By Finn Kollerup

The burning question

What exactly do I want ideas for? It is important that you get to the bottom of these considerations before the idea generation starts in order to get the greatest possible benefit from the work.

Example: You quit your job because you are tired of it. You are therefore looking for a new job. “How can I get a job?” Are you asking. You talk to your friends and acquaintances in your network about it, and you might get a new job that is so similar to the old job that it wasn't exactly what you wanted.

You could have avoided that situation if you had asked yourself an inspiring and attractive question. "How can I get my dream job?" Now it is immediately more interesting to start the hunt. You can also become more ambitious and ask: "How can I get a top management job?" And even better, you can combine the two: "How will I get my dream job as a top manager within the next 5 days?"!! It is ambitious, and also far too ambitious and almost impossible, some would say. But it doesn't matter, because this is where the good ideas start to blossom and the burning questions awaken something in us.

Once you've learned how to ask burning questions, you can start generating great ideas.

Get control of your ideas

Ideku® is a systematic and easily accessible tool that helps you structure your ideas. The tool, which consists of an Ideku® board with associated Post-its, is built around a burning question, from which there is room to create eight ideas, each of which can have eight ideas associated with it. That leaves room for 64 ideas. All the ideas are generated based on the burning question. Therefore, it is very important to have done good preliminary work and found the core of the problem you are dealing with, so that the ideas can be used afterwards.

Put energy and action behind the ideas

When all the ideas are on the table, or on the plate in this case, it is a known challenge to bring them to action. It's about persevering and using what comes out of the idea generation. There are many different ways to document the ideas. The idea process is documented using concept platforms. One or more concepts will thus be associated with the ideas that have been developed.

Here you can see more about the Ideku® process

If you want to try Ideku® yourself, you can download a free online version via this link:

http://www.alt4kreativ.dk/Shop/kundernes-favoritter/online-ideku.aspx

You have to go through a procedure where you or your company register as a customer of Altforkreativ and then you get access to the tool. It may take a few days before you get access.