Brainstorming

Creative Problem Solving

Method
 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
 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.“
 Why and When to 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 !
 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
 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
 BENEFITS of brainstorming

WIDER
PICTURE
QUICK
FUN

CHEAP TEAM
BUILDING
GREATER
ACCEPTANCE
 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?
 BRAINSTORMING CONSTRAINTS

• does not rank the ideas

• cannot help you select the important ones
• does not suggest the best solutions
• must be amended by other
methods
 Organising a session?

1. PREPARATION PHASE

3. EVALUATION

2. CONDUCT THE SESSION

 1. PREPARATION PHASE

Specify the problem

What do we really want?

Invite people
Select the right people
make sure they
up to 10 – 12
have time
different positions

Decide when and where

place and time matters
„U“ layout of the room
 2. CONDUCT THE SESSION

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.
 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

 Mistakes to be avoided

• people are negative in • bad experience with

advance (it will not the method
work anyway) • judgements occur
• too many during the session
brainstormings in the • any criticism and
company personal attacks
• bad atmosphere in
the beginning
 Additional creative
problem-solving methods

INDIVIDUAL BRAINWRITING

COLOURFUL CARDS

MIND MAPS
 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
 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
 MIND MAPS

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
linear form form
* eg. Tony Buzan, The Creative Intelligence
MIND MAPS
 HOW TO USE MIND MAPS

architecture
history

transport
Durban

culture

Capital restaurants

city and
good food
 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
 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 !

End of Presentation

carl@brainpowersolutionsafrica.com