Brainstorming. A How-To Strategy Guide

Brainstorming - A How-To Strategy Guide

What is Brainstorming?

In the late 1930s, Alex Osborn was fed up to the back teeth. In the advertising agency BDO, of which he was among the co-founders, there were dozens of meetings which were anything but inspiring; they lasted too long, they were tiring and they also inhibited any kind of creativity. Osborn was aware of these flaws and recalled the 400-year-old Indian method - Prai Barshana – and improved upon it. He named this new technique after this Indian method: "using the brain to storm a problem". Today, brainstorming is one of the most popular methods of idea generating and it is helpful in aiding creativity in business. Through spontaneous expressions within a group, without judgement or critiquing, a large number of ideas are generated and developed in order to solve a specific problem (Lehrer, 2012).

Procedure

Before the brainstorming session

Before starting, make sure you understand one of the fundamentals of the method - preparing and chairing the session. With good organization and the right atmosphere, goals can be reached easier and faster.

Assemble a group (depending on your capacities) of the project’s members, for example of employees and experts, or guests from outside the project who can bring relevant knowledge or expertise of other fields to the table as required. The more people with different perspectives the better.

A group of between 4-10 people would be optimal. Too small a group leads to fewer ideas and potentially a weaker capability to build on other ideas. A larger group would be too cumbersome, as people can get left out of the discussion.

Additionally, an idea collector who displays the ideas (i.e. on a whiteboard) during the session for all to see and who also takes minutes for future consultation is also necessary. The issue being discussed and the ideas generated should always be visible for everyone to see (Wilke & Wit, 2002).

The chairperson should prepare illustrative material and introduce the issue to the group so that everyone can get familiar with it. The task should not be generic, diversified or multifaceted ("How can we save the world?") but, on the other hand, also not too specific or too nuanced. This information should be sent days or weeks prior to the actual meeting and include the session’s name, time, date, place and names of the participants. In addition, some example ideas can be mentioned. This information can be used as a memo in the event of the session slowing down. Furthermore, it is helpful for the chairperson to create a list of lead questions in case the creativity decreases during the session, such as "How about a look from another perspective?" for example (Björk, 2016).

In the beginning of the meeting please communicate information about the process and state the rules clearly to the participants. Inform them of the objectives and what will happen to the data collected. This will motivate the participants to achieve the same goal and challenge themselves to be more creative.

Often, the chairman begins the session by giving an example solution to the problem, the next person builds on that idea or comes up with a new one and so on and so forth. Furthermore, engage with an experienced facilitator. This part takes skill, so choose wisely.

During the brainstorming session

Quantity over quality

Think fast, keep each idea short, and go for quantity - the more ideas a group has to choose from in the end, the better. If the number of ideas is very large, there will be a greater chance of finding a good solution.

Think now, act later

As mentioned, quantity counts at this stage. While brainstorming, do not think about potential difficulties or other ideas which have already failed once – One should forget the past and think about the future.

Every person and every idea is equal

Every person has a unique perspective, so you never know where a good idea is going to come from. Each participant should have the same chance to present their thoughts and no one's ideas should be blocked. Additionally, it is not only useful, but essential to encourage all participants, get them comfortable with the environment and let them feel free and confident in presenting their ideas.

Defer judgement

Don't criticize other people's ideas. A brainstorming session is a fun tool and not a debate. During the session, don't analyse or criticize one another’s ideas. Be positive and just give them the feeling that they can say what is on their mind without fear of shame or judgement. Every contribution is a valuable.

There are no "dumb" ideas

Every idea is welcome, even the crazy ones. Especially the crazy ones! The wilder the idea the better. Thinking about these dumb and crazy ideas can break through your internal judgement (which holds you back) and can broaden your mind. discuss all ideas (even unfeasible ones) to the bitter end. It is a brainstorming session, not a "serious" matter. It should resemble a fun and creative meeting, in which the entire team is involved to the extent that they are able.

Build on other people's ideas

An idea suggested by one participant has the potential to improve upon and give rise to another idea by another person by adding additional thoughts and using other ideas as inspiration. You may combine several proposals which can lead to greater possibilities during the brainstorming session, or just save them for further sessions.

(Venkatesh, 2016), (Dudye, 2016), (Business Analyst Learnings, 2016), (Wilke & Wit, 2002), (Carter & Wynn, 2014)

After the brainstorming session

When you are about to end the session, catch everyone's attention, ask them if anyone wants to add any final remarks, thank them for taking part and tell them the next steps. After a good session, they will be exhausted and in need of a break or some refreshment at this point.

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