Good ideas are not as easy to come by as flipping on a light switch. They take careful observation, task analysis, and a healthy dose of imagination.
It can take a lot of time and be very stressful for one person to come up with a solution to a problem. And when a group of people are trying to solve a problem, they may not agree on what the solution should be. Also, everyone has a different way of being creative, so it can be hard to get everyone on the same page.
There are many different brainstorming techniques that can be used to help come up with new ideas, be creative, and make sure those ideas are carried out.
The following methods may help you during your next brainstorming session, or whenever inspiration strikes. Remember that sometimes the best ideas come from unexpected places.
Brainstorming challenges
The most important rule for brainstorming sessions is to generate a lot of ideas, rather than focusing on coming up with good ideas. The more ideas you have, the more likely it is that one of them will be worth executing. Therefore, it’s important that everyone in a group brainstorming session holds their criticisms in and doesn’t let anyone else know if they think an idea is bad. The only truly bad idea is no idea.
Of course, not every brainstorming session will go off without a hitch. Some common brainstorming challenges include:
- Unbalanced conversations, sometimes due to extroverts dominating discussions
- , plagues nearly all processes that aim to generate many potential solutions The anchoring effect is a problem that occurs when people only consider the first few ideas that are shared, and don’t explore other options. This can be a major issue in situations where it’s important to come up with lots of potential solutions.
- to converse, are usually considered a bad sign. If participants in a conversation are not prepared to talk, it often results in awkward silences – which are generally seen as a bad sign.
Maybe you have had some of these not fun brainstorming sessions yourself. Fortunately, there are a lot of proven, and also some out of the box, brainstorming methods and tools that take on just these problems.
Analytic brainstorming techniques
If you need to get a lot of different ideas for a project or problem, it might be helpful to try some analytic brainstorming techniques. These techniques can help you look at an idea from all angles and find different ways to solve a problem. Some different brainstorming methods and tools you might want to try are listed below.
1. Starbursting
A brainstorming technique that is visual, starbursting should be used when you or your team has focused on a single idea. Each point will represent a question:
- Who?
- What?
- When?
- Where?
- Why?
- How?
Asking questions about your idea will help you to explore different aspects of it that you hadn’t thought of before. Questions such as “Who will want to buy this product?” and “When will we need to launch this program?” will help you to consider different scenarios and potential problems with your idea.
Best for: large group brainstorms, vetting ideas thoroughly
2. The five whys, a.k.a. why analysis
The five whys technique is similar to starbursting in that it helps you to evaluate the strength of an idea. The difference is that with five whys you challenge yourself to ask “why” questions about a topic or idea at least five times. This allows you to surface new problems and to note how you can address them. To help organize your thoughts, consider using a flowchart or fishbone diagram in hand with this brainstorming technique.
Best for: individual and group brainstorms, vetting ideas thoroughly
3. SWOT analysis
conducting a SWOT analysis on an idea can help to qualifier whether or not it is worth pursuing. Discuss the following aspects of your topic to determine whether it’s worth executing:
- How does the idea stand out from competitors?
- Are there any potential weaknesses in the plan that could cause it to fail?
- What other opportunities can you take advantage of based on this idea?
- What are potential downfalls that could arise if the idea is launched?
Best for: individual and group brainstorms, vetting ideas thoroughly
4. How Now Wow
The How Now Wow brainstorming technique is all about categorizing ideas based on how unique they are and how easy they are to implement. Once you’ve collected several ideas, either individually or from team members, talk through where they fall in the How Now Wow spectrum:
- If an idea is not executable, it’s not really an idea. An idea only counts as an idea if it’s something that can be put into action. If it’s not something that can be executed, then it’s not really an idea.
- Now ideas are unoriginal ideas that are easily executable.
- Wow, these are great ideas that have never been pitched before, and they’re also easy to implement!
The more “Wow” ideas you have, the better. These ideas should be executable and should also set you apart from your competition or add variety to your company. To help organize your ideas, you can use a matrix with four squares. The square on the bottom left should be easy to do and not very innovative. The square on the top right should be very innovative and very difficult to do.
Brainstorming is best for when you need to come up with an executable solution, either on your own or with a group. Brainstorming can help you to hone in on a solution.
5. Drivers analysis
This brainstorming technique is used to analyze the causes of a problem. To use it, you keep asking yourself or your team “What’s causing [insert problem]?” and then “What’s causing [insert answer to the previous question]?” Asking these questions will help you understand the problem better and come up with better solutions.
Best for: individual and group brainstorms, vetting ideas thoroughly
6. Mind mapping
Mind mapping is a brainstorming technique that helps to overcome the anchoring effect, where people fixate on the first ideas instead of coming up with new ones. The technique does this by using the first idea to inspire other ideas.
You’ll need a large piece of paper or a whiteboard for this activity. Write down a topic at the center of the paper and then draw lines connecting related ideas to it. This will help you create a visual representation of your topic and the different factors that could impact its execution or even help to expedite it.
Best for: individual and group brainstorms, visual thinkers
7. Gap filling, a.k.a. gap analysis
If you have trouble figuring out how to bring an idea to fruition, gap filling can help by addressing the obstacles in your way. To start, make a statement of where you are and where you want to be. For example, “We make smart watches, but we want to also have fitness trackers in our product line.”
It will be beneficial to have a large piece of paper or whiteboard to write out your ideas for all of your brainstormers to see. You could use a flowchart or mind map to do this. Then, list any obstacles that are preventing you from getting where you want to be and work through solutions for each of them. By the end of your brainstorming session, you should have a better plan of how to get where you want to be.
Best for: Brainstorming for individuals and groups, visual thinkers, and those who want to implement a solution.
8. Brainwriting, a.k.a. slip writing
A brainstorming technique that doesn’t rely on verbal communication and happens in person, brainwriting tries to directly fix the problem of brainstorming sessions where some people talk more than others. It asks everyone to write down three ideas about a topic on three different pieces of paper, then pass them to the person next to them. That person adds to the ideas, for example by adding bullet points or other thoughts.
The brainstorm facilitator passes around slips of paper for each person to write their ideas on. Once the slips have made it all the way around the table, the facilitator either looks through all the ideas themselves, or the brainstormers discuss each idea out loud and decide what to pursue. It’s best to limit this brainstorming technique to 10 people or less so that there isn’t too many ideas or time constraints.
Best for: group brainstorms and introverted team members
9. Collaborative brainwriting
It’s then up to participants to build on each other’s ideas throughout the week Collaborative brainwriting is a brainstorming technique where people anonymously jot down thoughts or ideas throughout a week. A brainstorming facilitator will usually start this technique by posting a large piece of paper, sticky notes, or sharing a cloud-based document with a few brainstorming ideas. Then, it is up to participants to build on each other’s ideas during the week.
After the initial brainstorming session, team members can work on developing the ideas further on their own time. They can then provide feedback anonymously. It is important to set a clear deadline for when the brainstorming process should be completed, so that everyone has a chance to contribute.
Best for: individual brainstorming
10. Brain-netting, a.k.a. online brainstorming
A brain-netting channel, Google Doc, or project management tool is a great place for a remote team to dump their ideas.
The idea is that people can come up with ideas whenever they want and that the list will continue to grow. Of course, the person in charge of the brainstorming session might want to tell the people participating when there are important dates or deadlines when they need solutions to a problem. They might also want to have a meeting to go over the ideas. The identities of the people who came up with the ideas can stay anonymous even during the meeting.
Best for: group brainstorms, introverted team members, remote teams.
Detoxing from technology can be a challenge, but it is always worth it. The next time you find yourself in a creative rut, try disconnecting from the digital world for a day. Turn off your phone and put it away, don’t open your laptop, and spend the day doing things like journaling, walking, and reading. You’ll be surprised at how many ideas you come up with by the afternoon.
12. Talk through your ideas with a friend to get feedback and new perspectives.
Instead of trying to come up with the “perfect idea,” use social media to get feedback from people and adjust as needed.
If you want to be creative, try waking up very early in the morning, when it is still dark outside. This can be difficult, but it may help to spark your creativity.
As a musician, I often take the stories I am working on and create a musical composition based on them. This helps me to see the emotions underlying the story and to keep the story concise. Music is a language, after all, and this is a great way to see the emotion in the story.
Tips for a positive brainstorming session
It is important to consider the following best practices when brainstorming, regardless of what technique you and your team use. The facilitator plays a big role in setting the tone for the session.
1. Allow time to prep
The facilitator of a brainstorming session shouldn’t be the only one who prepares for the meeting. They should also give the participants some context ahead of the session, such as in the form of a meeting agenda, to get everyone in the correct mindset for the brainstorming session.
At least one day of brainstorming is standard, but even just two to 10 minutes can be useful. Additionally, it’s helpful for the facilitator to have a few ideas in reserve in case the group gets stuck.
2. Set a clear intention
The more information you can provide to people during a brainstorming session, the more productive the session will be. For example, be clear about what types of ideas you want. Whether you are looking for ideas that can be implemented quickly or ones that are completely innovative, identify specific goals to achieve.
Make sure to tell the people who are brainstorming about any limitations that you or your organization might have, like project timelines or budgets, so that they can come up with ideas that can actually be carried out.
3. Invite new teammates and ideas
If brainstorming sessions always involve the same people, they may only generate the same ideas. Try shaking things up by inviting new people with different perspectives to join in. This could be colleagues from different departments, customers or clients for a focus group, or an outside consultant.
4. Promote inclusivity
Make sure that every brainstorming session is a safe space to share ideas, no matter how unconventional they may be. It’s important to remember that the only bad ideas are no ideas, and that any idea shared should not be immediately dismissed or judged. As the facilitator, it’s your responsibility to ensure that everyone is being treated equally and given the same amount of time to speak. This might mean setting a timer for each person to talk, and acknowledging those who tend to dominate the conversation. It’s also important for each brainstormer to be open and curious about other people’s ideas.
5. Think out of the box
Think of brainstorming techniques like wishing to encourage team members to open up and be creative. This could include anything from fun team building games to unique icebreaker questions. Brainstorming techniques like wishing can encourage team members to open up and be creative.
Remember, brainstorming is about quantity over quality
When done correctly, brainstorming should be fun, not a chore. It’s an opportunity to create something as a team. A good brainstorming technique will support different thinking and expression styles.
Seeing your ideas come to life is gratifying, whether you’re working alone or as part of a team. To get the creative juices flowing, customize your workflow management tool to transform your ideas into action.
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