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Brainstorming Session: Ideas, Rules and Tools

Definition, Explanation	Tips, Checklist
Articles

Definition, Explanation

The method of brainstorming was invented by Alex Osborn. It is a creativity technique of finding ideas in a group of people. Originally used in the advertising business, it is today used nearly in every area where people look for novel solutions, e.g. in product development or in creating a mission statement in organizational culture.

A variation on brainstorming is the reverse technique: here, you look for best solution of the exact opposite of your problems. Instead of „How to gain customers“ you think „How to scare customers off“. This has a higher fun factor and hits the crucial points. The next step is to find solutions that prevent „achieving“ those goals.

Tips, Checklist

• Preparation
  • Analyse the problem or goal. Subdivide them if complex.
  • Make a group of 5 up to maximally 15 people. Depending on the nature of the problem, there can be experts, workers from different departments or even laymen. Make sure that the participants are equal in hierarchy
  • Constitute a moderator for the brainstorming
  • Inform the participants about the problem and about the progression of the brainstormin
  • Constitute a record-writer
  • The time of the day should be one with high activity potential of the participants
• Doing it
  • The moderator introduces the problem to do brainstorming on and answers questions arising. He explains the rules of brainstorming and makes sure that they are followed during the session. He moderates only, without proposing own ideas. He motivates and encourages the participants. He takes care that everyone gets involved. In case the discussion gets stuck somewhere, he introduces new aspects and questions to break it free. He sums up the ideas. He times breaks and the end of the session.
  • The rule is: quantity over quality! No valueing of ideas, no attacking others, no criticising.. Absolutely every contribution, including those that seem crazy or unrealistic at first, are welcomed. Ideas may be picked up and extended. Lateral thinking is wanted!
  • The group will sort ideas according to content. Depending on the overall problem, evaluation can already be made
  • The record writer fixes all ideas, without ignoring any kind of ideas. Best, this is done visible for everyone like on a blackboard or a flip chart
• Review
  • Sum up the ideas in a printed record. Hand it out to the participants of the brainstorming and possibly to outside experts
  • On the basis of the record, more ideas can be generate
  • Generated ideas are evaluated by a jury
  • Selected ideas are executed
• The method has its critics,
  • since an utterance of one participant will influence the others. An alternative method would be to have every participant write his/her ideas down themselves
  • since studies show that one-man work gives better results. In reaction, people do more brainwriting and electronic brainstorming
  • since self-exposing behaviour is hard to prevent
  • since one person's flow of ideas can be disturbed by the talk of the others

Articles

• Brainstorming works best in less specialized efforts, study says; Physorg.com, December 10, 2009

Last update: 12/14/2009