What happens to a group or organization when brainstorming becomes just another word for asking the same old questions? It continues to get the same old answers —­ and that can be deadly if that group wants to move forward.

Toss out those tired problem-solving approaches, say authors and international business consultants Dick Whitney and Melissa Giovagnoli, and turn instead to 75 far-out but fully field-tested questions that clean out the corporate cobwebs and get your minds moving in new and productive directions.

Whether its wild (What crazy idea could triple your sales in three years?) or wacky (How would your mom run your department?), these imaginative thought-provokers will shake up employees and shake loose new action-oriented ideas. Packed with war stories detailing how Whitney and Giovagnoli have used these cage-rattlers to shatter the complacency of their own clients, this unique guide shows how 75 outrageous queries can:

• Improve leadership


• Resolve conflicts on the job


• Foster a growth mentality


• Make innovation happen


• Push people's motivational hot buttons


• Facilitate better communication


• Encourage better time management and much more!

As valuable to individuals as it is to teams, small groups, small businesses and large corporations, 75 Cage-Rattling Questions to Change the Way You Work opens meetings, opens eyes and opens minds, sparking the kind of creative energy that breaks down barriers and paves the way to success for employees and their organizations.

Asking the old questions, according to Whitney and Giovagnoli, means getting the same old answers. And that can be deadly for any group or company that wants to move ahead. Instead, they offer 75 outrageous, thought-provoking questions that clean out the corporate cobwebs and get workers' minds working in new and productive directions. Drawing from their own experiences as top international business consultants, Whitney and Giovagnoli provide field-tested cage-rattlers that can help improve leadership, resolve on-the-job conflicts, stimulate innovation, facilitate better communication and much more. Additionally, the guide benefits individuals as much as it does teams, small groups, small businesses and larger corporations.

Dick Whitney is a market development specialist with Mercer Management Consulting. His clients have ranged from start-ups to global leaders.

Melissa Giovagnoli is the president of Service Showcase, Inc., an 11-year-old consulting and training firm specializing in team building and retreat planning using the Cage-Rattling Questioneering Process.