Brainstorming
The reality is that brainstorming is essential for any company as well as team to solve problems, stay relevant, and innovate. Afterward, a single person cannot come up with a solution to a problem. That’s why team brainstorming sessions are so important. As the saying goes, “Two heads are better than one.” In sum, a collective solution with various inputs is the ideal solution.
There is no strict rule for brainstorming. In reality, various approaches and solutions are valid for generating new, innovative ideas.
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However, there are certain rules to follow:
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- Be Positive – No idea should be criticized, ignored, or ridiculed. In fact, all ideas, no matter how disruptive, are valuable.
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- Balance Quantity with Quality – Participants are encouraged to generate ideas. On the other hand, some ideas may not be suitable, feasible, or justifiable. Before finishing the exercise, the generated ideas should be analyzed.
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- Innovate – Disruptive ideas are welcome. Even if they are not adopted, they encourage others to participate. In reality, disruptive ideas are often the root of innovative products or solutions.
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- Record Everything – All ideas should be recorded, even if they are not adopted.
An Approach to Brainstorming
Although any approach to brainstorming is valid, some steps are important to follow.
The first step is preparation. Above all, the topic must be well define to keep the team focused.
The second step is to invite sufficiently diverse people so that the ideas generated are as varied as possible. Additionally, it’s important to encourage the sharing of ideas and create an environment where everyone feels confident sharing their thoughts, no matter how unusual they may seem. Some techniques that the team can use includes, for example, mind mapping, listing, free association, among others. Finally, the team must record as well as document and made available to all interested parties the ideas.
Finally, it’s necessary to review the generated ideas and select those that should move forward. Once everyone has contributed and ideas are recorded, the most promising ones must be identified. After analyzing the potential impact of these actions, the team should create an action plan.
Types of Brainstorming
As mentioned, there are several types of brainstorming, and all are valid, like for examples:
- Traditional Brainstorming – The focus of this brainstorming is to generate ideas when the problem is being presented, without focusing on the solution. The team says what comes to mind without overthinking it. Later, the team combines, analyzes and reviews ideas.
- Written Brainstorming – In this type of brainstorming, team members write down their ideas as they come to mind. Unlike traditional brainstorming, where ideas are shared aloud, writing them down prevents each person’s thoughts from being influenced by others, leading to more innovative and creative ideas.
- Reverse Brainstorming – Here, the focus is on the organization’s, project’s, product’s, or team’s objective. With the final goal in mind, the team identifies problems, risks, or impediments that could threaten it. They then create solutions to overcome or mitigate these potential issues and explore any discovered opportunities.
- SCAMPER Brainstorming – SCAMPER stands for “Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse.” The idea is to look at the problem from various angles to find different solutions. The team then tests and verifies these solutions to determine the best one.
- Starbursting Brainstorming – The team focuses on asking questions instead of generating ideas. This way, new problems can arise that different perspectives help bring to light. Breaking down the problem into different views eventually leads to a solution.
Advantages and Challenges of Brainstorming
Brainstorming offers many advantages for any organization, problem, and individual. Some of the benefits include:
- Promotes Creativity – Each person has different perspectives on the problem. Several perspectives, when worked on together, can result in more creative and innovative solutions.
- Considers Multiple Perspectives – Brainstorming encourages group participation. When multiple people contribute with their perspectives, the likelihood of finding a solution increases exponentially.
- Improves Collaboration – By encouraging brainstorming sessions, organizations are fostering collaboration and teamwork among team members.
However, brainstorming can present some challenges, such as:
- Time Management – Plan and conduct the brainstorming session well to avoid wasting time. The team should stay focused on a clear objective, and a facilitator can help ensure they use time effectively.
- Active Team Participation – Team members may feel inhibited in sharing their ideas, compromising the purpose of brainstorming. Basically, the environment created should encourage participation.
- Group Pressure – Team members may feel pressured to align with the group’s ideas, avoiding sharing their disruptive perspectives. Thus, some techniques can minimize this type of bias.