Create an exaggerated scenario that pertains to the issue at hand and force the mind to make some sense out of it. The scenario serves as a catalyst or mental "stepping stone" to help us make an intuitive leap to a really good idea. By starting with the outrageous, we are able to suspend judgment and think more freely, provoking connections or associations between seemingly unrelated pieces of information in the mind.
Develop an unrealistic solution that nevertheless contains embedded design concepts that can be extracted and practically realized. Expect to get seven to 10 concrete, testable ideas from a scenario.
This tool is especially useful when there are preconceived notions about solutions; especially when these are expressed as "we need more of (or less) something." Similarly, when the thinking about the issue seems to keep coming back to barriers and reasons why something won't work and you'd like to get others to see beyond that.
You may need to create multiple scenarios to address a variety of barriers, constraints and resource needs that are blocking current thinking. You can do multiple rounds or give different scenarios to different groups. In any event, collect all of the ideas generated and realize that the eventual solution may consist of a combination of ideas.
These exaggerated scenarios are usually greeted initially with silence, as they are so outrageous that no one seems to know what to do with them. Be patient, but don't back down or compromise. Simply restate the provocation, with a smile, and say, "No really, what would you do?" If necessary, walk away and say you'll be back in 15 minutes to see what they have come up with. Once a few ideas are expressed, the ball usually begins to roll.
Healthcare professionals typically love to rise to a crisis. It is amazing how inventive some can be.
Keep it fun and lighthearted, but don't let it stray into silliness. Reiterate that you are really expecting some good ideas to come out of this.
Be prepared to add to the scenario on the fly if someone suggests a too easy way out. In the example above with the virus that only infects nurses, someone might suggest that we simply train new nurses. Jump in immediately and say, "No, this new virus is amazing. As soon as someone acquires all the skills of a full-fledged nurse, they become susceptible to the virus and they are instantly out of commission." (Note in this case we are leaving open the possibility that others could be trained to do some of the skills of a nurse.)
All methods of creative idea generation involve some combination of mental attention, escape and movement. Stepping stones provide escape from current reality, ask for mental movement to respond to the crisis presented by the scenario, call for attention to the new ideas and concepts that emerge in that process, then ask for mental movement to adapt those concepts to the problem at hand.