Brainstorming - Don't Cloud Your Mind

Brainstorming - Don't Cloud Your Mind

The brain is one amazing device. It's the centerpiece of the body, seemingly everything goes through the brain. Probably all the great inventions that have come through history, were originally inside someone's brain. Many studies have been done on the brain and the prevailing thought, is that most people use less then 10% of their brain capacity. Maybe the fact that people don't use their brains as much as they should, is why brainstorming was created.
Brainstorming was the creation of Alex Osborn. Osborn was an ad exec. and he realized that normal business meetings, weren't creating the type of new ideas that he needed from his employees. He wanted to find a better way for each person to share their ideas. In a normal business meeting, most people are afraid to speak up. They're afraid of looking stupid, afraid of people laughing at their ideas and more than anything, they're afraid of being criticized.
Osborn understood the fears that the employees had, so he had to come up with new rules, that would allow each person to give their ideas, without fear. The rules that Osborn created, became what is now known as brainstorming. The rules of brainstorming, is as follows, no ideas can be criticized, come up with as many ideas as possible, build on each others ideas and any strange or weird ideas are welcomed.

What Osborn did was allow his employees to be individuals, at least during the brainstorming sessions. When people join a business, they usually have to put their personality aside. Businesses like people to conform to a certain way of thinking. Brainstorming gave people their personality back. It allowed them to speak their minds, without the fear of retribution. Osborn noticed that a lot more ideas were coming through the brainstorming sessions and not only that, but initial ideas were being transformed into quality ideas that the company could use.

Though created for a group, brainstorming can be done on an individual basis. The problem is, the number of ideas coming from one person will be limited. Plus, one person will not have the quality of ideas, that can come from a group. An individual may also lose focus during the process, whereas a group helps everyone stay on the same page. It's debatable which brainstorming process is better, group or individual, it probably depends on the people involved and what they're trying to achieve.

Brainstorming was a great creation. It had and continues to help people and businesses maximize their potential. Though Osborn is given credit for brainstorming, the process has probably been around long before Osborn gave it a name. Musicians, for decades, have been known to collaborate on musical projects. Those collaborations were just another form of brainstorming. Though not on the same scale as business, people brainstorm on a daily basis. People are always asking each other their opinions on, the best places to shop, eat and where to take their cars for repair. Daily brainstorming may not be as technical as Osborn's version, but the basic premise of brainstorming, is to have as many different opinions as needed.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Brainstorming

Five Tips For Successful Brainstorming

Corporate brainstorming often fails because participants don’t enter into it in the proper spirit. There are two phases of the creative process: the imaginative phase and the practical phase.

The first thing to remember in phase one of a brainstorming session is this: all ideas are good. No matter how lame they may sound initially, write them down without comment.

You must establish an unthreatening environment in order to get your participants to loosen up and start throwing any ideas out. Consider these tips for better brainstorming:

First, identify the problem. It is often best to outline this ahead of time in written form so that everyone comes to the session with the problem defined.

Next, set the stage and the rules. Tell participants that the brainstorming session is for generating as many ideas as possible and that the person who comes up with the most ideas, not the best, will be rewarded. The only rule for brainstorming is this: no one criticizes anyone’s ideas. Positive thinking is the rule of the day.

Discuss the problem for a few minutes. Do you have it properly defined? Are you asking the right question? Here’s an example: about three hundred years ago there was a plague that first sent victims into a deathlike coma from which most never recovered. One man – an exception to the rule - was buried alive. The townspeople didn’t want this to happen again. One group had the costly idea to place food and water inside and an air hole from the casket to the surface. Another group’s idea was simple and low cost: place a 12-inch spike in the top of the casket so that when the lid closed there would be no question about the occupant’s status. Both answers were right, but the questions they asked were different. “What should we do if we bury someone alive?” and “How can we make sure everyone we bury is dead?”

Now, develop as many ideas as possible. Think quantity, not quality. You can sort out the wheat from the chaff later in the practical phase.

Finally, the session moderator is there to keep things moving. If things bog down, pull out these trusty questions. Why not? What if? What rules can we break? What assumptions can we drop? What if budget was not an issue? What if we looked at this backward from the desired result? Is there something we can eliminate in order to reach our result? Could we add something to the process?

Follow these tips and you’ll have better, more productive brainstorming sessions and creative thinking just might become a part of your corporate culture.

Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Focus Four, Levolor, New World Mortgage, North Carolina Tourism, TeamHeidi, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX, Verbatim and Wicked Choppers. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harry_Hoover

Brainstorming For New Ideas

Brainstorming is a great way to come up with new creative ideas. For years it’s been considered most effective when people brainstorm in a group, but research is now showing this is not necessarily so.

Dr. Paul Paulus, psychologist at the University of Texas Creativity Lab, after 14 years of studying the science of creative brainstorming, has discovered that individuals working alone, without the fear of looking foolish in front of their peers, generate twice as many ideas as those working in a group. This is great news for anyone wanting to create new ideas for abundance and wealth.

Some important traditional techniques include: letting your imagination run wild, going for a quantity of ideas rather than focusing on quality and making a decision to suspend any judgment until later. But Dr. Paulus realized that other methods can also greatly increase an individual’s creativity.

Brainstorming through “brainwriting” (writing down every idea that comes to mind) can generate 40% more new ideas than just thinking about things. Another productive technique is taking a break and coming back to the problem when you feel refreshed. With this second round, Dr. Paulus found people could come up with 66% more ideas.

So, when you’re looking for insight or breakthroughs, get out paper and pen. Write down every possibility - no matter how outrageous. Then take a walk, sleep on it or just enjoy a nice relaxing bath. After all, the great Greek mathematician, Archimedes, got one of his most life-changing ideas while in the tub. He was so excited he jumped out of the water and ran naked through the streets of Athens shouting, “Eureka, I found it!”

Although enthusiasm is very important, that much “bare” spontaneity isn’t necessary. As Dr. Paulus discovered, you don’t have to “share yourself” with a whole group of others when brainstorming for new ideas.

Katie Byrd will take you by the hand and teach you the skills she's used to journey from a financially strapped, bad credit nightmare to debt free abundant living. To find out more visit: http://abundanceandwealth.bellaonline.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katie_Byrd

Brainstorming Effectively

BRAINSTORMING:

The basic tool used in generating many possible solutions to a problem is brainstorming.

To use the brainstorming process effectively requires following a prescribed set of rules very closely.

These rules are:

1. No positive or negative comments are allowed during the brainstorming phase.

2. Positive or negative non-verbal evaluations are discouraged as well.

3. A group member may ask for clarification if the member does not understand a given suggestion, but it is important to avoid any questions that are directed to “how” or “why” of the idea. In other words, the person suggesting a solution is not to be asked to defend the idea!

4. “Far out” or amusing suggestions are encouraged. Laughter can serve as a good release and help people relax. A seemingly wild or amusing suggestion is listed with the more serious ideas for group consideration, unless the “author” of the idea specifically asks that it be withheld. Sometimes a wild idea can be changed or built upon for creative practical solutions. The idea here is to relax and let the ideas flow.

5. Encourage group members to generate solutions that are based upon changing ideas already presented, (e.g., reversing, expanding, limiting). 6. Combine ideas that seem to compliment each other.

Copyright AE Schwartz & Associates All rights reserved. For additional presentation materials and resources: ReadySetPresent and for a Free listing as a Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, Vendor/Organization: TrainingConsortium
CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Brainstorm technique for generating ideas

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

Innovation Management and Brainstorming Management – why people hate to brainstorm!

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.

There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation.

Whilst there is no sure fire route to commercial success, these processes improve the probability that good ideas will be generated and selected and that investment in developing and commercialising those ideas will not be wasted.

One common method in the problem identification and idea generation phase is the use of brainstorming. In fact, it is not unfair to say that whenever managers have a problem to solve, they are likely to herd people into a room with a flip chart and conduct (usually an ineffective) brainstorming session.

There are a number of reasons why people hate brainstorming sessions. Further, there are a number of reasons why proper brainstorming management yields superior results.

a) Brainstorming dilutes ideas. Many individuals who think that they may be onto the something find that their ideas become diluted as a result of compromise.

b) The sum of ideas produced by individuals acting alone is greater than the sum of ideas produced by those individuals acting in groups. Thus proper brainstorming management includes asking participants to address the problem and generate ideas before the actual brainstorming session.

c) Large groups produce negatives such as groupthink, evaluation apprehension and status deference which causes people to shut down.

d) Idea generation is a cognitive process and relies on the team leader having the skills to elicit that cognitive activity from individuals. Often team leaders are assigned that role for other reasons.

e) Large groups are often dominated by higher status and more forceful personalities, thus lessening the impact of other participants. Often team leaders do not have the skills to manage all people.

These topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com.

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.
Kal Bishop, MBA
**********************************
Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com

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

For instant solutions to all your management training needs, visit http://www.managetrainlearn.com and download amazing FREE training software. And while you’re there, make sure you try out our prize quiz, get your surprise bonus gift, and subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter. Go and get the ManageTrainLearn experience now!

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.

Providing a focused problem solving approach through our personal and business coaching (especially to small businesses). This approach is linked to providing work at home businesses, affiliates and online businesses with PROFITABLE INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS.

Our primary theme and overriding goal is to provide you with the right choices that fit your needs, solve your problems.Our website http://www.youraffiliatecoach.com is content rich with useful information, articles and resources. More importantly there are free to subscribe opportunities to help you by answering questions, offering guidance and our newsletter 'The Webcoach News'. Why not check them all out?

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

Brainstorm rules

Brainstorm rules:

12 Brainstorm Rules

1. Number of members and constitution of group: A minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 people may participate in a brainstorming session. Less than 6 results in argument, more than 12 means that not everyone gets heard. It is recommended that people from different disciplines (specialists, generalists, the client, and outsiders unconnected to the problem) are included.

2. Duration: The session should last at least 3 hours (or a minimum of 1 hour for smaller projects).

3. Use of time: The facilitator must plan out the 3 hour session, blocking out periods of time to the various areas that have to be covered, and ensuring that the group sticks to the plan.

4. Pre-session requirement: The facilitator must initiate brainstorming 1 to 2 days before the actual session by circulating a memo with:

• Location, time and date of the session
• The subject of the session
• A definition of the end result or product that is wanted
• Any deadlines for end product or idea
• Names of the participants and any special tasks for participants named
• Supporting background information
• Explanation of rules for session

(It is recommended that participants be encouraged to brainstorm alone for about an hour prior to the session, so that they can bring their own full crop of written ideas to the meeting. This is very productive in and of itself. Otherwise, in raw brainstorming sessions, ideas noted on the board or flip chart can lead or steer participants in a particular direction, losing track of possible alternatives.)

5. Seating arrangement: the group should sit in a circular fashion (around a rectangular 'meetings room' desk is fine) so that everyone can see each other. The facilitator and scribe should sit at one side with the board or flip charts behind them

6. Facilitator's requirements during session:

• Be able to stand in front of group and communicate objective clearly and interestingly
• Keep the group's energy high and raise it if it fades
• Control dominating participants and encourage shy members to join in too
• Keep group on track and focussed on productive objectives
• Put aside personal ideas and views in favor of the group's ideas and input
• Use different techniques to draw ideas from group
• Keep meeting on schedule
• Spot opportunities that come up and are not picked up or developed by group
• Make sure the scribe is capturing all ideas in writing
• Squash all side-conversations with "Just one meeting, please!"
• Act as policeman for the golden rule (see below)

7. The Golden Rule of Brainstorming: DEFER JUDGEMENT. All ideas are made welcome. Participants must agree not to laugh at or belittle any idea raised during a brain storm session.

8. Quantity, not quality: as a ancilliary point to the Golden Rule above, aim at quantity of ideas rather than quality. To this end, employ Caesar's military strategy he called celeritas - speed! High tempo fast generation of ideas helps keep the internal judge at bay and ensures that the golden rule is obeyed.

9. Encourage active listening: participants will bring greater attention and awareness to the task and will get more information if they commit to actively listening to those who are presenting ideas at any moment. See 12 rules of effective listening.

10. Keep on track: the facilitator must beware of the group veering off into unproductive areas and steer it back to the task at hand. He must also guard against participants making judgements and watch out for "veiled warfare" amongst the more dominant members, steering them back in line with the golden rule.

11. Keep the group energised: if the meeting gets mired and sleepy, take a few minutes to get everyone to stretch and move around. Get some refreshments to keep blood sugar levels stable. Blast out mental cobwebs with some creativity games, some energising music, a funny video or some jokes. Then re-start the session.

12. Summarise - agree - allocate: as the brainstorm session draws to a close, summarise what has been covered and where you are, obtain the participant's agreement on that and allocate tasks from the list of quality ideas that you have harvested from the session.

Brainstorm

A Brainstorm Session: How to Brainstorm and Harvest 'Bolts From The Blue'!

During the late 1930's and early 1940's, advertising director Alex Osborn developed a technique for generating new product slogans and ad campaign ideas amongst his employees. He would meet with his group around a table, outline the problem and then have them generate ideas willy-nilly. Out of the scores of ideas generated, a few would turn out to be real gems. This idea-generating activity evolved and became known as "brainstorming" and it is still being used by top companies and creative individuals all around the world...

See rest of article here.