To generate ideas to solve business problems we all need a starting point. You will not be able to fly from New York to Frankfurt, Germany until you first arrive at JFK airport. If you don’t exactly know where you are, you will need a map to pinpoint your current location and then gradually work your way to JFK Airport. It is imperative that you establish where you are before looking to progress. In other words, define exactly the problem you are encountering. You have quite probably heard of brainstorming ( 集思广益 ). That is, a group of people get together and simply write down as much as possible in relation to the objectives outlined. Don’t worry about strategic planning or anything like that. Concentrate solely on idea generation. Place a time limit on the group and choose the location and the time well so that they are conductive to performance. Make sure that everybody is at their peak and has been instructed to “Think Big”. I have been able to move mountains after a very healthy brainstorming session. 1. What is the author trying to tell his readers?