The Power of 25

In my last story I talked about the power of choices. One technique which I've found useful in my work is called 'The Power of 25'. It is a simple idea, but it really works to give you new ideas or find different solutions to problems. I've found it is most useful where:

*you need new ideas for a proposal or presentation (or anything you are creating for an audience) and
* where you've tried most of the standard approaches to a problem and are stuck and need fresh ideas.

The first step is to outline the idea or problem in a clear way which could be answered. One example might be 'How can I make this presentation more interesting?' or 'How can I motivate John to complete his work on time?'. You want to be broad enough to allow a wide range of answers, but specific enough for it to be helpful to you. Put your question on top of a sheet of paper.

Then you need to come up with at least 25 different answers to your question (remember - each one has to be different!). The real key here is not to censor any ideas. Whatever you come up with is acceptable, even if it is strange or funny. The concept at this stage is to break you out of your normal way of thinking and to give you a jumping off point for real ideas. One example in answer to the motivation question might be 'pay him a million dollars' or 'lock him in a box with his tax returns'.

The power from this idea comes in that your first few answers will be the usual ones, which you've probably already thought about. But then your creative mind kicks in to provide the last few items. It is usually these that are the most fertile ground for solving your issue. This is also why it is crucial you keep going until you get the full 25 ideas, because it can often be number 25 that gives you a breakthrough.

Once you've got your 25, if you didn't already think of an answer you could immediately use, you need to think about what your answers mean. Often it is the strange or silly things you've put down which serve as a thought provoking idea that gives you an aha! moment. In the example above, your 'locked box' answer might lead you to think about his conditions where he works and whether these are demotivating, or whether he needs to consider spending less time out on administration work.

It is a technique that is so quick and easy to use, only requiring a pen and paper, so why not give it a try and let me know how you get on?