BrainStorming
Brainstorming is a well-known and widely used problem-solving tool.
Brainstorming may be just the technique to rejuvenate
your organization.
Brainstorming
is an excellent to get everyone excited and involved.
The purpose of this method is to get out as many ideas as possible.
Brainstorming is for anything: ideas, themes, slogans, publicity, goals and
problem solving.
Here are just a few simple suggestions to follow:
No evaluation or assessment of any kind is allowed.
Do not discuss an idea, just go on to the next one.
When ideas are judged, members will feel the need to defend themselves
and may not wish to participate or offer any more ideas.
Without full participation from all members, the creative process is
hindered.
Also, when members feel they are being judged, they will censor their ideas to
conform to the group.
You do not want conformity. You want the wild, spontaneous, and even the
ridiculous.
Wild and crazy ideas can springboard more sensible ones or can be tamed down
later in the process.
The goal at this stage is QUANTITY not QUALITY!
Limit discussion to one issue, problem, situation, or statement.
Brainstorming needs a goal or something to focus on to really get results.
It would be too confusing and distracting to try to solve all your problems at
once.
Pick an issue or topic that all members can speak on.
Set a time limit for the total Brainstorming process.
Also, set a time limit for each suggestion or idea.
This will encourage spontaneity and quick thinking.
Encourage members to build on what has been said and modify the ideas of
others.
This reduces the need for people to find the "right"
idea and helps keep the session more stimulating and fun.
Write down every idea (large or small - good or not-so-good).
Use two or three people to record so as to get it all.
Write only enough of the concept and key words to be able to remember the idea
later.
Record all responses on a blackboard or big sheets of newsprint so
everyone can see them.
Make sure do not record the name of the person suggesting.
Checking for Possibilities
After the brainstorming session is over, make good use of the members'
creativity.
Before ranking or evaluating ideas, group them into related categories for
review.
This will make it easier to combine similar ideas and weed out duplication.
Decide which ideas are possible and which can be eliminated;
this can be done by putting pluses and minuses by items.
Ranking of Ideas
Now it is time to rank the most promising ideas.
Write all the possible ideas on newsprint or chalkboard.
It is important every member can see what is being ranked.
You may want to use a rating system such as: 1 being lowest and 5 being
highest.
Use cost, popularity, and access to facilities or equipment when rating the
ideas.
Select those with greatest potential and high-ranking priority
for either implementation or refinement by committee or the group.
You may need to have members do some research on costs and logistics
before the group can pick a top idea to implement.
Follow-up
If the ideas are to be implemented successfully by the group or by committee,
ask for updates on a regular basis. Review and evaluate your ideas as they are
being implemented.
Make any changes deemed necessary by the group. Be sure to utilize the ideas
generated.
It is extremely demoralizing for a team to invest time, energy and creativity
and have an idea disappear.
Seeing your ideas come to fruition however, is extremely rewarding.
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What is Brainstorming?
Brainstorming
is a method for developing creative solutions to problems.
It works by focusing on a specific problem
then deliberately coming up with as many solutions as possible
then by pushing the ideas as far as possible.
One approach to brainstorming is to 'seed'
the session with a word pulled randomly from a dictionary.
This word as a starting point in the process of generating ideas.
During the brainstorming session there is no criticism of ideas -
the idea is to open up as many possibilities as possible,
and break down preconceptions about the limits of the problem.
Once this has been done the results of the brainstorming session
can be analyzed and the best solutions
can be extended by using further brainstorming
or more conventional solution methods
How
to Brainstorm?
The
following rules are important to a successfully brainstorming session:
A leader should take control of the session,
initially defining the problem to be solved with any criteria that must be met,
and then keeping the session on course.
A leader should encourage an enthusiastic, uncritical attitudes
and encourage participation by all members of the team.
The session should be announced as lasting a fixed length of time,
and the leader should ensure that no train of thought is followed for too long.
The leader should try to keep the brainstorming on subject,
and should try to steer it towards the development of some practical solutions.
Participants should come from as wide a range of disciplines
and with as broad a range of experience as possible.
This brings many more creative ideas to the session.
Brainstormers should be encouraged to have fun brainstorming,
coming up with as many ideas as possible,
from solidly practical ones to wildly impractical ones
in an environment where creativity is welcomed and encouraged.
Ideas must not be criticized or evaluated during the brainstorming session.
Criticism introduces an element of risk for a member in putting forward an idea.
This stifles creativity and cripples the free nature of a good brainstorming session.
Brainstormers should not only come up with new ideas in a brainstorming session,
but should encourage and develop other peoples ideas and thoughts.
A record should be kept of the session either as notes or a tape recording.
This should be studied subsequently for evaluation.
Also helpful is to write ideas on a board which can be seen by all brainstormers.
Brainstorming can either be carried out by individuals, teams or both:
Individual brainstorming tends to produce a wider range of ideas
than group brainstorming, but tends not to develop the ideas as effectively,
perhaps as individuals on their own run up against problems they cannot solve.
Individuals are free to explore ideas in their own time without any fear of criticism,
and without being dominated by other group members.
Group brainstorming develops ideas more deeply and effectively,
as when difficulties in the development of an idea by one person are reached,
another person's creativity and experience can be used to break them down.
Group brainstorming tends to produce fewer ideas
and can lead to the suppression of creative ideas by quiet people
and inducement of ideas by loud and uncreative ones.
Individual and group brainstorming can be mixed, perhaps by defining a problem,
then letting team members initially come up with a wide range of possible solutions.
A standard technique is to accept all solutions good or bad, large or small
then arrange the solutions as to their real worth or practical use.
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Resource for Brainstorming article: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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Definitions
of Brainstorming on the Web
Brainstorming with Graphic
Organizers
Effective
Meetings with Brainstorming
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