10 tools to better brainstorming

By Annah Pritchett

What is brainstorming?

“Process for generating creative ideas and solutions through intensive and freewheeling group discussion. Every participant is encouraged to think aloud and suggest as many ideas as possible, no matter seemingly how outlandish or bizarre”(businessdictionary.com)

The Process of the Brainstorm

TaskIt always

starts with a task that needs to be addressed by a group of creative thinkers.

Brai

nsto

rmEvery Idea is allowed to find its way onto the table. Ev

alua

te Taking time

after the brain storm session to think through the best ideas the group came up with

How brainstormi

ng goes wrong

“Unfortunately, many college students’ brainstorming sessions are not as productive as they could be. A variety of factors, such as a distracting environment or an argument amongst group members, can wreck a brainstorming session — and this can hurt the outcome of your assignment.” (USA today)

Ideas are hard to

generateFeelings get

hurt People feel too intimidated to contribute

10 tips to a better

brainstorm

1. Establish ground rules • After your team has settled in, make sure to

give them the framework for the brainstorming time.

1. Every voice matters, don’t hold back

2. Get comfortable with silence, leave space for others to talk

3. Save ALL evaluation for the evaluating portion

2. Set Goals • After the group has an idea of the structure,

collectively set a vision for what you would like to see the group accomplish. “By the end of this

time I would like to see ten solid story ideas for next semester’s issue of The Point Magazine.”“Walking away from

this experience I would like to have the name of the venue and caterer we would like to contact for our event.”

3. Use a white board • White board’s open up

the group conversation so everyone is on the same page and can track what the group has said and where they are headed.

4. Write everything down• Write down great ideas.

Write down bad ideas. Write down boring ideas, write down unachievable ideas. To leave something out is to evaluate what ideas are good, which is NOT the purpose of the brainstorm.

5. Ask Clarifying Questions

• It is likely that someone will say half of a thought and give up before articulating it fully. Push yourself to understand where your group is at and to genuinely understand all ideas, not just the ones you like.

6. NEVER hold back ideas• This is the big one: Do

not talk yourself out of voicing an idea or opinion. Brainstorming is a success when the whiteboard is full, not when the whiteboard has some good ideas. (This should be established in the ground rules portion)

7. Encourage teammates• Brainstorming is vulnerable. View each person on your team as your teacher, someone you have a lot to learn from, encourage their ideas and push the “quiet ones” to voice themselves.

8. Gauge group energy Brainstorming can be exhausting. Halfway through the process take the temperature of the room. If people starting dwindling…

1. Get food! This always restores a room’s energy

2. Stand up. Sitting in one spot for a long time is very draining. Moving around can usually be the shot of energy a group needs.

3. Talk loud, use your hands. Yes, this sounds crazy, but emoting in this way is extremely effecting to instill energy back in a group.

9. Listen with excellence• Brainstorming should be the “Wild

West” of meetings. To reach success everyone must feel free to be themselves and voice their thoughts. The way to maintain this freedom while also being productive is by committing to being a better listener than you are a talker. This also opens up space for the quieter voices in the room.

10. Evaluate• You did it! You made it

through a full session of freewheeling brainstorming! Now it is time to refer back to the white board and personal notes and evaluate the ideas that worked, why they worked, and the next step in order to accomplish your task.

The End