DesignR

The Four Categories method entails dividing ideas according to their relative abstractness, ranging from the most rational choice to the 'long shot'. The four categories are the rational choice, the most likely to delight, the darling, and the long shot. This method ensures that the team covers all grounds, from the most practical to the ideas with the most potential to deliver innovative solutions.

FOR POST IT VOTING. Write all of the ideas which the participants have chosen on individual Post-its. Then you give all participants a number of votes (around three to four should do) to choose and write down their personal favorite ideas. Participants vote by using stickers or simply using a marker to make a dot on the ideas they like. This process allows every member to have an equal say in the shortlisted ideas. You can also use variations in color in order to let participants vote on which ideas they like the most or which they dislike the most.

No matter what profession you are in, you need a strategy to go from A to B. Strategy will help you tremendously, even if you have nothing to do with business development. If you want to develop YOU Inc. (which we all want to do), then you must pick up these books and read them through. Illustration by Patrick Hruby