Saturday, October 29, 2005

The DIY Guide To Brainstorming


If you and your team are looking for a technique that’s pretty well guaranteed to solve all your problems, and come up with ideas you’d never think of on your own, then you can’t do better than good old-fashioned Brainstorming.

When done correctly, Brainstorming is all of the following: simple, quick, productive, effective, developmental, teambuilding, and, perhaps most of all, fun.

The technique has been around for a long time. It was first used by Alex Osborn, an advertising executive of the 1950’s, who laid down the following 5 rules when performing a brainstorming session:

1. no evaluation of ideas
2. wild ideas to be encouraged (in fact, the more, the better)
3. quantity of ideas all-important
4. participants should build on each others’ ideas
5. apart from these 4, no other rules were needed.

A brainstorming session can be used for all sorts of problems. It works for little problems where there is a solution waiting to be identified, such as a machine fault, to situations where there is no known solution, such as “How do we improve customer service?”

So, how should you brainstorm?
Based on Osborn’s 5 principles, the following method is one of the best:

• First create a good group climate. Warm them up with a mini icebreaker or fun game. Don’t brainstorm in a group that isn’t already laughing, joking and chatting.
• Select as many scribes as you can find with as many flipchart stands as you can find. Check these people are your quickest writers. Their job is to hear and record every idea.
• Now write up your problem clearly and precisely. Make sure everyone can see it and understand it.
• Then you’re ready to go. Encourage a constant flow of ideas while keeping some kind of order. Don’t put a time limit on the session as this adds pressure and will cut off the flow.

The most common brainstorming technique is known as Sparking. That’s because in Sparking, all ideas are welcome and should spark off each other a bit like flashes of electricity.

For more ways to brainstorm, here are 3 other techniques:

Paradoxical Intention, which turns the brainstorming session on its head by asking how you can make the problem worse. For example, if you had the following problem: “How do we improve the paperwork systems in the office?”, you might get: mix the files up; collect other people’s paper as well; leave them in untidy piles.
Wording, which takes each word in your problem statement in turn and develops ideas around it. So, in the same example, the word “paperwork” might produce: Put files on film; put files on computer; have a paperwork purge.
Seeding, which randomly selects a totally unrelated word and sees what ideas this will set off. So, in the same example, the word “breakfast” might produce: keep all the papers in empty cornflakes packets; have a daily breakfast-time clear-out of files; and have a deadline on all incoming paperwork by breakfast time each day.

If your brainstorming sessions are chaotic and out of control, that’s good. They should be. Remember, you’re looking for a pile of ideas, not the one that instantly fits, and your team are producing them intuitively and spontaneously without any check on the flow from their subconscious.

When you’ve filled up a large number of flipcharts and the ideas stop coming, then it’s time to take a break. You can then declare the brainstorming at an end and the evaluation can start.

Even after 50 years of use, Brainstorming is still top of the creative thinking charts. Try it whenever you need lots of original ideas, and you’ll have one of the most powerful thinking techniques you could ever hope to use.

© 2005, Eric Garner, ManageTrainLearn.com

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How To Conduct a Successful Brainstorming Session


Brainstorming: When you and your group or improvement team wish to generate as many ideas as possible in as short a time as possible.

It’s Powerful
It’s Quick
It’s Fun
It’s Misused

However simple we think this tool is, if we do not set the ground rules, or fail to follow them, we will be very disappointed with the outcome. Some team members may even be fearful to contribute fully – giving safe, guarded inputs.
This is NOT what Brainstorming is all about!

Before a project or improvement team can make decisions, it's important to examine as many options as possible. Brainstorming is one of the easiest, creative ways to generate a list of ideas through getting EVERY team member involved.

Let's have a look at the structure and the process...

Your Team
Arrange the meeting for your improvement group or team - between 4 and 8 people is a good size. Please ensure the group is like-minded, with a sense of purpose and a belief that their contribution is valued.

Establish The Groundrules / Getting Started

Session Groundrules:
  • If people have agreed to participate, respect that
  • Censorship of ideas is not allowed
  • Never criticize ideas
  • Suspend judgement
  • Do not disrupt the flow by questioning / interrupting
  • All ideas are valid, no matter how radical, wierd
  • Listen, piggy back on ideas from others
  • Create a free thinking, creative environment

You have just read through the generally accepted groundrules for conducting an effective Brainstorming session. Take these on board, discuss them with your selected team, make sure everyone understands why they are vitally important, and seek full agreement before moving forward.

Set a time limit of say 15 minutes with the goal of getting lots and lots of ideas.
Agree the roles of scribe and facilitator (they can be the same person). It is the key role of the facilitator to enforce the groundrules and keep the flow going.
Write the initial topic on a flipchart, whiteboard, overhead as long as everyone can see it. The better defined, and more clearly stated the problem, the more likely that everyone will agree on the issue or statement being brainstormed.

Structured Brainstorming
With this approach, every person in the team gives an idea as their turn comes up in rotation or pass until their next turn (we can often get fresh ideas based on the inputs of our team members). This approach is useful in ‘encouraging’ the more reluctant people to participate but may create a certain amount of pressure.

Unstructured Brainstorming
Simply, team members give ideas as they come to mind. This method may be seen as more fun and more relaxed. It risks being taken over by the more dominant team members - facilitators need to monitor this.

Ending the Session
Conclude the session. Thank everyone. Clarify any points and get a consensus on which ideas should be taken further, what the actions and timescales are. Make sure people know that ALL ideas will be kept and the team leaves the session with the sense that "something has been achieved".

NOTES
One variation is to have everyone write down their ideas, then go round the team and have each member say one of their ideas. Continue this until everyone's list is complete. With sound knowledge of the team and its dynamics, the team leader may prefer one method to the other.

Consensus is not a unanimous vote - consensus is finding a proposal or outcome acceptable enough that ALL members will support - NO member opposes it.

Brainstorming is one of the all time greats in problem solving / decision making. However, it needs two very important attributes - creative thinking and open-mindedness.

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Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Top Ten Brainstorming Techniques for Business Success


by: Bea Fields

We experience creativity every time a fresh idea pops into our minds. We recognize creative imagination in everything from a pastel painting to a business plan. By trying these ten tips, you will discover some amazing creative abilities that may surprise you.

1. Substitute someone else's perspective for yours. How would a teacher, lawyer, actor, artist, explorer, journalist, psychologist, engineer, homemaker, child, or accountant approach your idea or subject? Don't know? Ask them!

2. Look at your idea through the eyes of a critic. For each idea, make a list of all criticisms that may arise. Try to develop as many solutions as possible for overcoming obstacles or repairing weaknesses in your idea.

3. Connect your idea to other worlds or fields. Look at the worlds of Politics, Art, Science & Medicine, Hollywood, The Ice Age, Astronomy, Astrology, Ballet, Animation, The Army, Asia, Teaching, Music, Europe, and the like. Can you make an analogy, and what ideas can you draw upon from these fields and worlds?

4. Magnify your idea. What can you do to enlarge, expedite, extend, strengthen, exaggerate, dramatize, or improve your idea?

5. Simplify your idea. Can you condense, trim down, compact, minimize, or narrow your idea?

6. Change your idea. Modify the name, color, sound, shape, form, function, smell, taste, and properties of your idea.

7. Make your idea meet the needs and wants of the masses. Does your idea meet the basic needs and wants of more comfort, money, food, shelter, time, space, convenience, attractiveness, health, and beauty? If not, alter your idea to meet one if not all of these needs and wants.

8. Add more value. What will add more value? Add extra features, durability, safety, thickness, accuracy, guarantees, uses, and freebies.

9. Examine what others have done. Emulate professionals and experts who have had great success with a similar idea or product. Are you facing a problem that has already been solved? Use the past as a tool for experimentation and learning.

10. Flip a coin. When you cannot make a decision, flip a coin. Once the coin falls, use your intuition and gut to make a decision. If you feel comfortable with the result, go with it. If you feel uncomfortable with the coin toss, make the opposite decision.

About The Author
Bea Fields, Southern Pines, NC, USA
bea@fivestarleader.com http://www.fivestarleader.com Bea Fields is an Executive Coach and a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach. She is also a Consultant, Trainer, Public Speaker and author of the Five Star Leader e-course. Her area of expertise is that of Leadership Development and Marketing for Executives, Managers, Small Business Owners, and Political Leaders.

Brainstorming! The Key To Wealth


by: Roy Primm

Advertising executive Alex F. Osborne first coined the word “brainstorming” in the early 1940’s. Since then literally millions of ideas, products, services and solutions have been created and improved on.
Every institution from Fortune 500 companies to Universities and Government agencies have used the principle of brainstorming. They’ve use it to create everything from new ad slogans, and medical breakthroughs, to how to get your child to eat more peas.

Fact: For every product in your home or office, chances are a person or group of people brainstormed about it. They brainstormed on how best to create, market, sell, manufacture, advertise, or distribute it. This is how powerful brainstorming is.

One of the best things about brainstorming is that it can be used by anyone. You don’t have to be a C.E.O or army general. You can gain from brainstorming if you’re a housewife, janitor, student or unemployed.

Yes, you can use the principles of brainstorming for the largest project or the smallest project. You can use it to plan a million dollar ad campaign, or use it to plan what you’ll have for dinner tonight.
If you simply follow and practice the following steps you will soon be amazed at the ideas and solutions your fabulous brain will give you.

Before we go any further lets discuss the 7 steps for effective brainstorming sessions.

The 7 Magic Steps For Powerful Brainstorming Sessions!

1. The brainstorming session can be done with one person or one hundred people. The rules are the same. The only requirement is the participants should know or know about the problem, business, product or subject of the brainstorming session.

2. Don’t use critical thinking. Critical or judgmental thinking slows down or kills the creative process at this stage. Because as hard as you may try, you can only think one thought at a time. When your creating you can’t judge and when you judge you can’t create.

3. Keep the session light, loose and free spirited. Humor has been known to help oil the wheels of our creativity. A large portion of our creativity is released through our humor. Watch a comedy, or tell a few jokes before you proceed.

4. Make sure you have a pencil and paper to write down any and all ideas, or if you’re in a group, designate someone to write down the ideas.

5. It’s best to set a minimum length of time or amount of ideas you want to get out of each brainstorming session. Setting a goal helps everyone to focus; it also helps everyone avoid wandering minds.

6. Write down the problem, the goal, or the subject at the top of a piece of paper. For example, “Ways To Attract More Customers”. Next number each idea you or the group comes up with. Write down every idea, the good, the bad, and even the ugly. Remember, the goal is to get as many ideas listed on paper as possible.

7. Next evaluate the most do-able ideas and take action.

That’s the 7 tips for effective brainstorming sessions. Follow them and watch the ideas flow.

About The Author
Roy Primm (The NicheMan) has written hundreds of articles on how to create a money-making niche. Get the edge on your competition this year read his free report "14 Ways To Create a Niche and Grow Rich" go to
NicheBrain.com

How To Use Brainstorming To Solve Your Money Problems


by: Roy Primm

Advertising executive Alex F. Osborne first coined the word “brainstorming” in the early 1940’s. Since then literally millions of ideas, products and services have been created.

Every institution from Fortune 500 companies to Universities and Government agencies, have used the principle of brainstorming.

Fact: For every product in your home or office, chances are a person or group of people brainstormed about it.

They brainstormed on how best to create, market, sell, manufacture, advertise, or distribute it. This is how powerful brainstorming is.

One of the best things about brainstorming is that it can be used by anyone. You don’t have to be a C.E.O or army general. You can gain from brainstorming if you’re a housewife, janitor, student or unemployed.

Yes, you can use the principles of brainstorming for the largest project or the smallest project.
You can use it to plan a million-dollar ad campaign, or use it to plan what you’ll have for dinner tonight.

Practice the following steps. You'll soon be amazed at the ideas and solutions your fabulous brain will give you.

7 Steps For Effective Brainstorming Sessions

1. The brainstorming session can be done with one person or one hundred people. The rules are the same. The only requirement is the participants should know about the problem, business, product or subject of the brainstorming session.

2. Don’t use critical thinking. Critical or judgmental thinking slows down or kills the creative process at this stage. Because as hard as you may try, you can only think one thought at a time. When your creating you can’t judge and when you judge you can’t create.

3. Keep the session light, loose and free spirited. Humor has been known to help oil the wheels of our creativity. A large portion of our creativity is released through our humor.

4. Make sure you have a pencil and paper to write down any and all ideas, or if you’re in a group, designate someone to write down the ideas.

5. It’s best to set a minimum length of time or amount of ideas you want to get out of each brainstorming session. Setting a goal helps everyone to focus; it also helps everyone avoid wandering minds.

6. Write down the problem, the goal, or the subject at the top of a piece of paper. For example, “Ways To Attract More Customers”. Next number each idea you or the group comes up with. Write down every idea, the good, the bad, and even the ugly. Remember, the goal is to get as many ideas listed on paper as possible.

7. Next evaluate the most do-able ideas and take action.

That’s the 7 tips for effective brainstorming sessions. Follow them and watch the ideas flow.

About The Author
Roy Primm (The Niche Man) has written hundreds of articles on the power of a small niche. Learn more of his niche creation secrets that build wealth. To read his free report go to
www.NicheBrain.com troydad2@netzero.com

Brainstorm Session


by: Dr. Alvin Chan

Ever lost for ideas while working in a group? One of the most often-used technique for generating many ideas is Brainstorming. Alex Osborn, a partner in an advertising agency, developed brainstorming techniques years ago in 1941 to help his employees to come up with many, many ideas for their advertising business.

To enable Brainstorming to be effective, there are certain rules to follow. One of the most important is that no one should make any judgment about anyone’s ideas. There should be a FREE-FLOW of ideas (that’s why Brainstorm is put under the WATER Element category!) and everyone’s ideas are to be respected and taken into account.

Let’s go through the steps of setting up an effective Brainstorming session:

1. Get into small groups of less than six (it was found to be more effective) and select a leader and a recorder (they may be the same person).

2. The leader must explain the focus topic and goals of the Brainstorming session. In short, he/she must make sure that everyone is clear on the topic being explored.

3. The leader should spell out the rules of an effective Brainstorming session.

These will include:
  • There are no WRONG ideas!
  • Everyone plays a part to contribute.
  • No laughing and poking fun at people’s ideas. No CRITICISM!
  • Do not discuss or argue about the ideas given.
  • The person in charge must record all ideas without any biasness.


4. It is also important to set a realistic time limit. This is to prevent wastage of precious time and the group members tend to be more motivated to give their best, without delays.


5. Start the brainstorming.


6. Usually, anyone can contribute their ideas at any time, without any restrictions. But, there are groups that use a small game to enhance the effectiveness of their Brainstorming sessions. This includes getting the leader to start the Brainstorming session by throwing a tennis ball to another member for his turn to give an idea. And in turn, he/she will pass the ball to another member for his turn to give another idea.


Whatever it is, there are no real hard and fast rules about this. As long as ideas are continuously flowing from each member, the objective is met.


7. The recorder should write down all responses and enable the other members to see them. This help a lot in the brainstorming as sometimes, ideas of others can help spark more original ideas form the rest of the group.


8. Usually after the Brainstorming session, the group will need to go through the results and begin to evaluate the ideas given.


Certain questions to ponder upon include:

  • Are there ideas that are similar?
  • Can some of the ideas and concepts be grouped together for clarity?
  • Are there ideas that are really impossible to use at this point of time (maybe due to lack of resources or other reasons)?


Putting Your Elements to Work:

Here are some Brainstorming exercises for you and your group to practice:


1. Ideas to start a business with less than $100 in the bank.
2. Generate ideas to make an effective advertisement for a business.
3. To improve sales of a new product.
4. Generate ideas to get people to buy what I am selling (for example, Health Products) instead of flowers for Valentine’s Day.
5. To find ways to get rid of excess products (for example, food, flowers and others) that will be rotting in a week’s time.


Just a note for Solo Warriors:

Brainstorming is usually done in a group for obvious reasons. In any case, if you are ever caught alone with an IDEA FLOW blockage, you can still brainstorm alone by jotting down ideas on paper or laptop. The same rules apply and that is to jot ideas as they flow without considering whether they are good or bad. The evaluation of your responses can be done later after you feel that the flow of ideas is subsiding.


The Stone Soup Legend
There exists a tale, handed down from times long ago, of two travelers on a pilgrimage. Hungry and tired from a long day’s journey, they come to a small, impoverished, medieval village, where they decide to rest by the side of the road. One of the travelers builds a small fire, upon which he places a large pot, while the other, having drawn water from the town well, fills the pot and places into the vessel a simple stone. As the two men sit by the fire, bringing their "stone soup" to a boil, the local villagers become inquisitive of the curious antics of these strangers. Eventually, several townsfolk decide to investigate the matter and approach the two travelers to engage them in conversation.

Shortly thereafter, there is heard the sound of merriment, as the visitors, who turn out to be quite friendly, share their tales of the lands and people they have met throughout their journey and pilgrimage with the local villagers.

Finally, a young boy asks the travelers "But why, pray thee, are you boiling a stone?"

One of the pilgrims replies, "So we may eat stone soup."

"It must be terribly bland!" says an old woman. "But I have a cabbage, which will add some flavor!"

"And I, some carrots, which will add color!" says another villager.

"Some potatoes!", offers another, until, shortly, by the contribution of a little by many, a hearty stew was made, upon which the entire village and the weary pilgrims dined... and while doing so, shared their tales, talents, and camaraderie throughout the night.

The very next day, the travelers (who by now could be called "strangers" no more), continued their journey, leaving the little town, and its people, behind. But the villagers never forgot them, and the lesson they had learned. In fact, during the hardest of times, in such a time as this tale, that little village thrived, because the townsfolk never forgot how to make "stone soup".

About The Author
Dr. Alvin Chan is a Senior Research Consultant at First Quatermain. Please contact him at
bizguru88@hotmail.com if you are reprinting his article online or in print. heartware2002@yahoo.com

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