Here
you will find ten of the best methods I have used in my organization
for idea generation. They have worked for me very well. I now share them
with you. I trust they will assist you in your endeavors as they have
done with mine.
1. Define the Problem.
To generate ideas to solve business problems we all need a starting
point. You will not be able to fly from New York to Frankfurt, Germany
until you first arrive at JFK. If you don’t exactly know where you are
you will need a map to pinpoint your current location and then gradually
work your way to JFK airport.
It is imperative that you establish where you are before looking to
progress. In other words study the map that will take you to New York
thoroughly.
2. Brainstorming.
You have quite probably heard of this brilliant method. Simply, when a
group of people get together and simply write down as much as you can
in relation to the objectives outlined. Don’t worry about about
strategic planning or anything like that. Concentrate solely on idea
generation. Place a time limit on the group and choose the location and
the time well so that they are conducive to performance.
Make sure that everybody is at their peak and has been instructed to
“Think Big”. I have been able to move mountains after a very healthy
brainstorming session.
3. Focus Entirely On What You Want.
To give your ideas the best chance to sprout for your business
solutions you are going to need to switch off to outside influences.
Tolerate nothing!
Eradicate the distractions, the daily frustrations and predictable dramas of your life once and for all!
Don’t just fix the problem, re-design your routine so the predictable irritations can’t ever bother you again!
4. Have a Genuine Interest in What You are Trying to Solve.
Do you remember your schooling days when you participated in sports
(or particular class subjects) that you absolutely detested; as back
then, they were compulsory? Do you remember how good you were at these
activities? Probably not as it doesn’t present itself as a good memory.
But it’s probably safe to say that you didn’t perform well.
It’s very very difficult to perform magnificently at something you’re
not overly fond of. If you have a vested interest in what it is you’re
trying to do, the likelihood of success is multiplied substantially. If
you are trying to solve something that bores you to tears for heavens
sake give it to someone who really likes it. This concept encompasses
teamwork which is another
subject altogether.
If you are self-employed you will have an automatic interest (taking
into account that you have a vision of what you want your business to
become).
5. Look at Parallel Problems and Solutions.
Relate your current problem to one that you had in the past and check
for parallels between the two. The way(s) earlier problems were solved
can assist you greatly in generating ideas to solve subsequent
situations that present themselves.
Think laterally, think vertically, think logically. The best ideas
will always come from groups working for the common goal. Give your
group as much opportunity to be creative by listening twice as much as
speaking. Do this as informally as possible and get past situations into
the open.
You can then draw on the past successes and take them a step further with the challenge of today.
6. Look at Each Task as a Challenge.
It’s true that if you look at a problem simply as a “problem” then
that is exactly how many will look at it. Sure it is a problem and
therefore, needs a solution. However, this thought should not be in the
forefront of the mind when looking to turn this “problem” into an
“asset”.
The word, “problem” tends to sum up negative thoughts within us. It
is these negative thoughts that can almost act as a barrier to its
resolution. Now if we turn the coin over and look at it from the other
side (using our example in step 1) we can look at the trip from wherever
we are to New York as an adventurous challenge. It is simply by this
method that we have more positive thoughts within our mind and are more
likely to enjoy ourselves along the way presented with an interesting
challenge as opposed to a potentially difficult problem.
Just look at the goal. How happy will you be when you arrive at Frankfurt?
7. Turn the Challenge/Problem into a Catchy Expression.
Okay we have looked at using past example and creating parallels to
“answer our challenge”. One step further is to present the challenge as a
catchphrase.
Using our same example:
- ‘Aunty Jackies For Christmas’
- ‘Frankfurt Or Bust’ (Hmmm!! This one’s a bit old)
- ‘Europe For The Summer’
- ‘Dream Trip Of A Lifetime’
- ‘The European Cultural Experience’
- ‘Tomorrow travel at 250kmh legally’
Doing this will give everyone an idea of the benefits associated with
the attainment of the problem at hand. It puts them in the situation
that they are already there.
It’s so much easier to get there with a popular vision on the mind. What expression would you suggest?
8. Daydream!!! Let Your Creative Subconscious Work For You.
It’s no strange coincidence that during the time you drive along
staring out the window, sleep in your bed, undertake your daily duties
at work or anything for that matter your sub-conscious continues to work
for you (even though you may not always be fully aware of this).
How often have you been doing something totally unrelated and then
suddenly an idea snaps into your mind? Often? Sometimes? Never? In any
case after you have put considerable time into solving your problem you
will find your inner mind will work for you. Sometimes if you try too
hard to solve something you end up with nothing short of major
frustration.
So, as the expression goes “chill out”, have a break and sleep on it.
You may be surprised at how successful switching off can be.
9. Alter Your Routine Regularly.
Have you ever noticed how easily we accumulate habits. Many habits can actually stifle your creativity. If you are someone who:
- ‘travels the same route each day’
- ‘work at the same desk and task day in day out’
- ‘mix with the same people regularly’
- ‘take your annual holidays to the same destination each year’
To continue generating healthy ideas to better our work, our
surroundings, our family etc we must continually be looking for
“newness”. Familiarity is very good in that it makes us feel very very
secure. It is this very security that closes our mind to change and
restricts our creative abilities.
Take the bus or the train across town or maybe even just a different
route from time to time, broaden your job responsibilities, take on
another sport or leisure activity and meet some different people with a
different outlook.
You will be quietly surprised at how much positive energy you will get from doing things as small as that outlined above.
10. Carry a Notepad.
I always have a notepad with me. I am now at the point where I can’t
live without one of the most simple devices known to man, which has
probably been around almost since the days of the “Cave Man”.
A pen with a pocket size pad is brilliant as you can capture every
idea that comes to you. It’s absolutely useless to say “I’ll write it
down later” as the chances are very slim that you will in fact do that
at all.
They will be your ideas. Capture them, preserve them, apply them.
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Words Of Wisdom
"More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren't so busy denying them." - Harold J. Smith
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Those who walk with God reach their destination.
When you are down to nothing, God is up to something.
Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.
How can anyone ever love you for who you are if you become someone else to be with them?
You can only see others as clearly as you see yourself.
"Be
more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your
character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what
others think you are." - John Wooden
The world reflects what you need to see, not only what you want to see.
"The price of greatness is responsibility."- Sir Winston Churchill
Life isn’t about what happens to us. It’s about how we perceive what happens to us.
"Never
be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim;
accept no ones definition of your life; define yourself."- Harvey
Fierstein
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.
"Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most fools do." - Benjamin Franklin
"Everything you’re looking for lies behind the mask you wear." - Stephen C. Paul
"When you give up your own truth to win at someone else’s game everyone loses." - Stephen C. Paul
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."- Theodore Roosevelt
"Your relationships reflect your fears and limits. How can anyone ever give you what you won’t allow?" - Stephen C. Paul
Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too.
"The
happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they
just make the most of everything that comes along their way." - Karen S.
Magee
Some men see things as they are, and say, "Why?" Still others dream of things that never were and say, "Why not?"
"People excel and learn, not because they are told to, but because they want to."- Peter Senge
"Live one day at a time and make it a masterpiece." - Dale West
Doubt asks who believes? Faith answers, "I".
Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others.
Happiness
lies ahead for those who cry; those who hurt, those who have searched,
and those who tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of
people who have touched their lives.
Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a tear.
"You cannot discover oceans unless you have the courage to leave the shore."- Successories
The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past. You
can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
"The first step in achieving prosperity and wealth is learning to appreciate what you already have." - S. Richardson
"Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk."- Dali Lama
"When you lose, don't lose the lesson."- Dali Lama
"Follow the three R's: Respect for self, respect for others and responsibility for all your actions."- Dali Lama
"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck."- Dali Lama
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly."- Dali Lama
"Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship."- Dali Lama
"When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it."- Dali Lama
"Spend some time alone every day."- Dali Lama
"Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values." - Dali Lama
"Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer."- Dali Lama
"In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past."- Dali Lama
"Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality."- Dali Lama
"Be gentle with the earth."- Dali Lama
"Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other."- Dali Lama
"Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it."- Dali Lama
"Anger or hatred is like a fisherman's hook. It is very important for us to ensure we are not caught by it." - Dali Lama
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy practice compassion." - Dali Lama
"True spirituality is a mental attitude you can practice at any time." - Dalai Lama
In
thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In
governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family
life, be completely present.
"The
first step toward change is acceptance." "Once you accept yourself, you
open the door to change. That's all you have to do." "Change is not
something you do, it's something you allow."- Will Garcia
LIVE
YOUR OWN LIFE "We don't always know what makes us happy." "We know,
instead, what we think SHOULD. We are baffled and confused when our
attempts at happiness fail...We are mute when it comes to naming
accurately our own preferences, delights, gifts, talents. The voice of
our original self is often muffled, overwhelmed, even strangled, by the
voices of other people's expectations. The tongue of the original self
is the language of the heart." - Julie Cameron
Even
if you could live to be 100, it's really a very short time. So why not
spend it undergoing this process of evolution, of opening your mind and
heart, connecting with your true nature - rather than getting better and
better at fixing, grasping, freezing, and closing down.
We are each unique beings with a unique path in life. If we wish to be fulfilled, we need to go to our own hearts for direction.
Master your past in the present, or your past will master your future.
Your mind can only hold one thought at a time make it a positive and constructive one.
People become what they expect themselves to become.
As
you begin to live in the present moment, you will experience a subtle
but profound change. Your worrying about the future will cease.
The
good news: God is a nag. God won't give up, if we are destined to carry
out some Divine idea, we won't be able to shrug it off. For me, God
doesn't just whisper within. If I'm supposed to get a message, I start
to see it and hear it everywhere - books, sermons, television shows,
conversations with friends.
Focus on the positive in your life, for what you focus on increases.
Fall seven times get up eight.
Ignorance breeds fear. Fear breeds hate. Hate breeds violence.
"Twenty
years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't
do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away
from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore.
Dream. Discover." Mark Twain
Peace,
joy, health and well-being can only be found inside us. They exist
within us now, waiting to be discovered. Yet we tend to look to the
outside world to satisfy our needs and longings.
Our
outer life reflects back to us the way we think, feel and behave. The
outer world is all effects. Go to the source inside for all of life's
treasures.
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."- Mother Teresa
Those who confess ignorance show it once. The person who conceals it shows it many times.
"We cannot achieve more in life than what we believe in our heart of hearts we deserve to have." - James R. Ball
"A
person's worth is contingent upon who he is, not upon what he does, or
how much he has. The worth of a person, or a thing, or an idea, is in
being, not in doing, not in having." - Alice Mary Hilton
To change our lives, we must first change our minds.
Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.
Trust because you are willing to accept the risk, not because it’s safe or certain.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees."- Dolores Ibarruri
Honor your feelings. They tell the truth about how you really experience the world.
When
we encounter someone greater than ourselves, turn your thoughts to
becoming his equal. When you encounter someone lesser than you, look
within and examine your own self.
Your
behavior while people are watching is important. However, your behavior
while no one is watching is more important, for it reveals your true
character.
Humans
cannot create matter. We can, however, create value. Creating value is
in fact, our very humanity. When we praise people for their strength of
character we are actually acknowledging their ability to create value.
Dream more of becoming than of obtaining.
To a great extent, the people with whom you choose to associate influence the direction of your life.
Align
your personality and soul purpose and experience more synchronicity,
fulfillment and happiness. It is never too late to become the person you
were meant to be.
"Knowing others is wisdom; Knowing the self is enlightenment." - Tao Te Ching
Know the difference between instinct and habit. Trust your instincts - question your habits.
"He, who fears he will suffer, already suffers from his fears."- Michel Eyquen
The fool who knows he is a fool is for that very reason wise. The fool who thinks himself wise is the greatest fool of all.
Let go of anger - it is an acid that burns away the delicate layers of your happiness.
"Re-examine all that you have been told... dismiss that which insults your soul."- Walt Whitman
We can try many ways to get rid of darkness, but none is as effective as simply increasing the light.
"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission." - Eleanor Roosevelt
"The day firing becomes easy is the day to fire yourself." - Tom Peters.
In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man - if you want anything done, ask a woman.
"People
are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered; forgive them
anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior
motives: Be kind anyway. What you spend years creating others could
destroy overnight: Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness,
some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often
be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it may never
be enough: Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between
you and God: it was never between you and them anyway." - Mother Teresa
"The
world we are experiencing today is the result of our collective
consciousness, and if we want a new world, each of us must start taking
responsibility for helping create it." - Rosemary Fillmore Rh
"There is no limit to what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets credit." - John Wooden
Life gives us time only love gives us meaning.
"Success isn't permanent and failure isn't fatal." - Mike Ditka
Humor is contagious... Laughter is infectious... Both are good for your health.
That which you resist will persist.
A smile increases your face value.
If you haven’t any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.
"It is easier to fight for one's principals than to live up to them."- Alfred Adler
We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go we take a little of each other everywhere.
"Things don't have to change the world to be important."- Steve Jobs
Strangers are just friends waiting to happen.
Don’t walk in front of me I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend.
If
we truly realized how precious the "Gift" of life is, we would not
waste a moment trying to improve it. If we really understood how
precious we are to the "Gift" of life we would not waste time trying to
fix ourselves.
Our
one choice: All men and women are born, live, suffer and die; what
distinguishes us one from another is our dreams. Weather they be dreams
about worldly or unworldly things, and what we do to make them come
about.
Do not wish to be anything but what you are and to be that perfectly.
When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.
"Even if you're on the right track you'll get run over if you just sit there."- Will Rogers
The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.
While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.
There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.
You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
It is not how much you have that makes people look up to you, it’s who you are.
To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.
It is not what you gather but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.
People may fail many times, but they become failures only when they begin to blame someone else.
The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible.
"If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door." - Milton Berle
In the pursuit of happiness, the difficulty lies in knowing when you have caught up.
Angels have no boundaries but are willing to respect yours.
Enlightenment is not achieved by repeating the word "God" but by directly experiencing God.
We can not take credit for our talents. It’s how we use them that counts.
Everywhere,
truly those of integrity stand apart. They the good don’t chatter in
hopes of favor or gains. When touched by pleasure or by pain the wise
give no sign of highs or lows.
Recognize
that you have the courage within you to fulfill the purpose of your
birth. Summon forth the power of your inner courage and live the life of
your dreams.
First I gave up action. Then idle words, and lastly thought itself. Now I am here.
Often
we need to wait for things to unfold gloriously and to take time to
listen to the angels. Good things come to those who wait to accept them
with a grateful heart.
Although
there are countless teachings that instruct how to obtain enlightenment
in a future life, almost all of them are nothing more than expedients,
as the ultimate instruction there is simply no teaching that is
superior to the true practice of the awakening to one’s own nature.
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. - Carl Bard
"When the heart grieves over what it has lost, the spirit rejoices over what it has left." - Sufi
Neglecting valuable advice, an ignorant man becomes the cause of his own misery.
"There
may be more to learn from climbing the same mountain a hundred times
then by climbing a hundred different mountains." - Richard Nelson
"Learn to look with an equal eye upon all beings, seeing the one Self in all." - Srimad Bhagavatam
Heading in the wrong direction? God allows U turns.
The Ten Commandments are not multiple choice.
"My way is the highway" - God
"Doubt
limits you from what is already yours, but faith unlocks the doors
allowing you to walk in and receive it." - Jeannette Tyson Gregory
We
have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that
day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people
act in a certain way, we cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we
can do is remember to keep a positive attitude. It will keep our
burdens light.
You can tell that you’re doing the right thing if it feels effortless.
"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." - Henry Ford
"If you are doing your best you will not have time to worry about failure." - Robert S. Hillyer
"Before you speak ask yourself, is it kind, is it necessary, is it true, does it improve on the silence?" - Sai Baba
It’s impossible to have too much fun.
Faith doesn't get you around trouble, it gets you through it.
"It’s not enough to know your truth, you must live it." - Stephen C. Paul
"If you keep doing what you've always done - you'll keep getting what you've always gotten." - Kenneth Blanchard
"If
I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however if I treat you
as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become
that." - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Happiness isn’t getting what you want, but experiencing who you are.
"When you relinquish the desire to control your future you obtain happiness." - Nicole Kidman
"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people." — Admiral Hyman G. Rickover - 1900-1986
"To be blind is bad, but worse is to have eyes and not see." - Helen Keller
"Love is the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth." - Scott Peck
"The
value of the personal relationship to all things is that it creates
intimacy and intimacy creates understanding and understanding creates
love." - Anais Nin
"To
me, wholeness is the key to aliveness. It is more than just physical
vitality, it is radiance, coming from being at one with yourself and
your experience. Life then flows through you." - Richard Moss, How Shall
I Live
"Birth and death are not different states, but they are different aspects of the same state." - Ghandi
"Failure
is a part of success. There is no such thing as a bed of roses all your
life. But failure will never stand in the way of success if you learn
from it." - Hank Aaron
"I
like who I am as a person. And because I believe that there's much more
to me than my looks, other people believe it too." - Felicia P. Fields
"Allowing
the truth of who you are--your spiritual self--to rule your life means
you stop the struggle and learn to move with the flow of your life." -
Oprah Winfrey
"Spirituality
for me is recognizing that I am connected to the energy of all
creation, that I am a part of it-?and it is always a part of me." -
Oprah Winfrey
"Be a witness, not a judge. Focus on yourself, not on others. Listen to your heart, not to the crowd." - Ma Zu
"The divine is not something high above us. It is in heaven, it is in earth, it is inside us..." - Morihei Ueshiba
"You
don't need organized religion to connect with the universe. Often a
church is the only place you can go to find peace and quiet... But it
shouldn't be confused with connecting with one's spirit." - Alice Walker
"Meditation
is the joy to be yourself. Meditation is the courage to be yourself.
Meditation will make you unique and will make you rejoice in being
different from the others. Meditation is the way to be yourself." -
Tishan
“Fear
grows out of the things we think; it lives in our minds. Compassion
grows out of the things we are, and lives in our hearts.” – Barbara
Garrison
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10.25
By
Unknown
