#1-#3

1. Sharpen the focus

Start with a well-honed statement of the problem at hand. Edgy is better than fuzzy. Best topic statements focus outward on a specific customer need or service enhancement rather than inward on some organizational goal. 

2. Write playful rules

E.g.:

• Defer judgment
• One conversation at a time
• Go for quantity
• Be visual
• Encourage wild ideas

3. Number your ideas

This rule seems counterintuitive. But lists create goals to motivate participants. One could say, ‘Let’s try to get to 100 ideas.’ Lists provide a reference point if you want to jump back & forth between ideas.

When all the current cost-cutting is over and business models begin to make sense again, one thing will differentiate winning companies from also-rans: their ability to innovate.

“Innovate or die” is not an idle threat. It’s the harsh reality of the modern, fast-forward economy.

So ho...