Stop Start Continue

Barbara Payne at Blog for Business has this great brainstorming tip she found in the Winning at Work newsletter:

Next, get three pieces of flip chart paper and label them "Stop" "Start" "Continue" -- then ask your staff to work in groups of 3. First group brainstorms answers to the question: "In order to (raise revenue by XX dollars, solve this issue, etc.), what do we need to stop doing?"

Second group does it with "In order to (raise revenue by XX dollars, solve this issue, or whatever), what do we need to start doing?

Third group brainstorms this one: "To (raise revenue, cut costs, solve this issue, or whatever) what do we need to continue doing? Hint: Brainstorm about what's working really well.

Then rotate everybody around so that everyone gets a chance to give each question their best shot. Now you summarize all the points, assign a financial impact to each point that's been raised, make it all into a report that says exactly what you will do (lay someone off? cut a program?) if your stuff doesn't work.

I love the "stop - start - continue" method. What would your firm's three questions be?