Page 120 - 100 Great Business Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

60/34. THE TWO-WORDS TECHNIQUE

The meaning you give to certain words can block your abil-

ity to solve a problem. With the two-words technique you

pick the two words or phrases from your problem statement
that indicate its essence. The problem statement always in-
cludes a subject (or objective) and an action verb. Normally
you focus on these in the two-words technique. 5 '

For example, suppose that the problem statement is "Reduce
absenteeism." You have been unable to generate many new
ideas about how to solve the problem. You might list the
following alternate words:

reduce absenteeism
diminish out
decrease away
shorten not in
curtail not present
lessen lacking
contract missing

Then you might try combining these words in various ways. 101
The following ideas could result: CREATIVE
PROBLEM
1. Design an absenteeism program in which employees are
given a certain number of days per year for "no excuse SOLVING
needed" absences (diminish/not in). TECHNIQUES

2. Survey employees to find what might be lacking in the 105
workplace to cause them to be absent (decrease/lacking).

3. Lower the penalty for unauthorized absences if the ab-
sence was for less than a day (shorten/out).

4. Allow employees to be absent a specified number of days
during a given quarter if they make up for them during
the next quarter (curtail/away).

5. Offer employees the opportunity to benefit from self- or
professional-development programs on the job. This might
increase their motivation and decrease the number of ab-
sences (less/lacking)."