How can you use brainstorming to generate innovative ideas?

Brainstorming itself does not work and it is a poor way to generate ideas. It is only vaguely useful as a device to spark idea combination and variation once you have laid a lot of groundwork for creativity. Steps have to include 1) good problem definition 2) immersion in topic 3) creative stimulus 4) time for idea generation (usually not in a room with a flip chart) 5) insight generation with others and combination 6) process for refining ideas. But 80% of the work is done before you even get to insight generation.

Never start with a blank sheet of paper. Instead, identify five topic areas to explore. For example, if asked to "find new ideas increase sales" assign one group to explore new products in your immediate category; a second to explore new products in an adjacent category; a third to explore new sales models; a fourth to explore new distribution channels; a fifth to explore new partnerships, etc. Provide structure and direction. Brainstorming without structure is a certain path to confusion, frustration and stagnation.

Brainstorming often ends up as an endless chat or a daydream that never adds value. Hence, for brainstorming to be productive make sure it is SMART.1) SPECIFIC- All the members must be aware of the topic of discussion and its objective must be explicitly defined.2) MEASURABLE- All the ideas must be measurable either quantitatively or qualitatively that can be tracked. Example: Reduction in time or Higher reach. 3) ATTAINABLE- All ideas shared must be practical and consider the factors beyond control. 4) RELEVANT- All ideas must fit the purpose of the event, culture of the community and addresses the vision of the project. 5) TIME-BOUND: Ideas must include timeline benchmarks for short term and long term achievements.

One of the ground rules I like to establish is to use “Yes, and…” when brainstorming. This is a tool from the improv comedy world and encourages people to accept ideas and build on them, as opposed to killing them too early. To get teams in the mindset to apply “Yes, and…” I often facilitate a short and fun exercise where teams are asked to brainstorm something completely new, for example a new amusement park experience for teenagers. I encourage them to use “Yes, and…” and to let the ideas get crazy. Typically, within 5 minutes the group is laughing, and they have started opening themselves up to accepting wilder ideas.

Brainstorming - a creative process that generates ideas or suggestions. Setting ground rules are key for a successful group brainstorming and here are few important rules:- 1. Inform the team members before the session in advance to allow time for preparation. 2. Allow explosion of ideas from all the participants by setting ambitious numbers of ideas to achieve 3. Do not be judgemental or critical on ideas that are raised. Embrace the different perspectives. 4. Build on ideas that is shared by each member.

Engaging in activities like word association or lateral thinking puzzles is an excellent way to stimulate creativity. Adding icebreakers or games can also create a relaxed atmosphere, making participants more open and collaborative. This approach not only prepares the mind for idea generation but also enhances team dynamics, crucial for effective brainstorming.

Et libérez les esprits. Brainstormer ne signifie pas trouver LA bonne idée d’un seul coup c’est souvent une début d’idée connectée à une autre qui amène la meilleure des pistes. Il est donc important de ne négliger aucune réflexion, même la plus impensable ou farfelue.

1) Turn off the internal critic: First of all, it is important to get rid of the internal critic that prevents us from generating new ideas. Try to just enjoy the process of generating ideas without evaluating them. 2) Visualize your idea: Present your idea as a picture or script. The more detailed you present your idea, the more opportunities it will provide for generating new ideas. 3) Take a 15 minute walk outside and just relax your mind - the best ideas would come at once.

Whilst other people may use games and non-related activities to warm up creativity, I've generally found it better to focus people towards the subject you are trying to solve for. Spending time to focus on the current situation and the impact of not finding solutions has generally lead me to better solutions faster. Working on the theory that it is easier to criticise than to create, I want people to criticise the current situation with an appreciation for the need to change.

I would recommend introducing the topic (or refreshing the idea) the night before and ask for the attendees to think about overnight. As an icebreaker, ask them all to share the most surprising thing they thought of overnight or first thing in the morning.

Key to a successful brainstorming exercise is having a moderator / catalyst/ orchestrator who is a) very well prepared and b) ahas the ability to get all participants to open up and contribute. One key task of the orchestrator is to ask the right questions. Some of my favorites are - a) What will change in the next 5-10 years and what will stay the same? b) As a business what do we choose not to do? c) if you had infinite resources, what would you do? d) how can we kill our own business? What are the best alternatives to the service/value we provide?

Innovation is thought of as such because it represents a perspective not previously considered or applied. While it can come from a variety of places, it typically comes from the person least like the majority or group. Use your diversity as a strength to achieve your goal and drive innovation.

I love to mindmap everything out, start with the problem Statement and work backwards, Collaborating with the team to input ideas and also obstacles to consider.

This is the stage when one has to be careful not to shoot down any idea, no matter how stupid it may seem. Dominant participants tend to challenge new ideas and shut down quieter participants. The point of this exercise is to maximize the quantity of ideas (divergence) instead of quality (convergence). Quality filter can be applied at the next stage.

Also atmosphere and environment can have a huge effect on brainstorming. Select a space that encourages creative thought and open mindedness… use space with a “childlike” atmosphere to spark the openness and creativity we had as kids!

Assuming meeting in person: keep it simple. Use flip charts, post-it notes, and whiteboards for effective brainstorming. If using white boards, remember to take photos of anything before cleaning it. If flip chart and don't have an easel, use sticky flip chart (make sure the owner of the wall of the room you're using is OK with you sticking things on it!). Use markers, pens, and sticky dots for visualizing and prioritising ideas. Use a stopwatch app on your phone to keep to time.

Your brain is not a memorizing machine, but rather a processing machine. Hence, one of the most important things to do is to have a system for recording quick bursts of ideas when they hit you; ideas for personal life whilst at work and vice versa. When it occurs, jot it “down”. Notes app or an excel-style spreadsheet app both work. Next, schedule time every other week or once a month to come back to your “ideas repository”, sit down and select the ones you want to act upon and make a realistic timeline for implementing them. The other ones you can leave there, it will be fun to come back to them in 5 years time, trust me. :) And yeah, have fun whilst at it, once you get a hold of this, you’ll become a brainstorming machine. :)

Some of the best ideas I have had have come to me in the still of the night and to record theses thoughts I keep a notebook and/or my phone by my bedside to record them. It’s important to be prepared. When recording and recognising your ideas it’s important to do so in a way that you can easily recall and can be shared as necessary.

Share the outcomes by recording the brainstorming sessions and distribute them to the team or a broader audience. Get feedback outside the domain group. This will foster additional reflection and generates momentum for improvement.

Hay que aprender a organizar las ideas, pero también, dosificar y priorizar las ideas, condensarlas en perspectiva para que el ejercicio de ideación resulte en ideas que tengan en principio una mejor probabilidad de ser ejecutadas o al menos evaluadas, Si no se a?ade perspectiva y enfoque un proceso de generación de ideas podría terminar siendo extenuante y poco concluyente. Necesario dejar que las ideas fluyan, todas son válidas en principio??

In such cases McKinsey's rule of three is of great help. It states that decisions should be made for three most valuable reasons . If there is anything less than three may be the topic is not properly researched or is impulsive If it's more than three than may be it's not that concrete and one is too fixated to think of anything else or in other words one is biased.

Use the pre-agreed rubric as the standard to vet ideas and shape recommendations. This takes "opinion" out of the discussion and helps folks shape their input

- Does this idea serves the main interest of company - Does this idea follows the nature of company (i.e company spirit / traditions / vibe) - Putting together people from different departments would give you a wonderful number of idea, but let field professional take a look. - No critics without proposals

After the ideation process and providing solutions to the challenge, it is of importance to evaluate those ideas in order to converge to the most relevant ones. In my experience, strategic impact and feasibility of the solution work well as a first shortlisting layer. Of course, more analysis will be required to assess the required resources, potential partnerships, and internal capabilities among other factors to generate the highest impact and value to the organization.

Brainstorming helps in refining the ideas. Choosing a right group of people with diverse perspective could help to refine an idea and make it more holistic and user friendly. Noting down the pointers and keeping them in mind while designing prototype would help it to be more commercial and impactful.

Bad idea brainstorming is useful for many reasons. It helps overcome people's reluctance to share ideas out of fear they have to "prove they're smart". Bringing up bad ideas lowers inhibitions and gets people sharing more willingly. Even silly ideas unleash creativity and lead to further ideas. The process sets the expectation that there will be failures as part of innovation. And flawed ideas can spark new insights or inspire creative thinking in others.

In my professional experience, brainstorming proves invaluable for generating innovative solutions. Successful sessions hinge on a skilled moderator and established guidelines emphasizing the absence of wrong ideas. Authority isn't essential for moderation; clarity on the session's purpose suffices. This inclusive approach fosters team-wide participation, nurturing both individual and collective growth. By cultivating an open-minded, non-judgmental atmosphere, the moderator encourages a creative exchange. This dynamic contributes to the session's success, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation within the team. In essence, effective moderation, clear objectives and inclusivity, maximizes the chance of a great session.

In a recent survey of 500 professionals, 68% admitted that they often struggle with overwhelming idea lists, hindering their ability to execute effectively. “In the pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped.” In a study, researchers found that the most productive brainstorming sessions typically involved smaller groups and fewer ideas – but those ideas were of higher quality and more likely to be implemented.

Important to socialise a shortlist of ideas with key stakeholders. Identify your stakeholders, give them a set of options to choose from and tailor and make them feel part of the journey of what you’re soon delivering to them. This minimises the risk of crafting ideas in silos which fail upon execution. It is also important to ensure diversity in stakeholders. This includes diversity of seniority of title, background, and geographic location if that is relevant.

I can be hard for people to generate new, innovative ideas because they feel constricted by their environment. Agree with all that’s been said about sticky notes, free thinking, organizing and prioritizing thoughts and keeping things simple. It can ALSO be helpful to brainstorm/share all of the challenges and obstacles that exist or get in the way of making progress in a goal. It may seem counter intuitive, but the reality check can help bring along naysayers, help people start to think about ways to break down walls and then get to the heart of a potential solution. It’s important to keep this obstacle/challenge brainstorm to a limited time frame so you don’t suck all of the life out of the room.