When time’s up, ask participants to reveal and explain the significance of their tattoo. To randomize the order, consider alpha-ordering by first name or by whoever has the nearest birthday.

This exercise can reveal shared interests and values or provide a future conversation-starter between colleagues. Additionally, since solo activities tend to appeal to introverted team members and the social interactions energize extroverts, the “Tattoo You” icebreaker can strengthen connections between participants with different personality types.

3. Incorporate virtual tools. To encourage engagement, aim for technology that includes every participant through the entire session. Depending on your team preferences, this could mean a shared Google Doc in which attendees participate in silent brainstorming instead of speaking over each other on video conference. Or try a white-boarding app like IdeaBoardz or Miro, where participants can add sticky notes in real time, and vote or comment on their favorite ideas.

4.  Avoid dismissing an innovative idea. From Nokia to Blockbuster Video, plenty of organizations have internally rejected the same idea that would eventually disrupt their industry. To help people consider new ideas instead of reflexively dismissing them, try the technique known as P.P.C.O., which was invented by a trio of professors in 1981.

The first “P” stands for “Pluses.” Instead of immediately poking holes in the idea, critics must first find at least one good thing about it. Even if it’s something like: “I like that neon green is one of the color options.”

The second “P” represents “Potentials.” As in, what are the potential benefits that might result from this idea? For example: “Neon tires…might increase a car’s visibility on poorly lit roads.”

The “C” stands for “Concerns.” Present your issues as open-ended questions, not closed statements. Instead of saying “this idea is too expensive,” share the concern by asking “how could we make this more affordable?” Or, to continue the tire example, replace a statement like “consumers won’t buy colorful tires because they don’t think they’re durable” with a productive line of questioning: “How might…consumers get past their perception that colorful tires are less durable than carbon black ones?”

And finally, the “O” represents “Overcome.” Here’s when you brainstorm ways to overcome your top concern. For example: “Which international vendors could help us find a color that’s chemically compatible with traditional carbon tires?”

The PPCO technique isn’t just about creating an environment where team members feel comfortable presenting rough ideas. It’s about shifting our minds toward the potential in any idea instead of fixating on why it would never work…like colorful tires. Which are, believe it or not, already on the road in China.

Some of the world’s greatest inventions — canned food, maxi pads, microwaves — were born out of tumultuous moments in history. And while COVID-19 is certainly testing America’s ability to move innovation forward, lean on the above approaches to activate team creativity and idea generation in remote settings.