If someone tells you, "come up with a great idea," your mind probably goes blank. But it doesn't have to be, says psychologist Allison Butler — you just need to know what steps to follow. Whether you want to impress your boss, invent something or start a successful business, Butler recommends a methodology called "design thinking" that she says can help anyone come up with great ideas. "The idea is that it seems like a checklist: Watch people, learn from them, craft insights, brainstorm great ideas [and] start to prototype," says Butler. Embracing critical feedback can help you do more than improve your ideas, too.

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Persons: Allison Butler, Allison Butler —, Butler, you've, Cortney Warren Organizations: Innovation, Bryant University, Apple, Google, CNBC