The simple answer to the question in the title of this, my latest post in the Innovativo Better Brainstorming series, is - of course you can.
I want to borrow some reasoning from the guru of creativity and lateral thinking, Edward De Bono. De Bono points out that there's a major difference between Artistic Creativity and Idea Creativity. The former cannot be learnt. You can't train someone to be the new Mozart because music and the arts is about the ability to express your creative thoughts in a particular way - through music, brushstrokes or dance etc. It's about the gift of turning creative thoughts into patterns that really express those thoughts such that others can read and interpret them.
Idea creativity is different in that we can all have ideas. Most of us have the basic gift of speech and writing and therefore we can easily express these ideas in the form of words or writing and if we use some of the techniques presented in this series, we can really generate masses of ideas.
As such, like De Bono, I too believe we can all be taught to be creative in business and idea generation. The problem is that the formality of our education system has taught us not to be creative or innovative. We're taught wrong from right, that X + Y = Z, that the world is round, the Normans invaded in 1066, etc etc. Facts and nothing but facts. Wouldn't it be great if we substituted History lessons and the routine memorising of often meaningless dates and the names of Kings and Queens, and had Future lessons instead. Lessons where our children are encouraged to think 'what if', to speculate about the future and to be creative in coming up with possibilities. This way our children might be able to scratch out the supposed reliance on the combustion engine and really start to believe in the possibilities of alternative fuel. History tells us the combustion engine is one of the most important inventions of all time, it was but it isn't anymore. Only those big coprorates that rely on it and the revenue from oil make us believe this. I saw an article on a new sports car that can do 140mph and o-60 in 4 and a bit seconds. It's electric... Only problem is that the battery lasts for about 300 miles. What if we put all of the best brains in the world onto the problem of extending battery life? Now we're into the realm of possibilities... We are all creative, we can all contribute. All we have to do is learn how...
Set the Bar High - Then Move it Up a Notch
In previous posts I've written about the need for a curious mind when brainstorming and being innovative. I've also rambled on about giving creative ideas time to mature into benefit giving innovation. This time around I want to talk about how we can ensure how we can continuously improve our creativity and innovation by setting challenging goals and objectives for ourselves, our projects and our businesses.
Any management or personal development guru will be able to tell you about the importance of setting and tracking goals so you can stay focused and have something to strive for. One technique for setting goals is to ensure that they are SMART.
S: Specific, M: Measurable, A: Attainable, R: Realistic and T: Timely.
Think about this... Each one of these characteristics is restrictive, dull, tedious, suggests paperwork and is really a vehicle for senior managers to makesure we only set goals they want us to achieve.
Don't be SMART it's boring. As the highly entertaining Steve McDermott points out, who ever achieved anything by setting SMART objectives? Was NASA's goal of putting a man on the moon considered realistic at the time? Of course not, what's the point doing something you know is attainable, where's the challenge in that? And as for specific? Do you really, really know, in your heart of hearts what you want to be doing in five years time, never mind ten? Do you really think that won't change anyway between now and then.
So, to set challenging objectives and goals that will stretch you and drive you to be creative and achieve things you can't even dream of, you need to set STUPID objectives:
S: Sexy, T: Technologically insane, U: Uncertain outcomes, P: Practically impossible, I: Inceredibly tough and D: Downright pleasing when you achieve them.
Another problem with realistic, or attainable, or measurable is that it smacks of benchmarking - monitoring what others do and then trying to do it as well. Tom Peters in his, frankly, wacky book Re-Imagine scoffs at Benchmarking because it's based on the "follow your leader" paradigm - "You can't be remarkable by following someone else who has already done the remarkable". He goes on to dig in the knife by pointing out the insanity of benchmarking - "we pick a market leader and launch a five year program with the goal of being as good as who was best five years ago, five years from now!"...
So, if we want to be truly creative we need to set the bar high and keep pushing it up. We may never achieve the ultimate goal (perhaps you want to be a multi-millionaire) but we'll generate lots of new ideas in trying to achieve that goal, and perhaps, just perhaps, one of those ideas will turn into an innovation that gets us part way to that goal... After all, is being just a millionaire that bad a deal?
Remember: Don't be SMART be STUPID.
Any management or personal development guru will be able to tell you about the importance of setting and tracking goals so you can stay focused and have something to strive for. One technique for setting goals is to ensure that they are SMART.
S: Specific, M: Measurable, A: Attainable, R: Realistic and T: Timely.
Think about this... Each one of these characteristics is restrictive, dull, tedious, suggests paperwork and is really a vehicle for senior managers to makesure we only set goals they want us to achieve.
Don't be SMART it's boring. As the highly entertaining Steve McDermott points out, who ever achieved anything by setting SMART objectives? Was NASA's goal of putting a man on the moon considered realistic at the time? Of course not, what's the point doing something you know is attainable, where's the challenge in that? And as for specific? Do you really, really know, in your heart of hearts what you want to be doing in five years time, never mind ten? Do you really think that won't change anyway between now and then.
So, to set challenging objectives and goals that will stretch you and drive you to be creative and achieve things you can't even dream of, you need to set STUPID objectives:
S: Sexy, T: Technologically insane, U: Uncertain outcomes, P: Practically impossible, I: Inceredibly tough and D: Downright pleasing when you achieve them.
Another problem with realistic, or attainable, or measurable is that it smacks of benchmarking - monitoring what others do and then trying to do it as well. Tom Peters in his, frankly, wacky book Re-Imagine scoffs at Benchmarking because it's based on the "follow your leader" paradigm - "You can't be remarkable by following someone else who has already done the remarkable". He goes on to dig in the knife by pointing out the insanity of benchmarking - "we pick a market leader and launch a five year program with the goal of being as good as who was best five years ago, five years from now!"...
So, if we want to be truly creative we need to set the bar high and keep pushing it up. We may never achieve the ultimate goal (perhaps you want to be a multi-millionaire) but we'll generate lots of new ideas in trying to achieve that goal, and perhaps, just perhaps, one of those ideas will turn into an innovation that gets us part way to that goal... After all, is being just a millionaire that bad a deal?
Remember: Don't be SMART be STUPID.
How to Avoid Premature Evaluation
The creative process takes time. Innovation has its time. This means that we can't reject an idea because it doesn't work at that particular time, in that particular place or in that particular guise. Give it time to develop and for the environment to change around it and it will evolve.
Consider the classic case study any MBA student will be able to tell you about - 3M. This chemicals company spent millions of research dollars on trying to develop a new glue that was super strong but at the same time less messy and dangerous than the other "super glues" on the market at that time. However, no matter how many techno-geeks they threw at the problem, the glue they produced was either too messy or not sticky enough. After years of trying and a massive development budget had been poured down the drain, the company gave up on the project.
One scientist with an acute brain for business saw his opportunity and agreed to buy the rights to the last failed batch of glue and the machinery required to manufacture it. 3M pleased to recoup a minute portion of their otherwise wasted outlay were only too happy to oblige. However, our boffin had an inspirational idea of what to do with the glue. He simply pasted it on the back of small, brightly coloured bits of paper. These could then be written on and stuck to computer screens, notice boards, fridges, doors, notebooks - anywhere. The beauty was that because the glue was not sticky (not sticky enough for 3M's super glue remember) the notes could be removed and re posted somewhere else. The Post-It Note was born. As the telephone became a ubiquitous item on every desk in every office, and voicemail was practically unheard of, the Post-It Note became a necessity for the busy executive who didn't want to miss any calls but wasn't nailed to his or her desk.
In the end, 3M saw the potential in this new product and bought back the rights for millions of dollars. The glue, which was utterly useless at the wrong time and in the wrong application was a revelation waiting to happen and Post-It Note has become a part of everyday language.
In this example, 3M could be said to have been guilty of 'premature evaluation' - not giving a new innovation time to evolve and find its place in the world. During brainstorming sessions we do this all the time. Someone shouts out a great idea and everyone suddenly sees the solution to their problem. This then quickly gets adopted as the successful output of the meeting and everyone goes back to their desks happy. But stop right there... Research tells us that the best ideas, those that are most likely to be adopted and add value to a business, come in the last 25% of any brainstorming session. Generally, the most obvious ideas come out first. The least obvious one's struggle out later and it's these ones we're after as if a solution was so obvious, we probably wouldn't need a brainstorming session in the first place would we?
Creative Copying is another example of the timeliness of innovation. This is the process of taking someone else's idea and then manipulating it to suit a particular purpose or re-introducing it when the time is right. Think of Da Vinci's helicopter. It was never going to work - a great idea, but we just did not have the materials or manufacturing technology to realise his designs. I also remember Jeremy Clarkson on the BBC's Top Gear programme slating the new satellite navigation systems because, frankly, it didn't work. The annoying robotic voice of the very expensive system took him miles out of his way on what should have been a relatively simple journey. But look at the SatNav device now and another household name in TomTom. The idea was great, the technology and the market just wasn't ready for it at that time.
In summary, give innovation time to develop. Innovate for the future and remember "tomorrow will be forgotten by the middle of next week" and in any case "tomorrow never comes".
Consider the classic case study any MBA student will be able to tell you about - 3M. This chemicals company spent millions of research dollars on trying to develop a new glue that was super strong but at the same time less messy and dangerous than the other "super glues" on the market at that time. However, no matter how many techno-geeks they threw at the problem, the glue they produced was either too messy or not sticky enough. After years of trying and a massive development budget had been poured down the drain, the company gave up on the project.
One scientist with an acute brain for business saw his opportunity and agreed to buy the rights to the last failed batch of glue and the machinery required to manufacture it. 3M pleased to recoup a minute portion of their otherwise wasted outlay were only too happy to oblige. However, our boffin had an inspirational idea of what to do with the glue. He simply pasted it on the back of small, brightly coloured bits of paper. These could then be written on and stuck to computer screens, notice boards, fridges, doors, notebooks - anywhere. The beauty was that because the glue was not sticky (not sticky enough for 3M's super glue remember) the notes could be removed and re posted somewhere else. The Post-It Note was born. As the telephone became a ubiquitous item on every desk in every office, and voicemail was practically unheard of, the Post-It Note became a necessity for the busy executive who didn't want to miss any calls but wasn't nailed to his or her desk.
In the end, 3M saw the potential in this new product and bought back the rights for millions of dollars. The glue, which was utterly useless at the wrong time and in the wrong application was a revelation waiting to happen and Post-It Note has become a part of everyday language.
In this example, 3M could be said to have been guilty of 'premature evaluation' - not giving a new innovation time to evolve and find its place in the world. During brainstorming sessions we do this all the time. Someone shouts out a great idea and everyone suddenly sees the solution to their problem. This then quickly gets adopted as the successful output of the meeting and everyone goes back to their desks happy. But stop right there... Research tells us that the best ideas, those that are most likely to be adopted and add value to a business, come in the last 25% of any brainstorming session. Generally, the most obvious ideas come out first. The least obvious one's struggle out later and it's these ones we're after as if a solution was so obvious, we probably wouldn't need a brainstorming session in the first place would we?
Creative Copying is another example of the timeliness of innovation. This is the process of taking someone else's idea and then manipulating it to suit a particular purpose or re-introducing it when the time is right. Think of Da Vinci's helicopter. It was never going to work - a great idea, but we just did not have the materials or manufacturing technology to realise his designs. I also remember Jeremy Clarkson on the BBC's Top Gear programme slating the new satellite navigation systems because, frankly, it didn't work. The annoying robotic voice of the very expensive system took him miles out of his way on what should have been a relatively simple journey. But look at the SatNav device now and another household name in TomTom. The idea was great, the technology and the market just wasn't ready for it at that time.
In summary, give innovation time to develop. Innovate for the future and remember "tomorrow will be forgotten by the middle of next week" and in any case "tomorrow never comes".
Curiosity and Six Honest Serving Men
In this post I want to go through one of my ideas on what makes an individual effective during brainstorming - what makes some people more creative than others…
One competence that any creative person should have is a vivid sense of curiosity. I think it was Emerson that once said “to the dull mind nature is leaden. To the illuminated mind the whole world sparkles with light”. I like this, it sums up how a curious person will feel compared to someone who walks around with the weight of the world on their shoulders, constantly looking at their feet and consequently missing out on a whole raft of opportunities and stimulants. If you walk around looking at your feet, sooner or later you’re going to bump into something and fall flat on your face… Sure, if you’re doing the opposite and always looking up at the sky, the rooflines of buildings, at the faces of passers-by, at some point you might trip over an unexpected crack in the pavement - but you’ll go down happy, illuminated and full of reasons why to get back up again…
So, to be curious we need to be receptive to the world around us. Soak up information, seek out new knowledge - have you ever come across a word you didn’t understand - did you look it up in the dictionary or encyclopaedia? Why not, with the advent of free online encyclopaedia like Wikipedia, there’s no excuse. Aim to learn at least one new thing every day.
The best learners are our kids. They also happen to be the most creative individuals on earth. Copy them - lock up the adult brain for a while and let out the child in you. Do your kids drive you crazy with the constant question of “why?” … Try using Serial Questions such as “Why did X happen? Because Y happened. And why did Y happen? Because Z happened. And Why did Z happen? Because… (etc…). At some point the damp squib will run out of excuses and reasons as to why not. Next time you come across something you‘re told is “just so“, ask yourself the 5 W’s and an H. Kipling put it better than I ever could so listen to what he says:
I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I know)
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who
(Kipling, 1902)
You’ll annoy the hell out of the people your asking the questions of but remember what you tell your kids “if you don’t ask, you don’t get” and in this case it’s knowledge and inspiration we’re after…
Right. There’s lots more on my website about Curiosity and how to engender it into our everyday lives, but in the meantime I’m going to leave you with a quick win, something you can do right now to make yourself more curious and hence more effective in brainstorming…
Make room to give yourself 20 minutes of undisturbed time. Sit down in a quiet room, or better still your favourite location - at the beach, in the forest, in an empty football stadium wherever… Sit and listen. What can you hear? Now really focus on listening. Close your eyes so you shut down one of your other senses. Listen hard and carefully. After a period of time you’ll start to hear a multitude of noises you never heard in that place before. You can repeat this exercise using your other senses - really study your favourite painting, building, photograph or even your living room floor. What can you see that you couldn’t before. Try examining a peanut in its shell for 20 minutes. You’ll be amazed at how complex it’s structure and texture is. The idea here is that you’re training yourself to be receptive to your environment, to see and hear stimuli that you’d missed before. So, when the next great idea or inspiration comes along, you’ll see it before anyone else does…
Be curious.
One competence that any creative person should have is a vivid sense of curiosity. I think it was Emerson that once said “to the dull mind nature is leaden. To the illuminated mind the whole world sparkles with light”. I like this, it sums up how a curious person will feel compared to someone who walks around with the weight of the world on their shoulders, constantly looking at their feet and consequently missing out on a whole raft of opportunities and stimulants. If you walk around looking at your feet, sooner or later you’re going to bump into something and fall flat on your face… Sure, if you’re doing the opposite and always looking up at the sky, the rooflines of buildings, at the faces of passers-by, at some point you might trip over an unexpected crack in the pavement - but you’ll go down happy, illuminated and full of reasons why to get back up again…
So, to be curious we need to be receptive to the world around us. Soak up information, seek out new knowledge - have you ever come across a word you didn’t understand - did you look it up in the dictionary or encyclopaedia? Why not, with the advent of free online encyclopaedia like Wikipedia, there’s no excuse. Aim to learn at least one new thing every day.
The best learners are our kids. They also happen to be the most creative individuals on earth. Copy them - lock up the adult brain for a while and let out the child in you. Do your kids drive you crazy with the constant question of “why?” … Try using Serial Questions such as “Why did X happen? Because Y happened. And why did Y happen? Because Z happened. And Why did Z happen? Because… (etc…). At some point the damp squib will run out of excuses and reasons as to why not. Next time you come across something you‘re told is “just so“, ask yourself the 5 W’s and an H. Kipling put it better than I ever could so listen to what he says:
I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I know)
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who
(Kipling, 1902)
You’ll annoy the hell out of the people your asking the questions of but remember what you tell your kids “if you don’t ask, you don’t get” and in this case it’s knowledge and inspiration we’re after…
Right. There’s lots more on my website about Curiosity and how to engender it into our everyday lives, but in the meantime I’m going to leave you with a quick win, something you can do right now to make yourself more curious and hence more effective in brainstorming…
Make room to give yourself 20 minutes of undisturbed time. Sit down in a quiet room, or better still your favourite location - at the beach, in the forest, in an empty football stadium wherever… Sit and listen. What can you hear? Now really focus on listening. Close your eyes so you shut down one of your other senses. Listen hard and carefully. After a period of time you’ll start to hear a multitude of noises you never heard in that place before. You can repeat this exercise using your other senses - really study your favourite painting, building, photograph or even your living room floor. What can you see that you couldn’t before. Try examining a peanut in its shell for 20 minutes. You’ll be amazed at how complex it’s structure and texture is. The idea here is that you’re training yourself to be receptive to your environment, to see and hear stimuli that you’d missed before. So, when the next great idea or inspiration comes along, you’ll see it before anyone else does…
Be curious.
Innovative Technique # 1 : Reality Check
In the last post I promised to show you some alternative approaches to the Classical Brainstorming method that Osborn pioneered some sixty years ago... So here's the first.
I call this technique Reality Check but others may refer to is as the Force-Fit Game. It was originally devised by a guy called Helmut Schlicksupp in Frankfurt and is fairly risque as unlike most creativity sessions it uses light competition as the basis for innovation. As such, be careful when using this method as it can cause fraction in the team, especially if you've still got some long brainstorming sessions ahead of you and you need the team to work as a single unit again later.
That said, a little pressure never hurt anyone and research proves that, if handled correctly and done in a fun manner, a little competition can encourage creativity. So, before and during the use of this method, ensure the mood is light-hearted and you're all having fun - best way is to award a prize to the winner that is likely to be shared amongst all players at the end (box of chocolates or biscuits always works well).
So, here we go... First break into two groups (Reds and Blues) each with two to eight people. The facilitator displays and reads the problem definition to the groups ensuring they are all clear on what the problem is.
The Reds suggest an idea that is as remote from the actual problem as possible. So if the problem was "how to improve customer satisfaction by 25%" the idea might be "don't turn up for work at the call centre in the morning" or even "go on a hot air balloon trip to Mars". The crazier the better, remember we're having fun here.
The Blues then have two minutes to develop a practical idea based on that looney suggestion from the Reds. Facilitator tip: record all ideas looney or otherwise on a flipchart.
OK. If the facilitator decides that the Blues' idea is plausible the Blues get a point. If it has not linkeage whatsoever to the Reds' original whacky idea or is still not plausible, the Reds get the point. The facilitator's word is final on point awarding, deduct points for anyone who argues - in a fun way of course! That's a good point though, keep the judging as light as possible so as not to create an overly competitive climate.
Carry on doing this for five rounds and then swap roles, i.e. the Blues come up with the mad idea and the Reds try to make it plausible. This gives the teams time to think up their own crazy ideas.
After 30 minutes or so, or an agreed number of rounds, the game ends and the team with the most points wins the prize.
You can evaluate the plausible ideas that have been generated later, either with the original teams or in a different session. With a bit of practice the idea generation is rapid and off-the-cuff and creativity will flow. It's best deployed as a warm-up or prelude to the real brainstorming that's to take place, or at the end of the day as a fun, relaxing wind-down to a hard day of creation...
Leave a comment and let me know how you get on with this technique or how you have managed to improve it. You might also want to research "Brainwriting" on the internet which is based on this technique. There will also be more about Brainwriting in another post.
Innovate, create, excel - but above all else have fun doing it!
I call this technique Reality Check but others may refer to is as the Force-Fit Game. It was originally devised by a guy called Helmut Schlicksupp in Frankfurt and is fairly risque as unlike most creativity sessions it uses light competition as the basis for innovation. As such, be careful when using this method as it can cause fraction in the team, especially if you've still got some long brainstorming sessions ahead of you and you need the team to work as a single unit again later.
That said, a little pressure never hurt anyone and research proves that, if handled correctly and done in a fun manner, a little competition can encourage creativity. So, before and during the use of this method, ensure the mood is light-hearted and you're all having fun - best way is to award a prize to the winner that is likely to be shared amongst all players at the end (box of chocolates or biscuits always works well).
So, here we go... First break into two groups (Reds and Blues) each with two to eight people. The facilitator displays and reads the problem definition to the groups ensuring they are all clear on what the problem is.
The Reds suggest an idea that is as remote from the actual problem as possible. So if the problem was "how to improve customer satisfaction by 25%" the idea might be "don't turn up for work at the call centre in the morning" or even "go on a hot air balloon trip to Mars". The crazier the better, remember we're having fun here.
The Blues then have two minutes to develop a practical idea based on that looney suggestion from the Reds. Facilitator tip: record all ideas looney or otherwise on a flipchart.
OK. If the facilitator decides that the Blues' idea is plausible the Blues get a point. If it has not linkeage whatsoever to the Reds' original whacky idea or is still not plausible, the Reds get the point. The facilitator's word is final on point awarding, deduct points for anyone who argues - in a fun way of course! That's a good point though, keep the judging as light as possible so as not to create an overly competitive climate.
Carry on doing this for five rounds and then swap roles, i.e. the Blues come up with the mad idea and the Reds try to make it plausible. This gives the teams time to think up their own crazy ideas.
After 30 minutes or so, or an agreed number of rounds, the game ends and the team with the most points wins the prize.
You can evaluate the plausible ideas that have been generated later, either with the original teams or in a different session. With a bit of practice the idea generation is rapid and off-the-cuff and creativity will flow. It's best deployed as a warm-up or prelude to the real brainstorming that's to take place, or at the end of the day as a fun, relaxing wind-down to a hard day of creation...
Leave a comment and let me know how you get on with this technique or how you have managed to improve it. You might also want to research "Brainwriting" on the internet which is based on this technique. There will also be more about Brainwriting in another post.
Innovate, create, excel - but above all else have fun doing it!
How to run a Classic Brainstorming Session Better
Welcome to part two of my Better Brainstorming blog which looks in more detail at Osborn’s Classical approach to idea generation. Even the classical method can reap amazing rewards if applied effectively.
This blog is brought to you by Innovativo.
innovate : create : excel
In part one of the Better Brainstorming blog I talked about preparing the physical environment in which brainstorming is to take place. If we get this right, then even the classical brainstorming techniques can be very powerful.
Later in this part of the series I’ll be suggesting some alternative approaches to brainstorming, building on Osborn’s original ideas. For now though I’m going to stick to the basics and help you get more out of your classical brainstorming sessions.
First, follow my advice and arrange the meeting for a group of around 6 to 8 people, less or minus two. Nominate someone as the facilitator or take on the role yourself.
It is the facilitator’s responsibility to ensure everyone is aware of the rules of brainstorming (of which more later) and that these rules are adhered to. The facilitator can take part in the generation of ideas unless the group is large, in which case facilitating the session will be more or less a full time job.
Ideally you’ll have a scribe. The scribe’s role is key as he or she will need to write down everything that’s said, verbatim. This means writing down exactly what was said when a particular idea is put forward or shouted out. Don’t try to interpret what was said at this stage, that’s for the evaluation and analysis phases. If the scribe doesn’t understand (or didn’t hear properly) what was said, they should ask the idea generator for clarification – but don’t spend too long doing this or the creative flow will be interrupted. Instead, if the idea generator can’t quickly and succinctly clarify what their idea is, move on and come back to it.
This emphasises an important part of the idea generation process. It’s key that the creative flow isn’t interrupted by having to wait for ideas to be written down or, worse still, interruptions from buzzing Blackberry’s or mobile phones. If the process is delayed or interrupted even slightly, an idea that was evolving in someone’s head might be forgotten and never aired in the light of day. And what if that idea that was lost due to interruption was the killer idea that solved your business’ problem?
So the scribe must write everything down, verbatim without interrupting or delaying the session. Not easy, especially if the creative flow is at its peak and ideas are flying out at machine gun pace. In this case, the facilitator can help by becoming a second scribe, with each of the two scribes now taking it in turns to capture ideas in writing on their respective flip charts.
Getting back to the facilitator, another key role of theirs is to ensure that the group are fully aware and understand the problem that they’re trying to solve. I’ll come onto how we can better define (and refine) the problem statement in a later post in this series, but for now we can ensure the session is more focussed by writing the initial topic or problem statement on a flipchart, whiteboard or other system where everyone can see it throughout the brainstorming session.
The better defined and more clearly stated the problem, the better the session tends to be.
Check that everyone understands the problem statement before you start generating ideas. Businesses waste large amounts of time by expending creative energies on the wrong problems. Be sure that you know what problem you’re trying to solve and that it’s the right one before you start. For example – you might think the problem that needs solving is a lack of sales for your new super product X. But in reality, there’s nothing wrong with the product, the real problem is that your brand doesn’t have the right kudos in Product X’s market space. Be sure you know what the problem is before you solve it. Again, more on how to do this another time.
Next in the classical brainstorming session the facilitator needs to review the ground rules with the participants. These rules build on Osborn’s originals and are:
- Avoid criticising any of the ideas put forward and suspend all judgement until the evaluation stages. Remember that all ideas are as valid as each other and if anyone is criticised they may be put off from contributing further ideas.
- Quantity not quality is the aim of the game. The more ideas that are generated the more likely the solution to your problem is found. Research proves that the best ideas are generally generated between the 70th and 90th ideas to be contributed. So don’t stop the session too soon and encourage everyone to contribute any idea that comes into their heads. Encourage participants to put forward anything that comes into their heads. Quite often the most whacky off-the-wall ideas are the best, or at least are triggers for creative thought, which lead to the best ideas.
- Building on this rule, ensure the session is free-wheeling. Don't censor any ideas, and keep the meeting flow going. The more rapidly ideas are generated; the less likely individuals are going to filter them and only put forward the best, well thought out ideas – and neglect to mention the more whacky and creative ideas swimming around their right brain.
- Listen to other ideas, and try to piggy back on them to other ideas.
- Avoid any discussion of ideas or questions, as these stop the flow of ideas.
A good facilitator will enforce these rules in a humorous, light-hearted way throughout the session and this will ensure that the maximum volume of ideas are generated.
Talking of which, what’s the best way to actually generate ideas?
This can be achieved in either an unstructured way (where anyone can shout out an idea at any time, as they think of it) or by following a more structured approach (such as going round the table, allowing people to pass if they have no new ideas).
My recommended approach is to start with the structured approach, getting each person in turn to provide an initial idea. This way everyone becomes involved from the start and you’re less likely to get individuals shrinking into the background and no taking part. Only go around the table once or twice before opening up to a free-flow of ideas.
In the next episode I’ll provide you with some techniques that improve the classical approach by ensuring everyone is constantly involved and that keep the session dynamic and the creative flow moving.
Finally, when you’re all out of ideas clarify and conclude the session. Thank the participants for a fantastic idea generation session and ask them for feedback on how they thought it went.
Spend some time reviewing the best ideas that the scribe wrote down, and identify any that are identical or can be combined. All of the other ideas should be kept for further analysis, don’t try to rationalise them now. Don’t forget to inform the group what will happen next and that you’re going to evaluate their wonderful contribution and select the best ideas to be considered for implementation.
This concludes Part Two of my Better Brainstorming series. Just by adhering to some of the guidelines given above you will notice an improvement in the way your idea generation meetings are run. This will be evident in the sheer volume of ideas generated and the increased likelihood that one of those ideas may help make your business more successful.
If you have found the series so far tantalising and inspiring, please visit my website at http://www.innovativo.co.uk/. Not everyone is cut out to be an effective facilitator, and quite often you need to be totally immersed in generating ideas and not leading the session or scribing. If this is the case, or you need general help and advice on how to enhance innovation in your organisation, please contact Innovativo via the website and we’ll gladly assist.
Next time – An introduction to techniques for improving idea generation and keeping the creativity flowing.
An Introduction to Brainstorming
This blog is the first in a series of blogs that provide tools & techniques for innovation that your business can use to excel in its chosen field.
The blog is brought to you by Innovativo.
innovate : create : excel
What is brainstorming?
The blog is brought to you by Innovativo.
innovate : create : excel
What is brainstorming?
Brainstorming is one of the most powerful tools for creative idea generation. Its roots go back more than sixty years and it has evolved into the definitive tool for innovations and is used in a whole raft of scenarios from the school classroom to high powered business meetings. Governments, universities, charities, multi-national businesses all use brainstorming and it is unlikely that any product you buy, or any advertisement you see, isn’t the result of some form of brainstorming session. It affects us all and is a tool that, if mastered, can make any decision, business meeting or idea generation session successful.
How Brainstorming Came About
An advertising professional called Alex Osborn first used the term ‘brainstorming’ in or 1941 when he came up with a set of rules for conducting meetings that were designed to overcome the drawbacks of traditional meetings where creativity was inhibited by bureaucracy and lack of dynamism. His rules provided freedom of mind and action to generate creative flow and allow everyone in the meeting to contribute new ideas. Initially this approach was termed “to think up” but this soon came to be known worldwide as brainstorming. Osborn’s official definition of brainstorming is:
"a conference technique by which a group attempts to find a solution for a specific problem by amassing all the ideas spontaneously by its members".
Osborn’s basic set of rules have evolved over time, but still form the basis of how to approach a brainstorming session, include my own that are described later in this series. His rules are simple and inspired millions to become more creative and productive in business meetings. Osborn’s original rules were:
- No criticism of ideas
- Go for large quantities of ideas
- Build on each others ideas
- Encourage wild and exaggerated ideas
Next time: Creating the Right Environment for Creative Idea Generation
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