Tools for Basic Process Improvement. What is Brainstorming?

 

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Brainstorming

 

Brainstorming is a group creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members.^{[citation needed]}

In other words, brainstorming is a situation where a group of people meet to generate new ideas and solutions around a specific domain of interest by removing inhibitions. People are able to think more freely and they suggest as many spontaneous new ideas as possible. All the ideas are noted down without criticism and after the brainstorming session the ideas are evaluated.^{[citation needed]}

The term was popularized by Alex Faickney Osborn in the classic work Applied Imagination (1953).^[1]

History

In 1939, advertising executive Alex F. Osborn began developing methods for creative problem-solving.^[2] He was frustrated by employees' inability to develop creative ideas individually for ad campaigns. In response, he began hosting group-thinking sessions and discovered a significant improvement in the quality and quantity of ideas produced by employees. He first termed the process as organized ideation, but participants later came up with the term "brainstorm sessions", taking the concept after the use of "the brain to storm a problem".^[3]

During the period when Osborn made his concept, he started writing on creative thinking, and the first notable book where he mentioned the term brainstorming was How to Think Up (1942).^[4]

Osborn outlined his method in the subsequent book Your Creative Power (1948), in chapter 33, "How to Organize a Squad to Create Ideas".^[5][6]

One of Osborn's key recommendations was for all the members of the brainstorming group to be provided with a clear statement of the problem to be addressed prior to the actual brainstorming session.^[2] He also explained that the guiding principle is that the problem should be simple and narrowed down to a single target.^[7] Here, brainstorming is not believed to be effective in complex problems because of a change in opinion over the desirability of restructuring such problems. While the process can address the problems in such a situation, tackling all of them may not be feasible.^[7]

Osborn's method

Flowchart for conducting a brainstorming session.

Two principles

Osborn claimed that two principles contribute to "ideative efficacy":

1. Defer judgment;
2. Reach for quantity.^[8]

Four rules

Following these two principles were his four general rules of brainstorming, established with intention to:

• reduce social inhibitions among group members;
• stimulate idea generation;
• increase overall creativity of the group.

These four rules were:

1. Go for quantity: This rule is a way of enhancing divergent production, aiming at facilitation of problem solution through the maxim quantity breeds quality. The assumption is that the greater the number of ideas generated the bigger the chance of producing a radical and effective solution.

1. Withhold criticism: In brainstorming, criticism of ideas generated should be put 'on hold'. Instead, participants should focus on extending or adding to ideas, reserving criticism for a later 'critical stage' of the process. By suspending judgment, participants will feel free to generate unusual ideas.

1. Welcome wild ideas: To get a good long list of suggestions, wild ideas are encouraged. They can be generated by looking from new perspectives and suspending assumptions. These new ways of thinking might give better solutions.

1. Combine and improve ideas: As suggested by the slogan "1+1=3". It is believed to stimulate the building of ideas by a process of association.^[8]

Applications

Osborn notes that brainstorming should address a specific question; he held that sessions addressing multiple questions were inefficient.

Further, the problem must require the generation of ideas rather than judgment; he uses examples such as generating possible names for a product as proper brainstorming material, whereas analytical judgments such as whether or not to marry do not have any need for brainstorming.^[8]

Groups

Osborn envisioned groups of around 12 participants, including both experts and novices. Participants are encouraged to provide wild and unexpected answers. Ideas receive no criticism or discussion. The group simply provide ideas that might lead to a solution and apply no analytical judgment as to the feasibility. The judgments are reserved for a later date.

Variations

Nominal group technique

Main article: Nominal group technique

Participants are asked to write their ideas anonymously. Then the facilitator collects the ideas and the group votes on each idea. The vote can be as simple as a show of hands in favor of a given idea. This process is called distillation.

After distillation, the top-ranked ideas may be sent back to the group or to subgroups for further brainstorming. For example, one group may work on the color required in a product. Another group may work on the size, and so forth. Each group will come back to the whole group for ranking the listed ideas. Sometimes ideas that were previously dropped may be brought forward again once the group has re-evaluated the ideas.

It is important that the facilitator is trained in this process before attempting to facilitate this technique. The group should be primed and encouraged to embrace the process. Like all team efforts, it may take a few practice sessions to train the team in the method before tackling the important ideas.

Group passing technique

Each person in a circular group writes down one idea, and then passes the piece of paper to the next person, who adds some thoughts. This continues until everybody gets his or her original piece of paper back. By this time, it is likely that the group will have extensively elaborated on each idea.^{[citation needed]}

The group may also create an "idea book" and post a distribution list or routing slip to the front of the book. On the first page is a description of the problem. The first person to receive the book lists his or her ideas and then routes the book to the next person on the distribution list. The second person can log new ideas or add to the ideas of the previous person. This continues until the distribution list is exhausted. A follow-up "read out" meeting is then held to discuss the ideas logged in the book. This technique takes longer, but it allows individuals time to think deeply about the problem.

Team idea mapping method[edit]

This method of brainstorming works by the method of association. It may improve collaboration and increase the quantity of ideas, and is designed so that all attendees participate and no ideas are rejected.^{[citation needed]}

The process begins with a well-defined topic. Each participant brainstorms individually, then all the ideas are merged onto one large idea map. During this consolidation phase, participants may discover a common understanding of the issues as they share the meanings behind their ideas. During this sharing, new ideas may arise by the association, and they are added to the map as well. Once all the ideas are captured, the group can prioritize and/or take action.^[9]

Directed brainstorming[edit]

Directed brainstorming is a variation of electronic brainstorming (described below). It can be done manually or with computers. Directed brainstorming works when the solution space (that is, the set of criteria for evaluating a good idea) is known prior to the session. If known, those criteria can be used to constrain the ideation process intentionally.^{[citation needed]}

In directed brainstorming, each participant is given one sheet of paper (or electronic form) and told the brainstorming question. They are asked to produce one response and stop, then all of the papers (or forms) are randomly swapped among the participants. The participants are asked to look at the idea they received and to create a new idea that improves on that idea based on the initial criteria. The forms are then swapped again and respondents are asked to improve upon the ideas, and the process is repeated for three or more rounds.

In the laboratory, directed brainstorming has been found to almost triple the productivity of groups over electronic brainstorming.^[10]

Guided brainstorming[edit]

A guided brainstorming session is time set aside to brainstorm either individually or as a collective group about a particular subject under the constraints of perspective and time. This type of brainstorming removes all cause for conflict and constrains conversations while stimulating critical and creative thinking in an engaging, balanced environment.

Participants are asked to adopt different mindsets for pre-defined period of time while contributing their ideas to a central mind map drawn by a pre-appointed scribe. Having examined a multi-perspective point of view, participants seemingly see the simple solutions that collectively create greater growth. Action is assigned individually.

Following a guided brainstorming session participants emerge with ideas ranked for further brainstorming, research and questions remaining unanswered and a prioritized, assigned, actionable list that leaves everyone with a clear understanding of what needs to happen next and the ability to visualize the combined future focus and greater goals of the group nicely.

Individual brainstorming

Individual brainstorming is the use of brainstorming in solitary situations. It typically includes such techniques as free writing, free speaking, word association, and drawing a mind map, which is a visual note taking technique in which people diagram their thoughts. Individual brainstorming is a useful method in creative writing and has been shown to be superior to traditional group brainstorming.^[11][12]

Question brainstorming

This process involves brainstorming the questions, rather than trying to come up with immediate answers and short-term solutions. Theoretically, this technique should not inhibit participation as there is no need to provide solutions. The answers to the questions form the framework for constructing future action plans. Once the list of questions is set, it may be necessary to prioritize them to reach to the best solution in an orderly way.^[13]

"Questorming" is another term for this mode of inquiry.^[14]

Methods to improving brainstorming sessions

Groups can improve the effectiveness and quality of their brainstorming sessions in a number of ways.^[15]

• Avoid face-to-face groups: Using face-to-face groups can increase production blocking, evaluation apprehension, social matching and social loafing.
• Stick to the rules: Brainstorming rules should be followed, and feedback should be given to members that violate these rules. Violations of brainstorming rules tend to lead to mediocre ideas.
• Pay attention to everyone's ideas: People tend to pay more attention to their own ideas, however brainstorming requires exposure to the ideas of others. A method to encourage members to pay attention to others' ideas is to make them list the ideas out or ask them to repeat others' ideas.
• Include both individual and group approaches: One method that helps members integrate their ideas into the group is brainwriting. This is where members write their ideas on a piece of paper and then pass it along to others who add their own ideas.
• Take breaks: Allow silence during group discussions so that members have time to think things through.
• Do not rush: Allow plenty of time for members to complete the task. Although working under pressure tends to lead to more solutions initially, the quality is usually lower than if more time is spent on the task.
• Stay persistent: Members should stay focused and persist at the task even when productivity is low.
• Facilitate the session: A skilled discussion leader should lead and coordinate the brainstorming sessions. This leader can motivate members, correct mistakes, and provide a clear standard of work. They can also be used to keep track of all the ideas and make sure that these ideas are available to everyone.

How to Facilitate a Brainstorming Session

Once you decide that brainstorming is the right approach for the stage your project is in, follow these steps to get the most out of your brainstorming session. 

• Select your facilitator, idea recorder, and participants, and reserve your place and time. One writer advocates including five to seven people (http://www.mindtools.com/brainstm.html). According to BABOK, six to eight participants are ideal. Try to choose a representative from each stakeholder group, and try to choose personalities that are both vocal and cooperative. 

• You will want to be sure everyone is on the same page regarding the process. Set expectations about the format and objective—explain that in brainstorming no idea is off the table, and there is no such thing as too many ideas. Participants must agree to withhold judgment of ideas during the brainstorming process. Also, help everyone agree on a method for evaluating the ideas—to be used only once the session is over. (As Wiegers noted, “Brainstorming and imagining the possibilities is a separate matter from analyzing priorities, feasibility, and the constraining realities.”[6]) 

• You may want to give participants a small amount of time (five minutes or so) to brainstorm on their own before bringing their ideas to the group, especially if you have some more introverted participants. As one business analysis blogger noted, “When individuals are given an opportunity to think about a topic for a bit in advance, they might be less intimidated to then contribute their ideas to the group.”[7] You may even want to encourage them to write their ideas down and hand them to you or the facilitator to mention. 

• Once the group session has started, keep everyone on topic. Remind everyone of the one objective you want to accomplish. “We’re here to try to figure out why product A is not working for customers, not to focus on any other problems they may be having, or to wander into comments on other products.” 

• Do not limit creativity, free association, or the number of ideas! The goal is come up with as many solutions as possible. Encourage participants to build on each others’ ideas if they wish. Do not censor or edit ideas as they flow. As one writer cautions: “Valuable but strange suggestions may appear stupid at first sight. Because of this, you need to chair sessions tightly so that ideas are not crushed.”[8] 

• If the session is more than an hour long, build in some coffee break times so that people can mentally refresh. 

• Write all ideas down in plain view of the entire group. Or, if someone is proficient with “mindmapping” software (such as Mindmeister [www.mindmeister.com] or Mindomo [www.mindomo.com]), this would be an ideal time to use it. If no one is proficient with this software and you still want to use the mindmapping technique, you can just try putting similar groups of self-adhesive notes together in logical flows and hierarchies. For more information on this technique, see http://businessanalyst.tarunchandel.com/2008/09/business-analysis-tool-mindmaps-for.html. 

• Once the brainstorming session is over, begin the refining process based on the pre-established criteria. Condense groups of similar ideas into one thought. Create a list of what results, and distribute it to everyone for review.

As you refine your approach, you may find brainstorming to be one of the more lively aspects of your business analysis work. As BABOK notes, “Facilitated properly, brainstorming can be fun, engaging and productive.” You may see some quieter colleagues come out of their shells, and be surprised with innovative ideas from unexpected sources. Additionally, the collective nature of brainstorming can have the added benefit of creating cohesion among the various stakeholders, benefiting your team and organization as well as your project.

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Alternatives to brainstorming

If brainstorming does not work for a group, some alternatives are available:^[15]

• Buzzgroups: Larger groups can form subgroups that come up with ideas when the larger group is stumped. Afterwards, these subgroups come back together and discuss their ideas as a whole group.
• Bug list: Group members write down all the little problems or irritations concerning the issue they are working on, and then the group discusses solutions for each of these "bugs".
• Stepladder technique: A method where new members state their ideas before listening to the group's position.
• Synectics: A leader guides the group and discusses their goals, wishes, and frustrations using analogies, metaphors, and fantasy.
• TRIZ: This method is primarily used in science and engineering, and involves following a specific sequence of problem analysis, resource review, goal setting, and review of prior approaches to the problem.

Electronic brainstorming

See also: Brainstorming software, Electronic meeting system, and Computer supported brainstorming

Although the brainstorming can take place online through commonly available technologies such as email or interactive web sites, there have also been many efforts to develop customized computer software that can either replace or enhance one or more manual elements of the brainstorming process.^{[citation needed]}

Early efforts, such as GroupSystems at University of Arizona^[16] or Software Aided Meeting Management (SAMM) system at the University of Minnesota,^[17] took advantage of then-new computer networking technology, which was installed in rooms dedicated to computer supported meetings. When using these electronic meeting systems (EMS, as they came to be called), group members simultaneously and independently entered ideas into a computer terminal. The software collected (or "pools") the ideas into a list, which could be displayed on a central projection screen (anonymized if desired). Other elements of these EMSs could support additional activities such as categorization of ideas, elimination of duplicates, assessment and discussion of prioritized or controversial ideas. Later EMSs capitalized on advances in computer networking and internet protocols to support asynchronous brainstorming sessions over extended periods of time and in multiple locations.

Introduced along with the EMS by Nunamaker and colleagues at University of Arizona^[16] was electronic brainstorming (EBS). By utilizing customized computer software for groups (group decision support systems or groupware), EBS can replace face-to-face brainstorming.^[18] An example of groupware is the GroupSystems, a software developed by University of Arizona.^[16] After an idea discussion has been posted on GroupSystems, it is displayed on each group member's computer. As group members simultaneously type their comments on separate computers, those comments are anonymously pooled and made available to all group members for evaluation and further elaboration.^[16]

Compared to face-to-face brainstorming, not only does EBS enhanced efficiency by eliminating travelling and turn-taking during group discussions, it also excluded several psychological constraints associated with face-to-face meetings. Identified by Gallupe and colleagues,^[18] both production blocking (reduced idea generation due to turn-taking and forgetting ideas in face-to-face brainstorming)^[19] and evaluation apprehension (a general concern experienced by individuals for how others in the presence are evaluating them) are reduced in EBS.^[20] These positive psychological effects increase with group size.^[21] A perceived advantage of EBS is that all ideas can be archived electronically in their original form, and then retrieved later for further thought and discussion. EBS also enables much larger groups to brainstorm on a topic than would normally be productive in a traditional brainstorming session.^[18]

Computer supported brainstorming may overcome some of the challenges faced by traditional brainstorming methods. For example, ideas might be "pooled" automatically, so that individuals do not need to wait to take a turn, as in verbal brainstorming. Some software programs show all ideas as they are generated (via chat room or e-mail). The display of ideas may cognitively stimulate brainstormers, as their attention is kept on the flow of ideas being generated without the potential distraction of social cues such as facial expressions and verbal language.^[21] EBS techniques have been shown to produce more ideas and help individuals focus their attention on the ideas of others better than a brainwriting technique (participants write individual written notes in silence and then subsequently communicate them with the group).^[21] The production of more ideas has been linked to the fact that paying attention to others' ideas leads to non-redundancy, as brainstormers try to avoid to replicate or repeat another participant's comment or idea. Conversely, the production gain associated with EBS was less found in situations where EBS group members focused too much on generating ideas that they ignored ideas expressed by others. The production gain associated with GroupSystem users' attentiveness to ideas expressed by others has been documented by Dugosh and colleagues.^[22] EBS group members who were instructed to attend to ideas generated by others outperformed those who were not in terms of creativity.

According to a meta-analysis comparing EBS to face-to-face brainstorming conducted by DeRosa and colleagues,^[23] EBS has been found to enhance both the production of non-redundant ideas and the quality of ideas produced. Despite the advantages demonstrated by EBS groups, EBS group members reported less satisfaction with the brainstorming process compared to face-to-face brainstorming group members.

Some web-based brainstorming techniques allow contributors to post their comments anonymously through the use of avatars. This technique also allows users to log on over an extended time period, typically one or two weeks, to allow participants some "soak time" before posting their ideas and feedback. This technique has been used particularly in the field of new product development, but can be applied in any number of areas requiring collection and evaluation of ideas.^[24]

Some limitations of EBS include the fact that it can flood people with too many ideas at one time that they have to attend to, and people may also compare their performance to others by analyzing how many ideas each individual produces (social matching).

Incentives

Some research indicates that incentives can augment creative processes. Participants were divided into three conditions. In Condition I, a flat fee was paid to all participants. In the Condition II, participants were awarded points for every unique idea of their own, and subjects were paid for the points that they earned. In Condition III, subjects were paid based on the impact that their idea had on the group; this was measured by counting the number of group ideas derived from the specific subject's ideas. Condition III outperformed Condition II, and Condition II outperformed Condition I at a statistically significant level for most measures. The results demonstrated that participants were willing to work far longer to achieve unique results in the expectation of compensation.^[25] 

Challenges to effective group brainstorming

A good deal of research refutes Osborn's claim that group brainstorming could generate more ideas than individuals working alone.^[12] For example, in a review of 22 studies of group brainstorming, Michael Diehl and Wolfgang Stroebe found that, overwhelmingly, groups brainstorming together produce fewer ideas than individuals working separately.^[26] However, this conclusion is brought into question by a subsequent review of 50 studies by Scott G. Isaksen showed that a misunderstanding of the tool, and weak application of the methods (including lack of facilitation), and the artificiality of the problems and groups undermined most such studies, and the validity of their conclusions.^[27]

Several factors can contribute to a loss of effectiveness in group brainstorming.

• Production blocking: Because only one participant may give an idea at any one time, other participants might forget the idea they were going to contribute or not share it because they see it as no longer important or relevant.^[28] Further, if we view brainstorming as a cognitive process in which "a participant generates ideas (generation process) and stores them in short-term memory (memorization process) and then eventually extracts some of them from its short-term memory to express them (output process)", then blocking is an even more critical challenge because it may also inhibit a person's train of thought in generating their own ideas and remembering them.^[29] Group members can be given notepads to write their ideas on and the meeting can organize who will get to speak next. However, this brainstorming technique does not perform as well as individuals using the nominal group technique.
• Collaborative fixation: Exchanging ideas in a group may reduce the number of domains that a group explores for additional ideas. Members may also conform their ideas to those of other members, decreasing the novelty or variety of ideas, even though the overall number of ideas might not decrease.^[30]
• Evaluation apprehension: Evaluation apprehension was determined to occur only in instances of personal evaluation. If the assumption of collective assessment were in place, real-time judgment of ideas, ostensibly an induction of evaluation apprehension, failed to induce significant variance.^[12][31] Furthermore, when an authority figure watches the group members brainstorm the effectiveness lowers because members worry their ideas may be viewed negatively. Especially individuals with high social anxiety are particularly unproductive barnstormers and report feeling more nervous, anxious, and worried than group members who are less anxiety prone.^[32]
• Free-writing: Individuals may feel that their ideas are less valuable when combined with the ideas of the group at large. Indeed, Diehl and Stroebe demonstrated that even when individuals worked alone, they produced fewer ideas if told that their output would be judged in a group with others than if told that their output would be judged individually. However, experimentation revealed free-writing as only a marginal contributor to productivity loss, and type of session (i.e., real vs. nominal group) contributed much more.^[12]
• Personality characteristics: Extroverts have been shown to outperform introverts in computer mediated groups. Extroverts also generated more unique and diverse ideas than introverts when additional methods were used to stimulate idea generation, such as completing a small related task before brainstorming, or being given a list of the classic rules of brainstorming.^[33]
• Social matching: One phenomenon of group brainstorming is that participants will tend to alter their rate of productivity to match others in the group. This can lead to participants generating fewer ideas in a group setting than they would individually because they will decrease their own contributions if they perceive themselves to be more productive than the group average. On the other hand, the same phenomenon can also increase an individual's rate of production to meet the group average.^[26][34]
• Illusion of group productivity: Members tend to overestimate their group's productivity and so work less. Members of the group can only guess at the quantity and quality of their group's product and their personal contributions to the process but there is no standard to determine how well it is performing. A combination of processes explain why members are incorrectly overestimating productivity:

1. Group member(s) may intuitively mistake others' ideas for their own, and so when they think about their own performance they cognitively claim a few ideas that others actually suggested^[35]
2. Group members compare themselves to others who generate relatively few ideas, reassuring them that they are one of the high performers^[36]
3. Group brainstorming may "feel" more successful because participants rarely experience failure in a communal process. When individuals are trying to think creatively alone, people repeatedly find that they are unable to come up with a new idea. In a group setting, people are less likely to experience this failure in their search for new ideas because others' ideas are being discussed.^[37]

References[edit]

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27. ^ Scott, Isaksen (June 1988). "A review of Brainstorming Research: Six Critical Issues for Inquiry" (PDF). Creative Problem Solving Group Buffalo. Creative Problem Solving Group Buffalo. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
28. ^ Lamm, Helmut; Trommsdorff, Gisela (1973). "Group versus individual performance on tasks requiring ideational proficiency (brainstorming): A review" (PDF). European Journal of Social Psychology. 3 (4): 361–388. doi:10.1002/ejsp.2420030402.
29. ^ Haddou, H.A.; G. Camilleri; P. Zarate (2014). "Predication of ideas number during a brainstorming session" (PDF). Group Decision and Negotiation. 23 (2): 285. doi:10.1007/s10726-012-9312-8. S2CID 62621727.
30. ^ Kohn, Nicholas; Smith, Steven M. (2011). "Collaborative fixation: Effects of others' ideas on brainstorming". Applied Cognitive Psychology. 25 (3): 359–371. doi:10.1002/acp.1699.
31. ^ "23 Creativity Killers That Will Drown Any Brainstorming Session". BoostCompanies. 2016-05-31. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
32. ^ Camacho, L. M., & Paulus, P. B. (1995). The role of social anxiousness in group brainstorming. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68(6), 1071–1080. [1]
33. ^ Henningsen, David Dryden; Henningsen, Mary Lynn Miller (2013). "Generating Ideas About the Uses of Brainstorming: Reconsidering the Losses and Gains of Brainstorming Groups Relative to Nominal Groups". Southern Communication Journal. 78 (1): 42–55. doi:10.1080/1041794X.2012.717684. S2CID 145293729.
34. ^ Brown, V.; Paulus, P. B. (1996). "A simple dynamic model of social factors in group brainstorming". Small Group Research. 27: 91–114. doi:10.1177/1046496496271005. S2CID 143567740.
35. ^ Stroebe, W., Diehl, M., & Abakoumkin, G. (1992). The illusion of group effectivity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 18(5), 643-650.
36. ^ Paulus, P. B., & Dzindolet, M. T. (1993). Social influence processes in group brainstorming. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64(4), 575.
37. ^ Nijstad, B. A., Stroebe, W., & Lodewijkx, H. F. (2006). The illusion of group productivity: A reduction of failures explanation. European Journal of Social Psychology, 36(1), 31-48.

Brainstorming techniques

There is a lot of advice out there on different brainstorming techniques, and no two techniques seem to match. That’s ok, because the spirit of how to conduct a brainstorm matters more than the particulars.

The techniques I offer to conduct both individual and group brainstorms follow the spirit of much of the advice out there.

On top of that, I’ve found the following two techniques to be very effective at helping me make decisions. I’ve trained teams to use them with much success, both at large public companies and fast growing tech startups.

Technique #1: brainstorming by yourself (step-by-step guide)

Mind mapping is a powerful brainstorming exercise when you’re by yourself. It’s so simple and easy that anyone can do it with 5-10 minutes of work.

Contrary to popular belief, brainstorming on your own can be an extremely effective path to coming up with great ideas.

I usually recommend that each member of my team does their own mind mapping exercise before entering a group brainstorming session. I find that the group brainstorm is a lot more productive that way.

The Mind Mapping Technique:

Example mind mapping diagram

1. Write down your question or problem in the center of a blank piece of paper.
   • Example: Where should we get married?
2. Write down your ideas as branches from the center.
   • Example: Las Vegas, relative’s backyard, my mom’s church, etc.
3. Do some word association with the ideas in the main branches, and write these related thoughts as sub-branches created out from the main branches.
   • Example: “relative’s backyard” may make you think of flowers, and the outdoors 
4. Write down more ideas as branches from the center, this time keeping in mind the word associations you just had.
   • Example: “flowers” and “the outdoors” may inspire you to add “the Botanical Gardens”
5. Repeat word association and jotting down new ideas as needed until you’re satisfied.

Tips for Mind Mapping Success:

Mind Mapping works best when you let yourself free associate words. Try not to criticize or evaluate your thoughts. Just get them on the page. This strategy will ensure that you get the volume and variety of ideas you need to make the best decision.

Use word association to come up with new ideas. A good brainstorming session allows ideas to build on each other. You may discover that word association unlocks values and constraints for your decision you hadn’t thought of before. Use these insights to develop your list of ideas even further.

Set a five minute time limit and only use words or short phrases. It’s worth emphasizing: this method works best when you bypass your inner critic. Setting a time limit can help create the urgency needed to do that. Keeping the phrases short also helps you get into the flow of generating lots of ideas instead of getting stuck going deep on one.

Technique #2: brainstorming with a group (step-by-step guide)

Want to harness the power of several minds to generate amazing ideas and solutions? If so, a group brainstorming session is in order.

In an individual brainstorming session, you are responsible for organizing the exercise and for coming up with the ideas.

In a group brainstorming session, your role as organizer and facilitator may prevent you from fully participating in idea creation.

If you don’t see yourself as creative, or the “idea” person in the room, then facilitating a group brainstorming session is a wonderful opportunity.

You walk away with tons of actionable ideas, but it’s your friends or colleagues who end up doing the “hard” work of generating potential solutions.

Now let’s go through the step-by-step guide on facilitating a group brainstorming session.

Step #1: Set a time, place, and invite list

Whom you invite is very important.

Include a broad spectrum of people, so you have diverse perspectives in the room.

For example, if you want ideas on how to increase learning outcomes at schools, invite teachers and curriculum advisors.

Also, try to make sure everyone is familiar with the decision you’re trying to make, and it affects everyone’s life in some way.

If you do those things, then the attendees will come up with a wide range of creative ideas, and will be invested in doing their best. 

A sweet spot for the number of participants is 6-10.

Any less and you start to have fewer ideas with less variety. Any more and it starts getting out of hand, and difficult to facilitate.

When you set a time, keep in mind how long the session should last. For 6-10 participants, I like to make the brainstorming session a minimum of 30 minutes.

If people are still coming up with great ideas by the end of the 30 minute mark, I do everything I can to keep them going. 

If the group seems stalled before the 30 minute mark, I stand my ground and get the group to continue. Sometimes there are lulls, but usually the group becomes inspired once again.

If there are fewer than 6 participants, or more than 10, feel free to dial up or dial down the length of your brainstorming session accordingly.

Lastly, make sure you give people plenty of notice, because they should have prep work to do.

Step #2: Give participants homework to do before the brainstorming session

Often overlooked, this point is super important. Don’t let participants come to your meeting unprepared.

I think you’ll agree when you compare the quality of ideas you get from people don’t have context about the problem vs. people who do.

Don’t waste time at the beginning of your brainstorming session getting everyone up to speed.

That is precious idea generation time.

Don’t waste those special moments where everyone you need is actually sitting together, ready to help you.

There are two types of homework I like to give.

Sometimes I ask participants to perform a mind mapping exercise on their own.

This gets their mind turning on the problem at hand, and it also seeds the brainstorming session with a bunch of ideas. No more slow awkward beginning to a brainstorm.

Other times I ask participants to read up on the decision we’re trying to make. Usually I will provide qualitative and quantitative data about the problem.

If I’m trying to come up with ideas on how to improve customer satisfaction, I might share the most recent customer reviews with the group. In addition I might send average product ratings by category.

By sharing relevant data, I ensure that the group is grounded in facts pertaining to the issue.

Step #3: Hold the session in a fun, relaxing environment

Boxing people up in an environment they’re used to will not get them thinking out of the box, for a couple of reasons.

First, brainstorming requires people to forget the context they were in, and immerse themselves in a new creative space. Unless the space they enter is different, people will bring their stress, fixations, and worries with them.

Second, brainstorming is best when people are inspired to think differently and boldly. A space they’re used to is much less likely to spark inspiration because it feels ordinary and boring.

Fortunately, you can create a fun and relaxing environment without spending money booking a cool space or wasting time traveling outside the building.

I find that a bit of redecoration goes a long way.

Is your living room the best place to invite your friends to a brainstorming session on your next career move? Consider rearranging the furniture to spice up the space. 

In a work setting, perhaps the best place to hold a brainstorming session is the same conference room you use for every other meeting. Consider bringing a bunch of stuffed animals to the room. 

Not only do they visually add something that creates a new feel for the space, participants may find that interacting with them helps to relax and get those creative juices flowing.

Step #4: Start the session by grounding people in the facts

A brainstorming session is a group conversation, so spending a little time at the beginning getting people on the same page is really helpful.

Why is it helpful? Your participants all left something they were focusing on and are now with you. 

They are likely still thinking about the other thing, instead of your thing. Sharing qualitative and quantitative data at the beginning of the session gets them thinking about your thing.

Sharing data gets them thinking about your thing in the right way. With a grasp on the reality of the situation, they are more likely to come up with ideas that would actually be helpful.

Data-driven brainstorming and decision making is better than only using your intuition. But don’t overthink what it means to be data-driven.

Qualitative data is just as important as quantitative data, and it includes things like conversations, comments, trends, and opinions. 

Data is just another word for information, and information can take many forms. Don’t be afraid to think creatively here.

Step #5: Set the rules for the brainstorming session

Make sure people understand that criticizing is not allowed. Encourage that all voices be heard. 

Outlawing criticism is critical for the success of your brainstorming session. It cannot be overstated: criticizing ideas during the brainstorm will kill the creativity in the room!

If a participant censors someone’s idea, it encourages the part of everyone’s brain that evaluates ideas before they’re spoken. No one wants to be criticized in a group setting.

Usually this part of the brain is awesome. It ensures you don’t put your foot in your mouth.

But during a brainstorming session, it’s lethal.

Remember, with a brainstorm, the goal is volume and variety of ideas. Censorship hurts both volume and variety.

You might argue that criticism encourages quality over quantity.

After all, you don’t just want ideas. You want good ideas that lead to good decision making. 

The problem with that logic has to do with a core part of what makes brainstorming effective. Namely, that brainstorming works because people build ideas on top of each other.

Many times, one person’s bad idea mentioned in haste inspires someone else to come up with an awesome idea.

Remember the staff at the National Gallery of Art in D.C.?

In their brainstorming session, someone offered a not so great idea of making lectures mandatory for visitors. That inspired someone else to offer the idea of optional instructional videos on-demand.

Save the evaluation for after the brainstorm. You or a group can filter through the ideas and save the promising ones for the next stage of the decision making process.

Encouraging all voices to be heard is also important.

Sometimes the quietest people have the best ideas, because they are really soaking everything in and making those all important connections to churn out something brilliant.

I’ll say more about this in the next section, but when setting the rules, simply encouraging people to give each other the space to talk can go a long way.

Step #6: Facilitate the brainstorming session

Write ideas out on a whiteboard or easel pad as they come. Or, get someone else to do it so you can more easily contribute ideas.

It’s important to write the ideas down so they are visible. The visual aid helps people build ideas on top of each other.

You could write down ideas on your phone instead, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll stifle creativity.

The facilitator will also need to enforce the rules stated above. No criticizing, and all voices should be heard.

Sometimes people who tend to be quiet feel intimidated by brainstorms. I usually ask people just to shout out their ideas, and while this method encourages volume it also rewards the loudest and most extroverted personalities. 

You could instead ask people to raise their hands, and call on them one at a time. It slows down the flow a bit, but it will allow quieter people to jump in more easily.

What I like to do is reserve some time at the end to call out people who have not shared anything yet. This move empowers those who might have been too shy to offer their suggestions.

Naturally, during the course of the brainstorming session, questions or comments will come up that are not necessarily ideas to be written on the board. Do not stifle these, thinking they are distractions.

Rather, these contributions are probably helpful to many of the participants.

They might clarify something that is unclear. They might add a perspective which sets off a chain of thinking that becomes really valuable.

Keep these side conversations bounded, and make sure people come back to the brainstorm after a short time. But don’t feel the need to stop them from happening.

Step #7: After the brainstorming session, the evaluation process can begin

Take a picture of the ideas, then filter and organize them.

Once you’ve taken the picture, rewrite the ideas into a word doc or onto a piece of paper.

Organizing the ideas into categories as you rewrite them can be helpful for a couple of reasons.

First, you start understanding the possible strategies to solve your problem.

Second, you automatically pool similar ideas together. This will help you synthesize these ideas into one, or allow you to easily choose the one that is the best.

Brainstorming is great for decision making

Let’s briefly look at the decision making process so we understand how brainstorming helps with great decision making.

The decision making process

1. Describe the problem, challenge, or opportunity.
2. Create a set of potential solutions or responses.
3. Collect data.
4. Evaluate each option.
5. Choose a solution or response.
6. Take action.
7. Evaluate the impact of your decision and course correct if needed.

Brainstorming is a skill needed for Step #2 of the decision making process.

https://bit.ly/3hr0pNy

Types of Brainstorming

Majorly, brainstorming is done in two ways – individually or in a group. Though, when it comes to how we brainstorm on topics, it can be of the following types:

Analytics Brainstorming

In this, we analyze the present situation from a different perspective and mostly use tools to assist us. Mind mapping, reverse brainstorming, SWOT analysis, Five Whys, Gap Filling, and Diverse Analysis are some of its major subtypes.

Quiet Brainstorming

This is mostly done when members are not able to meet, so that they can share their ideas in the best possible solution, via collaborative brainstorming, brain-netting (online brainstorming), slip writing, etc.

Role Play Brainstorming

In this, we intentionally think from the perspective of someone else (like customers or competitors). Reverse thinking, role storming, or figure storming are some of its major instances.

Powerful Free Brainstorming Tools

As you know, what the main purpose of brainstorming is, you can start working on it. To make things easier for you, I have listed the 3 popular brainstorming tools to try.

1. EdrawMind

EdrawMind is a freely available solution by Edraw that can run on different platforms like Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux. There is even an online version of the application that you can work on without downloading anything.

• EdrawMind features more than 700 different clip art that you can use to work on all kinds of brainstorming ideas.
• There are also readily available themes and templates that you can use to save your time further.
• It features a dedicated brainstorming mode to make it easier for teams to share ideas in one place.
• The tool is widely used for collaborative brainstorming with its cloud integration and availability on various desktop/mobile platforms.

2. Google Docs

Most of the people are already familiar with Google Docs, but they seldom utilize its features. Using it, you can work on some basic mind maps or brainstorming ideas and can further share it with others.

• Integration with Google Sheets and Docs help us utilize the right data
• Since these tools are available for free, anyone can use them without spending anything
• Automatic upload on Google Drive and easy sharing features
• There are some basic tools you can use to draw mind maps as well.

More info: https://docs.google.com/

Image Source: e-education.psu.edu

3. Visual Thesaurus

As the name suggests, this online tool works as a visual representation of thesaurus. Although it might not help you brainstorm big ideas, but would automatically provide a visual connection of words.

• The tool would create a spider map of a word to show how it is linked to other words.
• The online application is majorly used to find the right word and improve one’s vocabulary.
• You can also share the word maps or email it to your friends.
• Limited features for brainstorming

More info: https://www.visualthesaurus.com/

Image Source: cloudfront.net

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Brainstorming is a method for generating ideas in a group situation. Teams and departments should use brainstorming when:

• Determining possible causes and / or solutions to problems.
• Planning out the steps of a project.
• Deciding which problem (or opportunity) to work on.

Running a Brainstorming Session

Provide a time limit for the session. Generally 30 minutes is sufficient. Identify one or more recorders. The recorders' job is to write all ideas down (where everyone can see them, such as on a flipchart or overhead transparency) as they are voiced.

Choose either:

• a freewheeling format (share ideas all at once, list all ideas as they are shouted out) or
• a round robin format (everyone takes a turn offering an idea, anyone can pass on a turn, continue until there are no more ideas, all ideas are listed as they are offered).

Establish the ground rules.

Ground Rules

1. Don't edit what is said and remember not to criticise ideas.
2. Go for quantity of ideas at this point; narrow down the list later.
3. Encourage wild or exaggerated ideas (creativity is the key).
4. Build on the ideas of others (e.g. one member might say something that "sparks" another member's idea.

End the session when - everyone has had a chance to participate, no more ideas are being offered, you have made a "last call" for ideas, you have thanked all the participants.

 

Next steps

• Prioritise your ideas to help you decide where to start.
• Sort large amounts of information according to common themes (use e.g. affinity diagrams - post-its, one idea on each, all generated by individuals in response to a goal statement, within a limited time frame, sorted into groupings).
• Remember brainstormed ideas may be based on opinion and data may need to be gathered to support or prove ideas.