According to the Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition; (brnstôrmng) n. A method of shared problem solving in which all members of a group spontaneously contribute ideas.

The brainstorming session. We all have them… they are a classic mechanism for teams in a company to stimulate new business growth ideas. Most brainstorming sessions however, are not the most focused way to derive the desired results with inbuilt psychological factors deviating from the true single purpose of the session namely to produce creativity!

Factors such as Group Think (the phenomenon supposedly to blame for such fiascos as Bay of Pigs) and fear of failure or criticism by colleagues can prevent the best business growth ideas from being generated.

Structure can bring the best out of your sessions and make the most of the time spent. Start by concisely articulating the reason for the session (problems to be solved or ideas needed). Notepads will allow group members to write down their ideas.

Keep the spontaneous power of the team alive by fixing a tight time schedule of maximum 20 minutes. Ask as many people to join the session (with relevant experience or fresh perspective) as you can – the more participants in the group – the more ideas should be created!

Once you have decided who will attend the brainstorm you need to decide where it will be held. The object is creativity so try and select somewhere to foster this – perhaps away from the oppressive overtones of the boardroom? Break it up a little and consider playing background music to keep the mood light and bouncy.

In terms of structure it is important to apply this only to the collection of ideas–not the parameters for the ideas themselves. If you are looking for a fresh technique to stimulate business growth ideas founded on creativity and not curtailed by strength or personality which sometimes occurs during a brainstorm session, hand out a worksheet to each participant and ask them to write the group´s “problem to be solved” at the top of the paper.

As the session begins, ask each member to begin recording ideas they have for 3-4 minutes. If they fill up the sheet before time is up, give them another and have them continue. When the time has elapsed, team members simply pass their sheets to the person on their left. Ask them to scan their colleague´s ideas as a stimulus, and then continue creating for another short period writing on the sheets they´ve just received. Again, if they fill up their sheets, give them another. Repeat this one more time for completeness, thank the team and collect in the papers.

The results then need to be collated, listed out and ranked in preference order for analysis and critique. You can schedule another session to go through the results as required.

The technique is fully inclusive and provides for multi-level thinking with no threat from fear of voicing a “bad idea”. The short time bursts encourage spontaneity with every idea documented regardless of the group opinion of initial validity.

Brainstorming is here to stay – it is possible however to keep them more brain and less storm!

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