The Brainstorming method
From “all known idea generation methods”, researched by Martin Leith:
Although the word “brainstorming” is often used to refer to any meeting in which people generate ideas, it is in fact a specific method, invented by advertising executive Alex Osborn in 1941, with an explicit protocol that is described below.
Osborn-style brainstorming is the classic ideas generation technique, and it is one of the most effective methods when you need to get a large number of ideas from a group of people in a short time.
The main drawback is that group dynamics and self-censorship often prevent group members from sharing their more imaginative ideas.
The process:
::The facilitator asks the group to restate the problem or outcome as a series of “How to’s” (e.g. How to attract more visitors to our website).
::The facilitator select the most promising “How to”.
::The facilitator asks the group: “In how many ways can we (e.g.) attract more visitors to our website?”
::The facilitator explains the rules of brainstorming:
- No criticism of ideas
- Go for large quantities of ideas
- Build on each others ideas
- Encourage wild and exaggerated ideas
::Group members call out ideas and the facilitator writes them on sheets of flipchart without paraphrasing. Each idea is numbered for future reference.
::The facilitator is not permitted to suggest any ideas.
::As soon as a sheet of flipchart paper has been filled with ideas it is displayed on the wall.
::Do three rounds of brainstorming, each of 10-15 minutes, with a break between each round.
Brainstorming with Post-It Notes:
a ‘nominal group technique’ version of brainstorming. (“Nominal group” means that people are nominally in a group but mostly work on their own)
::Each group member is given either a pad of Post-it Notes or a set number of Post-its - perhaps six or seven. Alternatively you can use 5x3 index cards instead of Post-it Notes.
::Using a thick marker pen, they write one idea on each Post-it Note
::When time is called, each person announces their ideas to the whole group, and posts his or her Post-it Notes on a large sheet of paper taped to the wall
::The Post-it Notes are then clustered by the facilitator or two volunteers, and the clusters are named
::Finally, the facilitator asks: “Is that everything? Do you want to add any more ideas or suggest new categories?”
Here is a twist you can add to Brainstorming with Post-it Notes
::Group members are given a certain number of Post-it Notes (perhaps 12), one of which is pink
::One of the ideas proposed by each group member must be outrageous. (See Wildest Idea Session.) This idea is written on the pink Post-it Note
::When the ideas have been announced and clustered, the facilitator goes through the pink ideas one at a time and uses them to stimulate feasible ideas
