that the employees are more actively and personally involved in the process. Another advantage is that the information gathered automatically comes with a dose of validity to the current employees, because the sources are personally known and respected.

Support 211. Allow employees to work on personal projects during work hours. Then contract for a share of the profits if it works out. Ilene

Support 257 give each department/group a budget for creative and high risk projects David Whalen

Support 264 create the role of "creative historian" to track how ideas came about, what tools were used, who are the idea people, what affect did the ideas have on the company David Whalen

Support 267>Celebrate some of the wild creative ideas in public and out loud. alice mcp

Support 268>Post examples of how others (internal and external) have been creative before the initiative started. alice mcp

Support -282. Encourage to the staff to ask most interesting or funny question for their company or job ? Ayse Esra

Support -343>8. Encourage the CEO to model creative behavior, and spread the word that not only is it OK to be creative, but it is desirable to.

Support -344>9. Sponsor creative outlet activities (i.e. art or photography shows) and provide rewards for all who participate.

Support-139. ># convince everyone why it is a good idea (strategic fit, financial, consumer needs etc.) -Vince

Support-140. ># show what tangible results are expected and by when -Vince

Support-143. ># start off by benchmarking current level of creativity versus desired -Vince

Support-144. ># demonstrate good working knowledge of creativity -Vince

Support-146. ># define what type of ideas are required and why -Vince Support-232. >hold meetings, sometimes, in different staff-member's homes . (PL)

Support-236. >have 'positive' mornings/afternoons and 'negative' mornings/afternoons from time to time - you can only think positively or negatively during these periods. (PL)

Support-238. >Ask staff to swap jobs for a day. (PL)

Support-239. >offer sabbaticals. (PL)

Support-240. >install a zen garden - or give out the smaller, desk-sized versions to individuals. (PL)

Support-252. >BRIGHT IDEAS NOTEBOOK. Present each person with a notebook. Call the notebook the "Bright Idea Notebook," and ask everyone to write three ideas in the notebook every day for one month on how to improve your business. At the end of the month, collect all the notebooks and categorize the ideas for further discussion. .)MM)

Support-256. >THANK YOU CARDS. Don't forget to thank people for their ideas. Design your own "Thank You For Your Great Idea" cards and distribute them freely to contributors. Ask the CEO to sign each card with a personal message. Stock up on instant lottery cards and include one or two in each card to show your appreciation. .)MM)

Support-308>* Make a wall full of people and characters from history (Mickey Mouse, Mussolini, Gandhi, Ibsen etc) and let people add their own pictures to it after you have put up the first 20-50 or so. Then when you need an approach to a problem; ask yourself how this and this person would have thought about about the problem. Other questions could be: How would this person liked the solution to be? Or pick two persons (Mickey and Michael Jordan? Ibsen and Napoleon? Chaplin and Madonna?) and ask how they would have worked as a team? What would they have agreed on?

Support-310>* Make sure that there always are enough pens, pencils, crayons etc. in boxes around the office, with paper of different sizes and colors. Cant tell how many times people miss ideas because they forget them while theyre searching for a pen to write them down.

Support-388>7) CREATIVITY EXHIBITIONS/MUSEUM: Organise creativity exhibitions and maintain an office "museum" of innovative products, ideas, services, and solutions drawn from workers' business and private lives, especially hobbies. . -r-king

Support-391>10) "DIGITAL" JOKES AND HUMOROUS ANECDOTES: Under the motto, "It's fun to be creative", get workers to tell (and act out) jokes and humorous anecdotes suggested by a software or computer program. Workers should also try to identify common patterns and devices in the diverse jokes and anecdotes. (I've developed a prototype software (applications program) that churns out 200 such "digital" jokes in about 30 seconds!) . -r-king

System - 114- David W - Create measures and objectives that focus on creativity. Put creativity into your strategic plan.

System - 348>4. Have " paper diet" ie; no memos, no position papers etc. People will have to meet and talk

System - 354>4. Create a local "creativity" news group mechanism. [might even hide it from upper management so they will not know whom to blame for the flood of new, invigorating ideas!]

System 261 have your kids re-write the policies and procedures manual David Whalen team - 106- David W - Create a creativity team or specialist to mentor creative problem solving projects.

Technology - 101) . - Das - Ask questions from a child's point of view (some firms use children)

Technology - 103) . - Das - Think of other ways to collect a list of difficulties

Technology - 104 . - Das - Restate or convert the difficulties to create a list of opportunities.

Technology - 105. - Das - Use the list of opportunities to spur creativity.

Technology - 351>1. Look under the rocks -- some people, policies, decisions, methods, are too heavy and immobile to really be of much value. See what's under, behind, lurking about. Could be a slug, could be a salamander, or could be a golden nugget!

Technology - 352>2. Ask, "why the complexity?" Our creative development section came up with a wonderful idea for a newsletter, "Spam on Wry" [means a lot to those driving the Information Highway] to use laughter to bring our 200+ staff together. The first two issues were a huge success. Probably a little to successful at poking fun at our deficiencies. Management quickly decided to hide the contents from those not in our staff, and placed it behind security originally designed to protect national security. Now, as a cubicle mate chirped, "it's too much trouble to have a laugh."

Technology - 360>Put a "white board" and markers and/or post-it notes markers next to the coffee urn. "Cost" of a cuppa is one idea [new or variation of those already posted]. Every day collect them all and leave the 5 best up as "seeding" for the next day. Weekly and monthly "prize" or recognition of the 5 best.

Technology - 361>On Fridays have an anonymous "bitch" session, where everybody drops complaints into a box. On Monday, list all the complaints on the right side of a large sheet of paper and have people contribute zany/serious suggestions via post-it notes on the left side of the paper. Use Tuesday, Wed. & Thu to "refine" and add to the "solutions"

Technology - 381>2. To generate questions for brainstorming use cubes labeled as follows: First cube: Put these terms on the cube placing one term on each face. How? Who?/What? (same face) Which? When? Where? Why? Second cube: Put these terms on the cube placing one on each face. can would is might do/did/does (same face) will?Roll the cubes to generate questions. For example: When do...? How might...? What would...?

Technology - 67 CMB Techniques to use: --brainstorming

Technology - 68 CMB Techniques to use: --synectics

Technology - 69 CMB Techniques to use: --value engineering

Technology - 70 CMB Techniques to use: --TRIZ

Technology - 71 CMB Techniques to use: --Kepner Tregoe

Technology - 72 CMB Techniques to use: --story boarding

Technology - 73 CMB Techniques to use: --meditation

Technology - 74 CMB Techniques to use: --Quality Story Process

Technology - 75 CMB Techniques to use: --socio drama

Technology - 76 CMB Techniques to use: --incubation

Technology - 86. - KRF *have everyone begin the day with brain balancing exercises and take bran balancing breaks throughout the day

Technology - 93. - KRF - *since productivity is the key, have everyone keep journals to return to for theideas generated from the exercises.� These can be kept in any way that is most comfortable to the individual

Technology-116. >- Look for creativity ideas from newspaper articles and display over the coffee machine-ss

Technology-124. ># prior to creative brainstorming sessions agree to "change hats within the group" so that each participating member is coming in with a different perspective. -eg

Technology-131. >- When there is a tough problem that is difficult to solve, lock a few people connected and not connected with the problem in a room or in a dormitory room, till they have a solution. People not connected with the problem may give a new direction that was never thought of before. -Pranav

Technology-132. >- Once a year for a couple of weeks, make people of one group work in an entirely different group (e.g. accountants working with administrators. Engineers working in parcel delivery group etc.) -Pranav

Technology-137. >Have a wall of questions for people to think of creative answers to -Deanna

Technology-145. ># develop an idea screening matrix -Vince

Technology-309>* Pick a random page in yellow pages; how would that company be able to add to the solution of your problem?

Technology-383>2) CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING TEMPLATE: Distribute an electronic "template" that could be used for solving problems as well as creating innovative ideas, products, services, and strategies; the template should allow the use of all creativity tools and techniques as well as the solution of routine and inventive problems. (I have developed a prototype of such a creative problem-solving template and will be providing more details in future.) . -r-king

Technology-384>3) NEW PARADIGM FOR CREATIVITY AND IDEAS MANAGEMENT: Introduce a new paradigm (e.g., "PAO Thinking") that allows workers to not only discover and solve creative problems but also allows them to create and enhance their tools and techniques for creativity as well as ideas management. . -r-king

Technology-387>6) IDEAS-LINK GAMES Distribute, to workers, electronic games that ask players to connect seemingly disparate ideas. Scoring neither exists in this game, nor right or wrong answers. Rather, on a player's request, the console should display situations and examples that demonstrate connections between the seemingly disparate ideas. (I've developed the "questioning"" part of such an "Ideas-link" game.) . -r-king

Time - 107- David W - Allocate 5% of employee's time to personal projects, no questions asked.

Time - 25. *� Schedule a time and place for co-workers to gather to explore a selected theme and use open space technology to arrange conversations on topics that relate to the theme. RW

Time - 9. Give staff 1 - 2 hrs a week of work-time as pure creativity focusing time (they choose when they do it) PL

Tools - 77 CMB FACILITATION TOOLS TO PROVIDE: --flip charts

Tools - 78 CMB FACILITATION TOOLS TO PROVIDE: --post it notes

Tools - 79 CMB FACILITATION TOOLS TO PROVIDE: --cards and pins and pin boards

Tools - 80 CMB FACILITATION TOOLS TO PROVIDE: --butcher paper

Tools - 81 CMB FACILITATION TOOLS TO PROVIDE: --tinkertoys and string and straws

Tools - 82 CMB FACILITATION TOOLS TO PROVIDE: --modelling clay

Tools - 83 CMB FACILITATION TOOLS TO PROVIDE: --crayons

Tools - 84 CMB FACILITATION TOOLS TO PROVIDE: --sand table and wooden blocks

Tools - 85 - CMB FACILITATION TOOLS TO PROVIDE: --legos

Tools - 86 CMB FACILITATION TOOLS TO PROVIDE: --white board recorder

Tools -3002) Make the Axon Idea Processor software available to everyone. Patrick A

Training - 380>1. Visit schools. Teachers are very creative people who do a lot with little. Check out how teachers utilize equipment, arrange a room, direct learning experiences, give directions, & generate questions.

trng - 112- David W - Teach employees how to be creative and leaders how to lead for creativity.

trng - 347>3. Workers to do some training ( for two weeks or a month) at a completely different institution/sector ie; engineers to work for a month or so in a marketing company; teachers to work in a bank etc.When back at work to implement at least one new thing learnt in the other environment