The Idea Generator : 15 clever thinking tools to create winning ideas quickly

187 Pages·2016·6.359 MB·English

by  Thomason, Chris

C H R I S T H O M A S O N
‘Insightful and
practical, this book
will provide you with
fantastic advice on
how to generate
better ideas in
your business.’
Oded Ran
Chief Executive
Offi cer, Touchnote
Praise for The
Idea Generator
“
Insightful and practical, this book will provide you with fantastic
advice on how to generate better ideas in your business.
ODED RAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, TOUCHNOTE
“
Chris challenges traditional approaches on how creative new
ideas are generated, and provides valuable alternative tools to use on
a daily basis to make innovation happen.
BILL JARRARD, CO-FOUNDER, MINDWERX INTERNATIONAL
“
The Idea Generator is not just a set of tools but a way of thinking
to help design tomorrow in a practical, easy to digest way.
ROB MILLAR, MANAGING DIRECTOR, COMOTION CONSULTING LTD
“
Trigger the innovative side of your brain with the most compre-
hensive and powerful guide on the market.
ALEJANDRO MAROTO, HEAD OF INNOVATION AND NEW BUSINESS
SERVICES, TELEFÓNICA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
“
For a new and pragmatic approach to business growth, The Idea
Generator is the book you need.
STEVE WESTON, FORMER CEO OF MORTGAGES, BARCLAYS BANK
“
Powerful, no-nonsense, business thinking tools.
STUART MITCHELL, GROUP CEO, SIG PLC
“
Chris Thomason shows you how to ask ‘killer questions’ and
produce game-changing ideas. The Idea Generator is smart, original,
and highly useful.
WARREN BERGER, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR, A MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION
“
Chris Thomason is one of the most creative and innovative
thinkers I know – he is always coming up with new ideas and sharing
those with me to help my company. He has even taken it so far as to
package his idea so I can literally visualize what the end product might
look like.
His initiative and passion for bringing new ideas to life is what has
gone into his book, The Idea Generator. I believe all of us can use a
boost once in a while to finding ways to be more creative in what we
do each day.
Chris lays out a simple approach that is easy to follow and implement –
no matter who you are. Enjoy Chris’s personality throughout . . . he is
one in a million.
KERRI K. NELSON, CEO AND PRESIDENT, CUSTOMERSFIRST NOW
The Idea
Generator

The Idea
Generator
15 clever thinking tools to
create winning ideas quickly
Chris Thomason
Pearson Education Limited
Edinburgh Gate
Harlow CM20 2JE
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Web: www.pearson.com/uk
First edition published 2016 (print and electronic)
© Chris Thomason 2016 (print and electronic)
The right of Chris Thomason to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by
him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The print publication is protected by copyright. Prior to any prohibited reproduction,
storage in a retrieval system, distribution or transmission in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, permission should be obtained from the
publisher or, where applicable, a licence permitting restricted copying in the United
Kingdom should be obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Barnard’s Inn,
86 Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1EN.
The ePublication is protected by copyright and must not be copied, reproduced,
transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except
as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and
conditions under which it was purchased, or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright
law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the
author’s and the publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. The use of any
trademark in this text does not vest in the author or publisher any trademark ownership
rights in such trademarks, nor does the use of such trademarks imply any affiliation with
or endorsement of this book by such owners.
Pearson Education is not responsible for the content of third-party internet sites.
ISBN: 978-1-292-15601-9 (print)
978-1-292-15602-6 (PDF)
978-1-292-15603-3 (ePub)
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for the print edition is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for the print edition is available from the Library of Congress
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
20 19 18 17 16
Cover design by Two Associates
Front cover image © istock
Print edition typeset in 10.25pt Frutiger by Aptara
Printed by Ashford Colour Press Ltd, Gosport
NOTE THAT ANY PAGE CROSS REFERENCES REFER TO THE PRINT EDITION
For James and Stephanie
May all your dreams become ideas and may all your
ideas become reality
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
About the author x
Acknowledgements xi
1 Getting your mind around an issue 2
2 Why today’s thinking is so outdated 8
3 A new way of business thinking 24
4 The Idea Generator mindset 36
5 Using the tools 48
6 Islands of Opportunity (thinking tools 1–5) 54
7 Divide and Conquer (thinking tools 6–10) 90
8 Boundary Riding (thinking tools 11–15) 120
9 Using The Idea Generator in teams 154
10 Unleashing the corporate creativity 166
Index 173
ix