Brainstorming is a great way to develop a large number of ideas from a group of people in a short period of time.
1) State the problem or objective clearly. Ensure everyone has a clear understanding of the purpose of the session.
2) Have everyone see it from every angle. Ask all to ask the question “How can we….?” or “How to…..?” in relation to the objective stated on the board or paper.
3) Generate ideas. Jot down the statements people come up with, with no judgements, rationale, questioning or justifications.
4) Generate more ideas. Call a quick break while everyone digests the ideas written down. Reflect and concentrate on maybe just a few ideas.
5) Choose a wild idea and see if more ideas can flow from it. That way, people’s creative juices start to flow.
6) Only stop when you and the team feel all ideas have dried up.
After the first 6 steps, you then need to evaluate.
a) Start ranking or evaluating ideas.
b) Sift and shortlist the feasible ideas. Look at introducing criteria, like cost, practicality, acceptability or time scales.
c) Apply these key criteria judgements. What will these ideas cost? Are they acceptable to management, stakeholders, clients, the market?
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