Brainstorming

Brainstorming skillsBrainstorming skills

Fabian, ImranFabian, Imran

EffectivenessEffectiveness

Define the problem you want solved clearly, and lay out any criteria to be Define the problem you want solved clearly, and lay out any criteria to be met.met.

Keep the session focused on the problem.Keep the session focused on the problem. Ensure that no one criticizes or evaluates ideas during the session. Criticism Ensure that no one criticizes or evaluates ideas during the session. Criticism

introduces an element of risk for group members when putting forward an introduces an element of risk for group members when putting forward an idea. This stifles creativity and cripples the free running nature of a good idea. This stifles creativity and cripples the free running nature of a good brainstorming session.brainstorming session.

Encourage an enthusiastic, uncritical attitude among members of the group. Encourage an enthusiastic, uncritical attitude among members of the group. Try to get everyone to contribute and develop ideas, including the quietest Try to get everyone to contribute and develop ideas, including the quietest members of the group.members of the group.

Let people have fun brainstorming. Encourage them to come up with as many Let people have fun brainstorming. Encourage them to come up with as many ideas as possible, from solidly practical ones to wildly impractical ones. ideas as possible, from solidly practical ones to wildly impractical ones. Welcome creativity.Welcome creativity.

Ensure that no train of thought is followed for too long.Ensure that no train of thought is followed for too long. Encourage people to develop other people's ideas, or to use other ideas to Encourage people to develop other people's ideas, or to use other ideas to

create new ones.create new ones. Appoint one person to note down ideas that come out of the session. A good Appoint one person to note down ideas that come out of the session. A good

way of doing this is to use a flip chart. This should be studied and evaluated way of doing this is to use a flip chart. This should be studied and evaluated after the session.after the session.

4 basic rules 4 basic rules

Focus On QuantityFocus On Quantity No CriticismNo Criticism Unusual Ideas Are WelcomeUnusual Ideas Are Welcome Combine and Improve IdeasCombine and Improve Ideas

TechniquesTechniques

Group passingGroup passing

Each person in a circular group writes Each person in a circular group writes down one ideadown one idea

pass the piece of paper to the next pass the piece of paper to the next person in a clockwise direction, who person in a clockwise direction, who adds some thoughts. adds some thoughts.

This is repeated until everybody gets This is repeated until everybody gets their original piece of paper back. their original piece of paper back.

By this time, it is likely that the group By this time, it is likely that the group will have extensively elaborated on will have extensively elaborated on each idea.each idea.

Nominal groupNominal group

encourages all participants to have an encourages all participants to have an equal say in the process. equal say in the process.

also to generate a ranked list of ideasalso to generate a ranked list of ideas Participants are asked to write down Participants are asked to write down

their ideas anonymously. their ideas anonymously. moderatormoderator collects the ideas and each  collects the ideas and each

is voted on by the group. is voted on by the group. The vote can be as simple as a show of The vote can be as simple as a show of

hands in favor of a given idea. This hands in favor of a given idea. This process is called distillation.process is called distillation.

Analogy techniqueAnalogy technique

very good for discovering things you had not very good for discovering things you had not realized about your own situation realized about your own situation

enables you to develop solutions based upon enables you to develop solutions based upon themthem

Often an analogy will include the words "... Often an analogy will include the words "... is like ..."is like ..."

Examples could be:Examples could be:– Running a business Running a business is likeis like managing a theatre  managing a theatre

productionproduction– Changing a tire on a car Changing a tire on a car is likeis like putting your shoes on  putting your shoes on

(PS tire = tire using US spelling)(PS tire = tire using US spelling)– Selling to our customers Selling to our customers is likeis like being a second-hand  being a second-hand

car salesmancar salesman