It’s often said
that inspiration strikes when you least expect it, but that’s a rather
inefficient way to drive innovation and creativity. Just think of a time when
you, or a team you were on, needed to solve a particular problem. As soon as
you begin thinking of ideas, your mind goes blank.
The point of
brainstorming is to produce a comprehensive list of potential ideas, solutions
or plans. When done well, brainstorming should increase participation, reduce
inhibition, stimulate ideas, increase creativity and be a group process.
The general
rules for all brainstorming methods are:
- Focus on quantity first-capture as
many ideas as possible.
- Encourage and welcome all ideas -
ask the team to dig deep and think beyond the obvious - every idea
submitted should be captured.
- Hold off on judgment, criticism or
reality checks - this should be a “safe time.” Ideas will be discussed and
debated later.
- Use short phrases and bullet
points, not paragraphs and lengthy explanations.
- “Piggy back” on others’ ideas.
Outlandish ideas can be stepping stones to good, workable ideas.
- Although it can be helpful to give
a brief overview of brainstorming rules, there’s no need to go into an
elaborate explanation. “Let’s brainstorm annual priorities that will move
us toward our 3-5 year strategic plan. Remember, let’s not judge the
ideas but just capture and understand them first.” Then, begin your chosen
method of brainstorming. As you move through the process, anticipate that
someone will break the rules - that’s when the facilitator steps in and
makes the correction.
Everyone
everywhere uses brainstorming techniques to get the creative juices flowing. There
are numerous methods for running more effective brainstorming sessions,
including:
Round Robin
Ask for a
volunteer to start the brainstorming process with one idea. The facilitator
captures the idea on a flip chart for all to see. Ask the volunteer to choose
whether to go to the right or the left, allowing the person sitting next to
them to offer one idea. The facilitator continues to chart the answers, going
around the room until everyone has had a chance to contribute at least one
idea. You can then try to take a second pass around the room if the ideas are
flowing freely, or you may open it up to anyone who has another idea not previously
mentioned.
Freewheeling
If you’re
working with a group where equal participation is not an issue, you may be able
to open the brainstorming session up by asking for ideas, allowing people to
offer suggestions in any order at all. Be sure to chart all ideas with short
bullet points using the participants’ words. This method can go fast, so you
may want to ask for a volunteer to help chart answers using a second flip
chart.
Group Pass
Each person in
the group starts with a piece of paper, writes down one idea, and then passes
the piece of paper to the next person. The next person then builds on the
original idea, adding a few thoughts. Continue around the room until the owner
gets their original piece of paper back. You can then ask each person to take a
minute to review their original idea and share with the team.
Silent
Reflection
Some people
need a little time to think and formulate their ideas. Instruct the team that
you are giving them a certain amount of time (5-15 minutes, depending on the
topic) to think and write down their ideas. You can ask them to write their
ideas on sticky notes, one idea per note, or list them on a sheet of paper. If
you use sticky notes, you can then ask them to read one idea at a time and
place them on the wall, grouping all similar ideas together. If they are
written on a piece of notebook paper, you can use the Round Robin method to
share and chart the ideas.
Brainstorming
is a terrific technique for idea generation, coming up with alternatives and
possibilities, discovering fatal flaws, and developing creative approaches. But
it’s only as good as its participants and facilitator. The better you are at
selecting participants, setting the stage, and encouraging discussion, the
better your outcomes are likely to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment