Attribute brainstorming: Get down to basics: size, weight, color, duration, strength. This is useful for product improvements and can also lead to other kinds of insights.

High-performance view: Have you ever been "in the groove," where everything is humming along and the productivity is high? What did it take? Think of how to create an environment that supports it.

SWOT: Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the problem, project or idea. This is a very useful technique in strategic planning sessions.

Just start: Do something. The smallest task, like picking up the phone or even looking up a phone number, can often get the mental wheels turning.