This week let's practice a useful creative thinking and paradigm shuffling, avoiding, busting, creating tool. I call it Else-ng™.

When we are idea generating we often stop with the ideas we can generate with our current mindset. Using creative thinking tools such as Forced Relationship.

Checklisting, S.C.A.M.P.E.R. or Attribute Listing we can often reopen doors to forgotten ideas or open doors to new directions of thought and generate many more ideas. Else-ng™ is another such tool.

Children often frustrate their parents and other adults with their use of the basic question "WHY?" When we use the Osborn-Parnes CPS process during the Fact Finding or Data Gathering stage we often use the 6 basic questions: Who?, What? When?, Why?, Where?, How?

The great guru of Quality, W. Edwards Deming, suggested the Kaizen technique be used, Why? to the 5th or 6th power: Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

Kepner-Tregoe teaches us to ask the basic 12 questions: What is? What isn't? Why does ___? Why does not _____? and so forth.

Edward de Bono has taught us to use 6 different thinking hats in focused and deliberate ways.

Else-ng™ combines all of these.

When you are idea generating simply take 6 units of time to explore Else-ng™ What Else ______?  ask a series of What else questions.
Why Else _______? ask a series of Why else questions.
Who Else _______?  ask a series of Who else questions.
When Else ______?  ask a series of When else questions.
Where Else _____?  ask a series of Where else questions.
How Else _______?  ask a series of How else questions.

You can use this further by coming the is/does and is/does not aspect of Kepner-Tregoe or combine the 6 Hats of Edward de Bono individually with each of these 6 Else-ng questions (objective, feelings, positive, negative, creative, systematic) and create 36 different categories of questions.

This week simply ask one type of question for 10 to 15 minutes each day about a fun challenge. Record them. Then share a sample of what is generated with the list.

1. What Else?      Sunday
2. Why Else?      Monday
3. Who Else?     Tuesday
4. When Else?     Wednesday
5. Where Else?     Thursday (enjoy Christmas as a day of fun only)
6. How Else?      Saturday