There are three major hurdles to overcome before any idea can come to fruition:

Identify a Problem Idea Generation Idea Selection Needless to say, having a solution without knowing what the problem is doesn’t usually get you very far, so know what it is you’re trying to accomplish and what problem you want to solve.

If you keep up with your industry, talk to customers, study what is not working in your business, you should have a ton of problems you would like to solve. Alternately, you can use sites like Google Trends to find problems that others are trying to solve, and design a better mousetrap.

Once you have that problem firmly in mind, you can begin using some of the proven techniques for generating possible ideas. Then begins the difficult choice of selecting the ideas that have the most potential. The remainder of this article will focus on the second step - Idea Generation.

There are many well-known techniques and methodologies for coming up with ideas including Brainstorming, Talking Pictures, and other group creativity exercises. There are also the many picture-based processes including Ishikawa Diagrams and Mindmaps. Since our minds work using pictures and inter-relationships versus words, many of these techniques are valuable in guiding us to new solutions. A great wiki site that provides an overview of techniques for all three areas of creativity techniques can be found at .www.mycoted.com. Peruse the entries to get some insight on current methods of idea generation.

Brainstorming is the most recognized buzz-word associated with idea generation, yet most people are not familiar with exactly what it means or how to go about it; some may picture locking them self in a room, deprived of food and drink until a great inspiration jumps out of their head - however, there are less painful and more productive methods available. Many of these methods have specific ground rules, guidelines, and methodologies (e.g. round robin, think tank, etc.). There are a ton of great sites to help you find a good brainstorming methodology including the Wikipedia entry on brainstorming techniques and also Perfect Brainstorming by Innovation Unlimited.

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