In my keynotes or when I lead working sessions with groups of leaders, I’ll often shift gears and say, “I now want us to do an exercise I call ‘The World’s Greatest Consultant.’ And who is the world’s greatest consultant? It’s you. Each one of you has the know-how, the perspective, and the brilliant listening abilities to help turn a stuck business problem around. You have invaluable advice to offer.”

Then the work starts, and the room comes alive.

The exercise itself is a powerful twist on the “Blurt It Out” method from Chris Baréz-Brown’s book, How to Have Kick-Ass Ideas. It’s a way to generate incredible ideas, and it’s a tool you can immediately bring back to your own team.

How to Run the Exercise

I have everyone pair up, designating one person as Person A and the other as Person B. I make it clear that they’ll both get a turn in each role before giving the specific instructions.

Round #1. The Seven-Minute Download: “Person A, you’re first. You’ve got a real business problem, one that’s keeping you up at night. I’m going to keep the time. For the next seven minutes, I want you to download everything about it to Person B. And I mean everything. Don’t worry about logic or making sense. Just talk. Do it fast and don’t stop talking for any reason whatsoever. Tell the stories, the failed attempts, the frustrations, the crazy ideas you haven’t told anyone.

“Your partner, Person B, is now the World’s Greatest Consultant. Their only job is to listen and jot down anything that seems important, interesting, or just plain weird.”

Round #2. The Three-Minute Consultation: “Time’s up. Now, Person B, you’re on. You have three minutes to be that World’s Greatest Consultant. Tell Person A what you heard. Again, do it fast and don’t hesitate for even a second. What stood out? What patterns did you see? Don’t be shy – throw in your own ideas and opinions. You’re the fresh pair of eyes. Person A, your job is to just listen and take notes on what lands with you.”

Round #3. The Two-Minute Debrief: “Alright, Person A, you’re back up for the final two minutes of the round. This is crucial. Don’t leave the World’s Greatest Consultant hanging. Tell your partner what you heard from them that was most useful. What are you thinking now? They just gave you their undivided attention and brainpower. Let them know what struck you as something to contemplate or maybe even use.”

Once this initial 12-minute timed exercise is over, and I have them switch roles and run it again. Now, Person B picks a troublesome problem, and Person A serves as the World’s Greatest Consultant.

So, Why Does This Work So Well?

This exercise isn’t just a gimmick; it’s based on solid principles. The seven-minute “download” is basically a freewriting conversation. By forcing you to talk fast and continuously and without a filter, it helps you bypass your internal editor – that nagging voice that shuts down ideas before they’re fully formed. You get the raw, unfiltered truth of the problem out on the table.

Then, your partner comes in as a completely fresh set of eyes. They aren’t bogged down by the history or the emotional baggage of your problem. They can spot connections and opportunities you’re too close to see. The tight time limits are also key; they create urgency and focus, preventing the conversation from fizzling out into a generic chat.

A Quick Word on Pairing People

If you’re running this with a group, be a little strategic. You probably don’t want to pair direct competitors or an employee with their direct boss; that can get weird. The best results often come when you pair people from different departments or even different industries. The fresher the perspective, the better.

So, the next time your team needs a jolt of creative energy, give it a shot. Don’t just read this. Try it. The result, I think, might astonish you – and I say this from experience.