Page 79 - 100 Great Business Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

1812. ANALYSIS OF PAST SOLUTIONS

I ((I Ica I reports, professional reports, and books telling how

others have solved problems can be employed to determine
possible solutions for a problem. Even if the ways in which
a problem has been solved in the past are not exactly suited
to your situation, you can adapt them on the basis of your
own experience.

29/3. ASSOCIATION

Association involves making a mental connection between
two objects or ideas. It works through three primary laws
originally laid down by the ancient Greeks: contiguity, simi-
larity, and contrast. 6 Contiguity means nearness—for ex-
ample, when you see a chalkboard you are reminded of
school. Similarity means that one object or thought will re-
mind you of a similar object or thought. For example, when
you see a Ford Taurus you might think of a Mercury Sable.
Metaphors and analogies depend on similarity. Contrast
refers to dissimilarities that are nearly opposites black/
white, man/woman, child/adult. Thus, association involves
thinking of something near, similar to, or in contrast to the
object or idea in question.

Free Association

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In free association, you say whatever comes into your mind
relative to a word you just wrote or relative to a one- or
two-word definition of a problem. A trail of thoughts is pur-
sued in this way. Free association is a good group exercise
as well as an individual one. The purpose is simply to get
thoughts onto a whiteboard or sheet of paper that will trig-
ger new thoughts about the problem. You don't expect to
find solutions per se; rather, you are looking for thoughts
that might lead to solutions. For example, on one occasion a
group of bank managers started free associating on the word
"fast." "Fox" and "jet plane" were among the associations

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