"You end up with a short list that never gets at the meat of the issue," says consultant Perry J. Ludy, author of Profit Building: Cutting Costs Without Cutting People (Berrett-Koehler Publishers). Maybe you shouldn't be asking for answers, he says. You should be asking employees what questions they have about the problem.

Despite brainstorming mantras that there are no wrong answers, many of your employees are afraid that opening their mouths will make them look like dolts. Questions, by contrast, show everyone's ignorance. They are more democratic and make sure employees are less intimidated. They'll develop a longer list of questions than they ever will of answers. "Questions become the fuel for the overall process," says Ludy.

Once you've got your list, assign individuals on the team to find answers. Have them report back at a regularly scheduled meeting, say in two weeks. The answers they find can illuminate solutions newer imagined.

Ludy cites the example of a firm that is seeking to reduce the cost of its employee benefits. A quick fix is to cut the company's 401(k) plan contribution. If brainstorming participants question why the plan costs so much to administer, they might ask whether administrative costs are negotiable and cut costs that way.

"The more you ask questions - to yourself, your team, your vendors - (the more) you develop a skill of getting to details," he says.

To get the ball rolling, Ludy suggests running down your profit-and-loss statement. Ask questions about each line item until you've got a list of 10 to 20 questions. If you don't have many employees, contacts from a chamber of commerce meeting or networking session will be equally adept at fleshing out your list. --C.S.

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