SolveYourProblem Article Series: Brainstorming
Brainstorming, Where Do I Begin?

The Basics of Brainstorming  

The following are some fundamental tips to make brainstorming work for you.

No Judgment

A brainstorming session is no time to judge, criticize, evaluate, or analyze any ideas that come up. There is plenty of time after the brainstorming session to go over what was suggested and separate the usable ideas from the rest. But in a brainstorming session, a ridiculous idea from one source could lead to a brilliant idea from another.

Including judgment in a brainstorming session is counterproductive to any objective you may have for holding a brainstorming session, because when people feel judged, they feel insecure, they’re creativity gets blocked, they’re reluctant to suggest ideas, and too inhibited to be of any value to the process. By banning judgment from your brainstorming sessions you also maximize the creative power of the group as no one present is wasting any time or energy thinking about whether an idea is actually any good or not.

No Holds Barred

As mentioned above, it’s the silly ideas that often weave their way into grand ideas through the course of a brainstorming session. The whole idea of brainstorming is to break free of familiar and conventional patterns, so do it!

Encourage all participants to be as wild with their ideas and suggestions as they want to be; the wilder the better. Otherwise all you’ll get is a rehash of the same old tired ideas you’ve been trudging through already. Inviting wacky, exaggerative, innovative, out-of-the-box thinking will give you the best chance of discovering new and untried ideas.

Quantity Over Quality

If you’re starting to notice that all these tips sound somewhat alike, then you’re getting the idea. Brainstorming is not difficult at all. But neither is squelching a perfectly promising brainstorming session. Be sure everyone present understands that you’re looking to get as many ideas on the table as possible. That is the goal: quantity. Quality control comes later. Everyone present should exhaust every idea they’ve got, with no regard for quality whatsoever.

Build Off One Another

Like building with blocks, a good brainstorming session is made up of ideas built off of other people’s ideas. Try to start a chain reaction of ideas (or several), where each suggestion builds upon the last one. Make sure everyone present knows not to fall into the trap of feeling limited to coming up with only new ideas. Some of the best ideas in business were nothing more than minor improvements on existing ideas. Don’t reinvent the wheel; improve it. Or, alternatively, put a wheel onto something that’s never had a wheel on it before.

Equality Among Participants

Every participant in a brainstorming session should feel like they’re a valued part of the group. Every person in a brainstorming session is an equal, and every idea suggested is also equal. Each person is different, sure. But every person is equal in having a unique perspective to offer, different from anyone else’s.

Take Breaks

A little rest and rejuvenation can do wonders for the body and mind, even if just 5 minutes. If you feel the pressure building in a brainstorming session, or if the participants seemed stressed, edgy, or anxious, help take the pressure off having to come up with a prize-winning solution this very moment. Suggest a break. Let everyone rest their minds and come back to the task refreshed. The task will benefit from it, we assure you.

# # # # #

SolveYourProblem.com : 2008

> Home > Brainstorming Articles: Main Page