brainstorming process

brainstorming technique for problem-solving,

team-building and creative process
Brainstorming with a group of people is a powerful technique. Brainstorming
creates new ideas, solves problems, motivates and develops teams.
Brainstorming motivates because it involves members of a team in bigger
management issues, and it gets a team working together. However,
brainstorming is not simply a random activity. Brainstorming needs to be
structured and it follows brainstorming rules. The brainstorming process is
described below, for which you will need a flip-chart or alternative. This is
crucial as Brainstorming needs to involve the team, which means that
everyone must be able to see what's happening. Brainstorming places a
significant burden on the facilitator to manage the process, people's
involvement and sensitivities, and then to manage the follow up actions. Use
Brainstorming well and you will see excellent results in improving the
organization, performance, and developing the team.
N.B. There has been some discussion in recent years - much of it plainly daft
- that the term 'brainstorming' might be 'political incorrect' by virtue of
possible perceived reference to brain-related health issues. It was suggested
by some that the alternative, but less than catchy 'thought-showers' should
be used instead, which presumably was not considered to be offensive to
raindrops (this is serious…). Happily recent research among relevant groups
has dispelled this non-pc notion, and we can continue to use the
brainstorming expression without fear of ending up in the law courts…

brainstorming process
1. Define and agree the objective.
2. Brainstorm ideas and
suggestions having agreed a
time limit.
3. Categorise/condense/combine/r
efine.
4. Assess/analyse effects or
results.
5. Prioritise options/rank list as
appropriate.
6. Agree action and timescale.
7. Control and monitor follow-up.

In other words:
plan and agree the brainstorming aim
Ensure everyone participating in the brainstorm session understands and
agrees the aim of the session (eg, to formulate a new job description for a
customer services clerk; to formulate a series of new promotional activities for
the next trading year; to suggest ways of improving cooperation between the
sales and service departments; to identify costs saving opportunities that will
not reduce performance or morale, etc). Keep the brainstorming objective
simple. Allocate a time limit. This will enable you to keep the random
brainstorming activity under control and on track.

manage the actual brainstorming activity

Brainstorming enables people to suggest ideas at random. Your job as
facilitator is to encourage everyone to participate, to dismiss nothing, and to
prevent others from pouring scorn on the wilder suggestions (some of the
best ideas are initially the daftest ones - added to which people won't
participate if their suggestions are criticised). During the random collection of
ideas the facilitator must record every suggestion on the flip-chart. Use Blu-
Tack or sticky tape to hang the sheets around the walls. At the end of the
time limit or when ideas have been exhausted, use different coloured pens to
categorise, group, connect and link the random ideas. Condense and refine
the ideas by making new headings or lists. You can diplomatically combine or
include the weaker ideas within other themes to avoid dismissing or rejecting
contributions (remember brainstorming is about team building and motivation
too - you don't want it to have the reverse effect on some people). With the
group, assess, evaluate and analyse the effects and validity of the ideas or
the list. Develop and prioritise the ideas into a more finished list or set of
actions or options.

implement the actions agreed from the

brainstorming
Agree what the next actions will be. Agree a timescale, who's responsible.
After the session circulate notes, monitor and give feedback. It's crucial to
develop a clear and positive outcome, so that people feel their effort and
contribution was worthwhile. When people see that their efforts have resulted
in action and change, they will be motivated and keen to help again.

personal brainstorming
for creativity, planning, presentations,
decision-making, and organizing your ideas
Personal brainstorming - just by yourself - is very useful for the start of any
new project, especially if you can be prone to put things off until tomorrow.
Planning a new venture, a presentation, or any new initiative, is generally
much easier if you begin simply by thinking of ideas - in no particular order or
structure - and jotting them down on a sheet of paper or in a notebook.
Basically this is personal brainstorming, and it can follow the same process as
described above for groups, except that it's just you doing it.
Sometimes it's very difficult to begin planning something new - because you
don't know where and how to start. Brainstoming is a great way to begin. The
method also generates lots of possibilities which you might otherwise miss by
getting into detailed structured planning too early.
A really useful tool for personal brainstorming - and
note-taking generally - is the wonderful Bic 4-colour
ballpen.

The pen enables you quickly to switch colours

between red, blue, black and green, without having
to walk around with a pocket-full of biros.

Using different colours in your creative jottings and

written records helps you to make your notes and
diagrams clearer, and dramatically increases the
ways in which you can develop and refine your ideas
and notes on paper. To prove the point, review
some previous notes in black or blue ink using a red
pen - see how you can organize/connect the
content, still keeping it all clear and legible.

This simple pen is therefore a brilliant tool for

organizing your thoughts on paper much more
clearly and creatively than by being limited to a
single colour - especially if you think in visual terms
and find diagrams helpful.

For example, using different colours enables you to

identify and link common items within a random list,
or to show patterns and categories, or to over-write
notes without making a confusing mess, and
generally to generate far more value from your
thoughts and ideas. Keeping connected notes and
ideas on a single sheet of paper greatly helps the
brain to absorb and develop them. Try it - you'll be
surprised how much more useful your notes become.

The principle is the same as using different colours

of marker pens on a flip-chart. Other manufacturers
produce similar pens, but the Bic is reliable, widely
available, and very inexpensive.
The usefulness of different colours in written notes is further illustrated
(please correct me or expand on this if you know more) in a wider
organizational sense in the UK health industry. Apparently, black is the
standard colour; green is used by pharmacy services, red is used after death
and for allergies, and blue tends to be avoided due to poorer reprographic
qualities (thanks M Belcher). As I say, correct me if this is wrong, and in any
event please let me know any other examples of different coloured inks being
used to organize or otherwise clarify written communications within
corporations, institutions or industries.
Additionally I am informed (thanks T Kalota, Oct 2008) of a useful
brainstorming/organizing technique using coloured pens when reviewing a
written specification, or potentially any set of notes for a design or plan.
Underline or circle the words according to the following:

nouns/people/things black (entities)

verbs ('doing'/functional
red (relationships)
words)

adjectives/adverbs
blue (attributes)
(describing words)

This technique was apparently used for clarifying written specifications or

notes for a database design, and was termed 'extended relational
architecture', advocated by a company of the same name, at one time. (I've
been unable to find any further details about the company or this application.
If you know more please tell me.)
This method of colour-coding notes (using underlines or circles or boxes) to
help clarification/prioritization/organization/etc can itself naturally be
extended and adapted, for example:

nouns/people/things black (entities)

verbs ('doing'/functional
red (relationships)
words)

adjectives (describing a
blue (attributes)
noun/thing/etc)

adverbs (describing a green (degrees/range/etc)

verb/function)

timings/costs/quantities yellow (measures)

The colours and categories are not a fixed industry standard. It's an entirely
flexible technique. You can use any colours you want, and devise your own
coding structures to suit the situation.

In relation to the group brainstorming process above, see also the guidelines
for running workshops. Workshops provide good situations for group
brainstorming, and brainstorming helps to make workshops more productive,
motivational and successful.
To create more structured brainstorming activities which illustrate or address
particular themes, methods, media, etc., there is a helpful set of reference
points on the team building games section. Unless you have special reasons
for omitting control factors, ensure you retain the the essence of the rules
above, especially defining the task, stating clear timings, organising
participants and materials, and managing the review and follow-up.

see also
The following tools and models can be used within the brainstorming process
to build and create a context for brainstorming, and a framework for
brainstorming actions. When using any of these tools or models within the
brainstorming process, select models appropriate to the group, and the
desired development and outcomes for the brainstorming session:
 SWOT analysis - for assessing the
strength of a company, department,
proposition or idea.
 PEST analysis - for measuring the
attractiveness and potential of a
market.
 The McKinsey Seven-S's - criteria for a
successful company
 Adizes corporate life-cycle model -
phases of company development
 Delegation model - successful task
delegation and staff development
through delegation
  Tuckman's group development model -
forming, storming, norming, performing
 Kolb's learning styles - for training the
trainers, coaching the coaches, and
management development
 Leadership attributes - for developing
leadership among managers
 Negotiation process - for sales and
commercial staff and optimising on
profitable outcomes and customer
relationships
 Cherie Carter-Scott's rules of life -
behaviour and attitude development
and soft skills development
 The Four Agreements - behaviour and
attitude development and soft skills
development
 Advanced 'Kaleidoscope
Brainstorming'© technique

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