Brainstorming involves the organized and purposeful generation of possible ideas because of the creative thinking of a group of people.
There are four rules for brainstorming.
Rule 1: Criticism is forbidden
Participants in brainstorming should try not to think about the usefulness, significance, suitability, and relevance of ideas and, of course, may not answer such questions. Consequently, any evaluation of ideas should be postponed. This rule must be observed so that people are not afraid to be criticized and so that they can have not only diverse, but also the most unexpected associations.
Rule 2: Free Idea Generation
The purpose of brainstorming is to enable team members to express all their ideas. People should express any emerging ideas without fear of criticism. Therefore, during the “brainstorming” it is necessary to create an atmosphere in which team members will feel free and completely safe.
Rule 3: Develop the Ideas of Others
Team members should generate ideas by developing the ideas of others. It is necessary that they try to improve or supplement someone else’s idea.
Rule 4: Generate as many ideas
as possible Quantity in this case is more important than quality. The more ideas, the more likely it is to find a successful solution. The implication is that quantity should turn into quality. When does it apply? This method can be used at all stages of the problem-solving cycle—when a problem is formulated, when its causes or effects are determined, and when solutions are developed. The purpose of brainstorming is to generate as many ideas as necessary to solve the problem.
How does this apply?
The sequence of steps during the “brainstorming” is as follows.
Preparation
1. Clearly articulate the problem. If necessary, one complex problem can be divided into several simple ones.
2. Form a group of five to eight people. Involve experts in different fields who have the same status.
3. Choose a specialist mentor in the team who will be engaged in coaching, coordinating work, helping and leading.
4. Before brainstorming, send notifications to team members in advance with the wording of the problem and some background information. The wording of the problem and its boundaries should be clear to all. The definition of the problem, which often takes more time than brainstorming, should make it possible to formulate it in the form of a question (for example: “How to increase the efficiency of the procurement process?”, “How to reduce the duration of the production process?”).
Brainstorming Processes
Process 1. Formulate the problem. Write down its wording and the four rules for brainstorming on a regular or marker board, so that what is written is visible to everyone. Put the issue up for discussion again.
Process 2. Develop and write down ideas. Ask team members to come up with as many ideas as possible, and have anyone who wants to speak up raise their hand. If necessary, give them the floor in turn. It is necessary that all participants have an equal opportunity to share with others their thoughts (formulated as specifically and concisely as possible).
These considerations should be immediately fix on paper or on the board, and what is written should be visible to all team members. It is the responsibility of the brainstorming officer to ensure that all participants have the opportunity to speak.
You can’t criticize, discuss, or evaluate ideas. No one is allowing to take on the lead role. Ideas should be records without any amendments. All ideas should be treated with respect and not taken out of the team, so that each participant can speak out openly. Encourage attempts to develop the ideas of others. Give preference to those team members who build their ideas on the proposals already made. Continue the “brainstorming” until everyone passes this “test”. Often the whole process takes 40-45 minutes.
Process 3. Group similar ideas.
Process 4. Establish criteria for selecting ideas, such as feasibility, cost, and relevance.
Process 5. At the end of the brainstorming session, form several small teams from the brainstorming session to evaluate each group of ideas. Let them hold separate meetings to rule out unsuitable ideas using these selection criteria.
Process 6. Have these teams of participants formulate the selected ideas and report them to the management.