When I first started Roundpeg, I wanted to focus much of my efforts on teaching managers how to improve their results with a bit of creative thinking.  One of my favorite techniques was kicking off serious brainstorm sessions with something very silly.

The purpose? To get people talking, feeling comfortable sharing ideas and taking risks.  We used this type of technique as a kick off to the activities at StartUp Weekend. Before we started the serious pitches and product concepts we held what is known as the “Half Baked Pitch Session”

The idea is simple, each team was given two nouns and five minutes to come up with a business concept.  The results were fun. They set the tone for the event and took much of the stress out of presenting to a room full of strangers.

These types of ice breakers make a huge difference when you are trying to get people’s creative juices flowing.   What is your favorite technique?