7 Brainstorming Rules & Techniques To Get More From Group Problem Solving We all kno that a camel as a horse

!esigne! b" a committee # right$%%& This per'ectl" !emonstrates the un ritten la o' business( here the output o' a group !oes not equal the sum o' the in!ivi!ual parts& )se these 7 brainstorming rules an! techniques an! be the e*ception to the rule( get more 'rom group problem an! keep the creative +uices 'ocuse! an! 'lo ing& ,& -o i!ea too stupi! There is an i!eal solution to "our problem an!brainstorming is the ke" to 'in!ing it& .o ever( !iscussing(criticising or generall" !ismissing i!eas as the" come upre!uces "our chance o' 'in!ing the secret treasure an! ren!er "our brainstorming session useless& /& Watch the clock 0 little time pressure is goo! 'or brainstorming( so agree ama*imum time 'or brainstorming( sa" ,1 to /1 minutes( an! stick to it& Start an!'inish on time( an! encourage a brisk pace to ma*imise the time investe! in thisactivit"& Ma"be assign a time2keeper to o n this task& 3& Recor! "our progress 0ll "our goo! i!eas are aste! hot air i' the" are not recor!e! metho!icall" an!more importantl"( legibl"& 4onsi!er using brainstorming so't are such asMin!Manager5( post2it notes( 'lip charts or other such metho!s 'or getting "ouri!eas !o n& Whatever "ou choose( make sure "ou bring all the necessar" tools an!materials ith "ou% 6& 7uantit" not qualit" The aim o' brainstorming is to churn out as man" i!eas as "ou have time 'or B8F9R8"ou !o an" realit" check on their merits& Through quantit" "ou ill 'in! qualit"( eventhough it might take some time an! e''ort to get there& :!eas bree! i!eas& ;& )se both si!es o' "our brain Most ork activities use "our le't brain( so make "our right brain !o some ork 'or achange an! get more 'rom brainstorming& )se coloure! or scente! pens( ran!omprops or an"thing that sa"s <creative an! 'un= an! not <stu''" an! stai!=& >& 8ncourage the right min!set an! have 'un 4onsi!er using anice2breakeror creativit" e*ercise to get group members into theright 'rame o' min! an! a a" 'rom creativit" blocking thoughts o' unans ere! emails( to2!o lists an! other priorities& 0n! once brainstorming has starte!(remember per'ormance an*iet" ill !r" up creative +uices quicker than a quick thing(so make sure the atmosphere is kept light an! 'lu''" an! above all( 'un& 7& ?et no goo! i!ea go unhear!&

-ot ever"one en+o"s brainstorming an! group problem solving& Sh"ness( 'ear o' looking stupi! or sill" ma" keep people quiet& Brush up on "our 'acilitation skills an!avoi! the risk o' great i!eas being un2 spoken or unhear!& Group problem solving can be e''ective( especiall" i' "ou 'ollo these 7 brainstormingrules an! techniques& @ou can !esign a horse%

/ 4reative Brainstorming 0ctivities For8''ective Group Problem Solving Aust because "ou call thirt" minutes in a room2'ull o' people an! a 'lip chart a brainstorming activit"( !oesnBt make it success'ul& For problem solving brainstorming to be e''ective( a little bit o' coa*ing ill make all the !i''erence& .ere are t obrainstorming activities to trans'orm "our problem solving sessions& Brainstorming 0ctivit" , # -ight an! Ca" Bus" people nee! routines an! shortcuts to make it through the !a"& :' e ha! to consciousl" think about the steps involve! in making a cup o' tea( eB! have e*hausting our thinking energ" be'ore eB! even le't the house in the morning&Routine thinking ma" save time an! energ"( but seriousl" hampers creativebrainstorming( so use this e*ercise to challenge tra!itional thoughts an! encouragecreativit"&Make a list o' common or!s e&g& night( smart( heav"( quick( apple& Get "our team to list the 'irst opposite meaning or! that springs to min! e&g& !a"( stupi!( light(slo ( pear& This ill 'lush out the obvious( routine or!s& 4hallenge "our team to come up ith at least 3 'urther opposite or!s 'or each or! e&g&-ight D !a"(sun( hite(a ake( E&&Smart D stupi!( scru''"( shabb"( in2elegant( clums"( ga k"@ouBll 'in! some similar meaning or!s creep into "our list # thatBs 'ine as these canspark 'urther opposite meaning or!s& Remember i!eas bree! i!eas an! to keepcritical( anal"tical thinking in check& ?imit the time spent on this activit" to ,12,;minutes( to keep it 'resh an! 'ocuse!&-o itBs time to intro!uce the <real= brainstorming activit"& Write "our problemstatement clearl" an! simpl"( an! let those creative min!s go to ork on generatingne an! non2routine i!eas to solve the problem& Brainstorming Game / # What 4an @ou See$ Sometimes "ouBre so close to a problem "ou canBt see ho it ill ever be solve!& This situation is so common( it even has itBs o n clichF # <"ou canBt see the oo! 'or the trees=& .ereBs a brainstorming game to help "ou see things !i''erentl"( an! ai! the problem solving process&

Sho these shapes to "our team( an! ask them to in!ivi!uall" rite !o n hat the" can see& @ou ma" 'in! !escriptions such asG three coloure! shapes( or a green circle ith a !iagonal line( a re! he*agon an! a "ello thought bubble etc&Some ma" have ma!e a small creative leap an! seen the top le't 'igure as a green <'orbi!!en= roa! sign& 9thers ma" have taken bigger creative leaps an! see a inking( bear!e! 'ace or an imminent solar eclipse on a clou!" !a"& :t !oesnBtmatter i' "ou can or canBt see these more outlan!ish images # thereBs no right or rong ans er&?ooking at things in a 'resh( ne a" can trigger a hole train2loa! o' thoughts( an! thatBs the essence o' e''ective brainstorming&Get the team to look at the shapes again an! see ho the" !escribe them!i''erentl"( secon! time roun!&-o ( 'ocus on "our problem( an! encourage "our team to look at it ith 'resh e"es or <in a !i''erent light=& .o oul! the" !escribe the problem to a non28nglishspeaker( a chil! or a Martian$)se this process to encourage ob+ectivit" an! !istance 'rom a problem( an! start a more creative problem solving process& :' "ouBre aiming to !evelop a ne solution(take "our e*isting pro!uct or process an! see ho "ou coul! use it or look at it in a!i''erent a"& The hackier the better at this stage # remember "ouBre aiming 'orquantit" not qualit" # an! take note o' the i!eas generate!& :tBs onl" later that eput our critical hats back on( an! rate the i!eas an! assess their suitabilit"0n! thatBs onl" the beginning% These creative brainstorming activities( games an! e*ercises ill get even the most tra!itional( set thinkers to approach problems !i''erentl" an! come up ith creative( innovative solutions or approaches&

4lassic Games # The PrisonersB Cilemma #Trust an! 4o2operation in Business( Workan! in Teams 4o2operation an! trust are important in business( ork an! in teams& 9ver time(lack o' co2operation an! mistrust ruin relationships an! !amage the orkingenvironment& Goo! relationships base! on co2 operation an! trust can result in a virtuous circle o' < in2 in= resolutions to problems( bene'iting all concerne!& This classic game !emonstrates the !ecision2making struggle bet een in!ivi!ual bene'it versus bene'it to the i!er group& :n this classic game( t o suspects are arreste! b" the police in connection ith aserious crime& The police have insu''icient evi!ence to convict imme!iatel" an! arerel"ing on the suspectsB statements to

make a conviction& The suspects are separate! an! given the same !eal # i' one con'esses an! the other remains silent(the silent suspect receives the 'ull ,1 "ear prison sentence an! the con'essor is release! imme!iatel"& :' both con'ess( each receives a re!uce! sentence o' / "ears&:' both remain silent( each suspect receives a > month sentence on a minor charge&To con'ess or remain silent$ This is the prisonersB !ilemma&To make this game more use'ul as an e*ercise in trust an! co2operation( the game has been a!apte!( repeating the !ecision making process& This enables behaviour to be change! over time in response to previous !ecisions( thus re'lecting more closel" <real2li'e=&)se this game to stimulate !iscussion about trust an! co2operation in business( orkan! in teams& Suggeste! !iscussion points a'ter the game is pla"e! areG HWhat !oes it 'eel like to be in each o' the 'our !i''erent outcomes$ Which as the most !esirable outcome$ Which as the least !esirable outcome$ HWhat strateg" as use! to make !ecisions$ Ci! this strateg" change as the game progresse!$ HWhat coul! be !one to repair a relationship i' there is a inIlose outcome$ HWhat coul! be !one to buil! an! maintain a relationship such that inI in is the e*pecte! outcome$ Group siJe # / to K in!ivi!ual pla"ers( split into t o groups o' , to 6 pla"ers& :' orking ith a larger group( set up multiple versions o' the game& Preparation # none& Materials # su''icient copies o' the blank gaming sheet( plus 'lip2chart 'or recor!ing !iscussion Li' appropriateM& Timing # appro*imatel" 31 minutes to pla" the game( an! 31 minutes to , hour 'or 'acilitate! !iscussion&