A Guide to Brainstorming
Some Brainstorming Guidlelines
The brainstorm facilitator should explain the following guidelines to the participants - and, indeed, put headline summaries of them up on the wall where people can see them.
- Suspend Judgement - No Idea Is A Bad Idea
No idea is bad - at least at the initial "brain-dump"
stage of the process. Everyone, including the facilitator, should
therefore put judgement aside, and encourage ideas of all shapes
and sizes, both sensible and silly. Anything, and everything
goes, often the sillier the better.
- Aim For Lots Of Ideas
'The best way to get an idea', reckoned Linus Pauling, the
double Nobel Laureate, 'is to get a lot of ideas'. So, aim to
generate a load of ideas - as many as possible, regardless of
quality. Editing and selection can come later.
- Relax And Enjoy It
Aim to create a supportive, informal and fun atmosphere, in
which participants feel they can relax and shed their inhibitions,
instead of worrying that they risk sounding foolish or looking
stupid by suggesting any particular idea.
- Go With The Flow - Piggyback On Each Other's Ideas
The facilitator should encourage participants to freewheel and
build on each other's ideas, letting one idea spark or lead
to another. Doing so not only leads to more and better ideas
but also fosters a sense of collaboration and group ownership
of the ideas
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