“They threw you a curveball,” suggests a brave staff member, after thinking it over for a moment.
“Be sure you cover all your bases,” offers another.
Thanking them for getting the ball rolling, I record their responses on poster board. They have just replied to my initial question asking the group to come up with commonly used phrases that are derived from baseball.
“What else?” I ask, prompting the group to continue brainstorming.
Soon the conversation really starts to flow, with contributions from other participants now coming more quickly: