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Brainstorming - Creative Problem Solving Method
Brainstorming - Creative Problem Solving Method
UNIDO – Technology Foresight for Practicioners – Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
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
MUVS CVUT Prague
methods
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
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
MUVS CVUT Prague
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
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)
MUVS CVUT Prague
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
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
MUVS CVUT Prague
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
The key rules
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
BENEFITS of brainstorming
MUVS CVUT Prague
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
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?
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
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
MUVS CVUT Prague
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
Organising a session?
1. PREPARATION PHASE
3. EVALUATION
2. CONDUCT THE
MUVS CVUT Prague
SESSION
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
1. PREPARATION PHASE
Invite people
Select the right people
make sure they
up to 10 – 12
have time
different positions
MUVS CVUT Prague
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
3. EVALUATION PHASE
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
Mistakes to be avoided
people are bad experience
negative in with the method
advance (it will not judgements occur
work anyway) during the session
too many any criticism and
brainstormings in personal attacks
the company
MUVS CVUT Prague
bad atmosphere in
the beginning
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
Additional creative
problem-solving methods
INDIVIDUAL BRAINWRITING
COLOURFUL CARDS
MUVS CVUT Prague
MIND MAPS
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
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.
MUVS CVUT Prague
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
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
MUVS CVUT Prague
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
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 explosive
MUVS CVUT Prague
-
form
- stimulate thinking, fun, joy
linear form
* eg. Tony Buzan, The Creative Intelligence
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
How to use MIND MAPS
architecture
history
culture
MUVS CVUT Prague
transport restaurants
and good food
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
When to use MIND MAPS
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
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
MUVS CVUT Prague
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague
End of Presentation
Thanks for
attention –
MUVS CVUT Prague
questions welcome
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague