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Creative problem solving is imperative in information technology.  Indeed, sometimes IT jobs are little more than a constant stream of troubleshooting and solving client issues with products.  There are standardized ways to approach these problems, but sometimes the best method is to simply open your creative floodgates and throw caution to the wind.  Here are some methods IT consultants, IT recruiters, and IT managers could employ to prime their brains for some brainstorming sessions:

•  Spontaneity breeds genius: Harry Potter and Shark Week are two great examples of ideas that came out of the blue.  You don’t necessarily have to use a napkin, but consider two lessons from these examples: Firstly, ideas/solutions you come up with at random moments are worth recording for late.  Secondly, sometimes the best way to break out of a mental rut is to physically leave the office and do something else for a period of time.  Walking away from a problem might relieve stress and your mental blocks.
• Team Chemistry is an asset for a creative problem-solving environment.  To go back to the Shark Week example, the idea reportedly came when two co-workers were shooting the breeze at a bar after work.  People who build friendly, trusting rapports with each other will brainstorm together more effectively.  This makes building a strong team of IT professionals with good working chemistry is key to building an environment that encourages creative problem solving.
• Laughter helps.  Joking around in the office is important; particularly before IT contractors tackle issues that require them to really think out of the box.  Studies show that laughing can put your brain in the right state for solving difficult puzzles—or perhaps debugging a difficult line of code.  A happy workplace is a creative, effective one.