April 24, 2006 (Computerworld) Here are some "thinklets" from Silver Bullet Consultants principal Dennis Heindl to help keep your mind limber.
Personal Visioning: Consider the problem, project or idea. In five minutes, writing as quickly as you can, answer questions like, "What do I want to do?" and "What will this be like when it is done?" No pauses! This technique brings information from the subconscious to the surface.
Tap Your Subconscious: Plant a request to your subconscious; then go to lunch, take a walk or get a good night's sleep. Later, check back for a response.
Reverse Thinking: Start your analysis from another direction. A famous example: Instead of asking, "How can we get our workers to the material?" Henry Ford asked, "How can we get the materials to our workers?"
Other Viewpoints: Find other perspectives on an issue or project, such as fresh eyes, unbiased eyes or future eyes.
Attribute Brainstorming: Get down to basics: size, weight, color, duration, strength. This is useful for product improvements and can also lead to other kinds of insights.
High-Performance View: Have you ever been "in the groove," where everything is humming along and the productivity is high? What did it take? Think of how to create an environment that supports it.
SWOT: Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the problem, project or idea. This is a very useful technique in strategic planning sessions.
Just Start: Do something. The smallest task, like picking up the phone or even looking up a phone number, can often get the mental wheels turning.