Brainstorming is a creative technique for developing ideas, products, services, and solving problems. Teams use this ideation method to encourage new ways of thinking and collectively generate solutions. It can be done as an individual or in a group.
What can brainstorming accomplish?
Brainstorming has several benefits.
Brainstorming requires you or the team to think more creatively, foster collaboration, force you to consider all ideas and innovations, look at ideas from different perspectives, and allow many divergent ideas to be considered.
No matter which method you use, most brainstorming techniques involve three steps:
- Capture ideas
- Discuss and critique the ideas
- Choose which ideas to execute
The golden rule of all brainstorming sessions is quantity over quality. The more ideas you have, the better your chances are that one will be worthy of execution. An idea with potential can be refined later.
Some brainstorming techniques
Many different techniques are used to brainstorm- some can be used individually, and some are best as a team. Here is a list of 9 methods
1-Reverse brainstorming- In typical brainstorming, the focus is on finding the solution to a problem. But here, the participants are asked to come up with potential problems.
2-Random word brainstorming– The team is given a problem to solve, and they shout out the first word they think of. These words are written down and combined to see if a usable solution can come from it.
3-The 5 whys– This method helps you find the root cause of a problem. You keep asking why this is a problem and each time you find a reason, you ask why again until you can no longer answer it. At that point, you have discovered the route problem. The why question is usually asked five times.
4-SCAMPER model – You view the defined problem from 7 different angles: how you can substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate, and reverse.
5-Rapid ideation – This method is best for groups. Set a time limit, and everyone either shouts their idea or writes them down. When an idea comes up frequently, it may be something to pursue.
6-Starbursting– This is a visual technique. Once there is a potential idea, it’s put on a board or large paper with six questions that need to be considered. Who?, What?, When?, Where?, Why?, and How? Each question helps you explore situations you haven’t thought of before.
7-Storyboarding– Identify a problem and possible solutions by putting yourself in the shoes of someone who is impacted by the solution. Visualize any roadblocks the solution causes and find a way around them.
8-SWOT analysis -SWOT means Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Apply these four aspects to your idea and see if it’s worth executing.
9-Figure storming- Brainstormers take on the identity of a famous figure and put themselves into that person’s brain to see how they would approach the idea. It works if you connect with the person and understand how they think.
How to run a brainstorming session
Start with everyone agreeing to the primary problem you are trying to solve.
There are specific rules to follow for a more productive session. Many of these rules can also be used if you’re brainstorming by yourself.
- Set a time limit. When you establish a session of 30-60 minutes; it forces you or your team to put all your effort into thinking up new ideas quickly, so you don’t have time to limit yourself.
- Begin with a target problem. You need to have one question you want to answer or a problem you want to solve. Everyone must stay on topic.
- No judgment or criticism. This is certainly true when getting ideas from your team, but it applies to how you treat your own ideas too. Don’t judge your ideas until you’ve finished brainstorming. Then you can evaluate them.
- Encourage all ideas. No matter how crazy they seem at first, write them down. Later, you can refine them.
- Aim for quantity. Get as many ideas out of your head and onto paper during the allotted time. The more ideas the better chance of finding a good one.
- Build on ideas. Once an idea is put forward, it can trigger new insights and help take it in a new direction.
- One idea at a time. This is important in team brainstorming. Everyone has the right to be heard without interruption.
Can you brainstorm alone?
Yes, you can and you should.
Brainstorming is helpful for individuals who need to explore novel solutions to a problem and are the only ones involved in the business or dealing with a problem. Sitting down by yourself and writing solutions to potential problems is a great way to brainstorm individually. Focusing your mind on a defined problem allows you to think of many creative ways to get to an answer. Some of the techniques above will work for individuals as well as groups.
Extreme brainstorming questions
Here is a very different approach. It offers prompts to “jostle you out of tiny thinking.”
Extreme brainstorming questions to trigger new, better ideas.
The idea behind the questions is that “Each stretches some dimension of reality to an extreme. So extreme that it is nearly nonsense. But dramatically different perspectives can reveal distinctly new ideas.”
Here are just two examples of the extreme questions.
1-If you were forced to increase your prices by 10x, what would you have to do?
2-If all our customers vanished, and we had to earn our growth and brand from scratch, what would we do?
It’s worth looking at the article to understand the thinking behind it and if it can work for you.
Conclusion
Whether done alone or with a team, brainstorming is an often-used and powerful method to find new ideas and solutions for a problem.
Try one of these methods when you’re stuck and need to get your creative juices flowing.
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