Popcorn Ideas

Let the ideas pop free

If you’re stuck with a tough challenge, one way to shake loose some answers and examine alternative solutions is to “popcorn ideas”.

Set a timer for 90-120 seconds and write down all of the questions you have associated with the challenge. Conversely, write down all of the solutions, resources, or people who can help. Repeat 2-3 times.

You’ll be surprised how many possibilities open up!

Fun Fact:
It takes about 2-4 minutes to pop a bag of microwave popcorn.
Toss one into the microwave and after a few rounds of “popcorning ideas”,
you have a delicious snack to eat while celebrating the possibilities! Enjoy!

For extra fun, print this article, tape it onto bags of microwave popcorn, and
leave them as surprise gifts on your team's desks. Watch the solutions pop!

“The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, poet

“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than 5 minutes.” – Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist