Brainstorming - Creative

Problem Solving Method

Halka Balkov, MBA
Masaryk Institute of Advanced Studies,
Czech Technical University in Prague
www.muvs.cvut.cz
e-mail: hbalackova@volny.cz




UNIDO Technology Foresight for Practicioners Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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Session objectives
What is brainstorming
Why and when use it
How to organise and lead a successful
brainstorming session
What mistakes are to be avoided
Additional creative problem solving
methods
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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What is brainstorming
The best way how to have a good idea is
to have many ideas

Alex F. Osborne, 1939
method of thinking up solutions, concepts,
ideas in problem solving
using the brain to storm new ideas in groups
It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think
up a new one.

UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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Why and When Use It
the creative process is not always easy (problems
of fear, criticism, no existing solutions yet)
one person has a limited capacity
people tend to judge new ideas immediately (a
change is difficult for a human being)

Creative thinking require
appropriate tools !
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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How does it work
in a group of people
free associations to the topic given
relaxed and friendly atmosphere
deferred judgements release the human
mind, lateral thinking

As many ideas as possible, no
matter how crazy they are
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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The key rules
1. relaxed atmosphere - completely free
2. no criticism or judgements
3. quantity matters
4. all ideas legitimate
5. all ideas put on the sheet of paper
6. evaluation only after the session

UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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BENEFITS of brainstorming
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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Why and When Use It
Specific questions:
- How can we promote our products?
- What can our company do in 5 years hence?
- What can we do to solve the problem XY?
- How can we improve co-operation of A and B?
- What do our customers really want?
- What opportunities do we have this year?
- How can we have more fun at work?
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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does not rank the ideas
cannot help you select the important
ones
does not suggest the best solutions
must be amended by other
methods
BRAINSTORMING CONSTRAINTS
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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Organising a session?
1. PREPARATION PHASE
2. CONDUCT THE
SESSION
3. EVALUATION
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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1. PREPARATION PHASE
Specify the problem
What do we really want?
Select the right people
up to 10 12
different positions
Decide when and where
place and time matters
U layout of the room
Invite people
make sure they
have time
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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1. Specify the objectives make sure that everybody is happy
with the central question.
2. Decide the roles: - leader, recorder, panel.
3. Explain the rules (or make sure that everybody knows them.
Eventually a warm-up exercise for fun). You can let people to
jot down a few ideas before starting.
4. Begin by going around, after some rounds, open the floor.
5. Record the ideas exactly, clarify only in the end.
6. Suspend judgements !
7. Encourage the ideas, even the most radical and far-fetched.
Allow the late coming ideas, do not hurry.
8. At the end eliminate duplicates, clarify, thank the participants.

2. CONDUCT THE SESSION
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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3. EVALUATION PHASE
Put the evaluation off / next day
Add newly born ideas to the list
Group similar ideas together
Select the best or most interesting
suggestions
Create teams which will work on
them further
Inform people about the results
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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Mistakes to be avoided
people are
negative in
advance (it will not
work anyway)
too many
brainstormings in
the company
bad atmosphere
in the beginning

bad experience
with the method
judgements occur
during the session
any criticism and
personal attacks
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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Additional creative
problem-solving methods
INDIVIDUAL BRAINWRITING
COLOURFUL CARDS
MIND MAPS
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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INDIVIDUAL BRAINWRITING
When?
- When you need to solve some problem alone, and
you do not have a group to work with
How?
- A piece of paper (can be big and colourful to stimulate
your thinking).
- Jot down all ideas linked with the issue.
- !! Do not judge yourself !!
- further steps as in brainstorming
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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COLOURFUL CARDS
When?
- in a group of people, sensitive topic (eg. What do we like / dislike
about our managers, company?)
How?
- a set of papers / person (smaller pieces, A4/3 or 3M), colours as
needed, for example yellow and green
- people individually note their opinions on the cards, one idea
per card, yellow positive, green negative
- glue the cards on the flip chart, grouping immediately similar
opinions together, negative on the left, positive on the right
- let people see and discuss the result
- brainstorming on What can we do about it? can follow
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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MIND MAPS*
linear form
WHAT is it?

- alternative way of making notes and mapping any issue
- many well-known thinkers used some form of it
(Leonardo da Vinci)
- does not use linear form of notes, but EXPLOSIVE
- using colours, pictures and symbols

WHY?
- uses natural brain processes
- stimulate thinking, fun, joy
explosive
form
* eg. Tony Buzan, The Creative Intelligence
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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PRAGUE
How to use MIND MAPS
history
culture
transport
capital city
restaurants
and good food
architecture
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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When to use MIND MAPS
to make a daily schedule
notes of the lesson, books, articles
holiday planning
shopping list
to do list

every day, as often as possible, be creative,
develop your own style with time, have fun
also in groups after brainstorming session

UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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SUMMARY
creativity is not born by itself
creative methods must be consciously
introduced and developed in organisations
people must be encouraged to use them,
with no fear to make mistakes, prized for new
ideas
support from top management needed
good preparation and patience

Have fun and all the best !
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague


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End of Presentation
Thanks for
attention
questions welcome