Brainstorming→ Requirements→ Job of the Leader→ Potential Problems→ Common Variations

→ Using the Ideas

by Robert H. Vaughn

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Requirements

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• Small size group (4–9 people preferred)– Group smaller than 4 or larger than 10 become awkward– Larger groups should be subdivided.

• Mixed group (not homogeneous)– Homogeneous group tend to produce fewer creative ideas.– The diversity will usually enhance the creativity generated.

• No evaluation of ideas (quantity, not quality)– Quantity of ideas is the goal.– Evaluating the ideas at this point tends to inhibit people to from being free-

flowing with their suggestions.• Limited time frame

– 15 to 45 minutes• Limited previous discussion

– It may stifle new ideasduring the brainstorming sessions.• Tolerance for “out-of-the-box” thinking

– Sometimes it is needed to get the creativity juices flowing. (it doesn’t work for everyone, though)

Job of the Leader

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• Set and enforce the process rules.• Make sure all participants know and follow the ground rules.

• Manage the group to encourage participation.• Use warm up technique to get the group participating.

• Define the issue so it can be dealt with.• You’ll need to specifically state what problem the group is work

on.• Make sure everyone is focused on the correct issue before

starting.• Keep the discussion on track.

• Step in and re state the issue that’s being brainstormed if someone begins to criticize others ideas.

• The analysis and fine-tuning come later, not during the initial session.

• Record the ideas for later use.• In flipchart, whiteboard, computer display

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Potential Problems

• Group dynamics can get in the way.• Some members can dominate too much if

they are experts or supervisors.• Criticism can derail the process.• Some groups are too single-minded.• It doesn’t work as well for decisions with

high risk or uncertainty.

Common Variations

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• Structured brainstorming– Once the problem has been described, each person is asked to

contribute one idea at a time in run. If participants don’t have an idea, they pass. This continuous until everyone has passed in the same round.

• Nominal group technique– This technique can allow individual creativity to work before it

becomes inhibited by the group. This process require people to think silently, at first, writing down their ideas. They then contribute to the list in round-robin style. As ideas are voiced, anyone can question the contribution to clarify what is meant but should not challenge or analyze it. The process can end with a voting process.

• Gordon Technique (reverse brainstorming)– When the problem seems to have one or a few “obvious”

solutions, this technique can crack through the conventional thinking that is inhibiting creativity. Using Gordon Technique, the group is asked for ideas about a subject that is known in detail only to the leader. The leader begin with a very broad and abstract definition of the problem and starts to take ideas. Then, the leader narrows the statement through several stages, each time retaining previous suggestions, which still apply to the nearrower statement.

• Brainwriting– Each participant writes down his or her ideas about about the

problem uder discussion.Participants then pass what they’ve written to someone else in the group. That person elaborates on what was written and adds any ideas of his or her own. Repeat until everyone in the group has had a chance to contribute to everyone’s else original ideas.

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Using the Ideas

• After the process is completed:– Eliminate any truly unworkable ideas.– Group similar ideas.– Set priority on data gathering and evaluations.

• Decide who (group or individual) does the evaluation.

iwan_pramana@yahoo.com

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