Page 154 - 100 Great Business Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

Observations on the Technique

The excursion technique is especially useful for a problem
that has proved abnormally difficult to solve or calls for re-
ally unique solutions , for example, in developing an ad-
vertising campaign or creating product differentiation fea-
tures in a mature market. The leader needs to encourage
participants to let go and to share their experiences. When
the process is well explained and understood and partici-
pants are properly motivated, really good ideas should
emerge.

SUMMARY OF STEPS

1. The leader instructs participants to visualize an excursion into
or through some physical location that has nothing to do with
the problem at hand.

2. Participants draw analogies between what they saw and the prob-
lem.

3. The leader asks participants to determine what the analogies they
drew in step 2 suggest in terms of solving the problem.

4. Participants share their experiences and solutions.

75/11. GALLERY METHOD 101
CREATIVE
This is another of the PROBLEM
techniques developed SOLVING
at the Battelle Institute TECHNIQUES
in Frankfurt, Germany.
In this method, instead 139
of the ideas changing
places, the idea generators change places. The gallery con-
cept receives its name from the fact that each member of a
group take a different work area and creates a "gallery" of
ideas for others to view. 28 The ideas are presented on flip
charts or white board surfaces. After a half hour or so the
group members tour each other's galleries and take notes.
Participants should not know who worked where. Five min-
utes are allowed for viewing each gallery and taking notes.
Participants then return to their own work areas and add to
their lists. The ideas can be summarized later.