I was almost in tears yesterday.

After a long meeting with a group of bankers, who simply couldn't finalise on a name for their new brand loyalty program, I was asking to myself, 'Why can't these people do a simple thing as think up a great name. Here I was a self confessed innovation guru teaching people to destroy dull thinking in the workplace and these people couldn't complete the simplest of innovative tasks as finding a name!

Finally, after a gruelling 30 minutes, I stood up and read out 12 names that were so good, the bankers started another meeting to finalise which of the names they should select from the provided list!

Again and again, I get into meetings and find wonderful people, I should say talented people, who are simply stumped by the prospect of coming up with genuine ideas. For the benefit of all of you who struggle with innovative thinking, I recommend 8 techniques that will make you as creative as Da Vinci:

1. ASK QUESTIONS. Ask questions for which you have no answers. When you don't have readymade answers, you are forced to leave your comfort zone and are bound to stretch your imagination. The better the questions you ask, the better your answers will be.

2. SEEK INSPIRATION FROM OTHER FIELDS. Move to another industry for inspiration. If you are in banking, look at scuba diving for ideas. Jot down 5 things that come to your mind when you think of scuba diving. For instance: goggles, floating objects, oxygen tanks, webbed feet and coral reefs. Now find banking ideas that relate to these random inputs.

3. COMBINE DIVERSE ELEMENTS. All new ideas are combinations of old concepts. Look out for existing ideas in your workplace that you can combine to create a new entity.

4. TAKE A 180-DEGREE LOOK. When you are looking for a solution, why not turn a problem around on its head and see what happens. Overturning a situation can lead to more solutions than you had imagined.

5. VISUALIZE THE SITUATION. If you have a problem and have difficulty in describing it, why not draw it. Doing simple scribbles can help you turn complex problems into easy to understand situations.

6. DO RAPID THINKING. If it's difficult to get one idea, try to get ten. Often, the thought of getting ten optional solutions to a problem will lessen the strain you feel in an idea-generating process. Plus the very act of generating multiple solutions in rapid succession will improve your innovative skills.

7. LEAP OVER THE OBVIOUS. The initial ideas that roll out in any discussion or brainstorming session will often be the weakest. Keep your eyes open for these obvious ideas and use them as a support to move ahead.

8. USE HUMOUR. Loosen your tie and make a hilarious comment on your current problem. Humor has the power to spark off unexpected ideas and can take you to new creative heights.

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