Brainstorming
Description:
The purpose of brainstorming is to generate a large quantity of ideas from a group in a relatively short period of
time. Brainstorming is best done in a small group.
Brainstorming is an idea-generating technique pioneered by Alex Osborn, an advertising executive. A group of
people throw out their ideas as they think of them, so that each has the opportunity to build on the ideas of others.
Brainstorming is not a free-for-all. There is a discipline to the process that helps maintain both a sense of order
and a reasonable level of freedom. The informality of the process is what generates the atmosphere of freedom.
There are two phases to the brainstorming process: Idea-generation and idea-sorting and evaluation.
Directions: Phase 1:
The rules for the idea-generating phase of brainstorming are:
• No evaluation. Ideas must not be criticized or praised during the idea-generating phase.
• Encourage wild ideas. Some of the most off-the-wall ideas lead to practical solutions.
• Hitchhike. Build on the ideas of others.
• Strive for quantity. Quality comes later.
There are three basic methods of brainstorming. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Each is described
below.
Free-Wheeling Brainstorming
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Group members call out their ideas as they think of them.
They are recorded, usually on a flip chart or white board, as fast as they are generated.
An attempt is made to record the idea exactly as stated, using the contributor's exact words.
The advantages of the free-wheeling process are:
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It is very spontaneous — ideas come from all over, all at once.
It tends to be very creative — if the "no criticism" rule is strictly observed, the ideas tend to be more creative
as the process unfolds.
It is easy to build on the ideas of others — because there is no need to wait, if an idea sparks a thought, it can
be added to the list immediately.
The disadvantages of the free-wheeling process are:
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Strong individuals may dominate the session — everyone must be encouraged to participate.
It can be confusing, particularly for the person recording the ideas, when too many people talk at once. Ideas
can get missed.
Round-Robin Brainstorming
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The group leader or the person recording the ideas, asks each person, in turn, for an idea — people need to
wait for their turn to speak.
Group members can pass on any round — if you don't have an idea, you pass.
The session continues until everyone has passed during the round.
Ideas are recorded in the same manner as in Free-Wheeling Brainstorming.
The advantages of Round-Robin process are:
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It is difficult for one person to dominate the session since everyone gets a turn.
The generation of ideas tends to be somewhat more focused.
Everyone is encouraged to take part in the process.
 2000, Crow Development Corporation
The disadvantages of the Round-Robin process are:
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It can be difficult to wait for one's turn to speak.
Due to the structured nature of the process, some loss of energy usually occurs.
Some people will show a reluctance to pass. This can hold up the process while they try to think of something
to contribute, further draining energy.
Because of the one-at-a-time approach, it is more difficult to build on the ideas of others.
Slip-Method Brainstorming
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This method is quite different from the previous two.
The leader asks participants to write down ideas on small slips of paper, Post-it® Notes, or index cards.
The cards are then collected and organized.
Review of the submitted ideas can be by the group that generated them or by another group.
The advantages of the slip method are:
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The anonymous nature of the input can be used to deal with sensitive subjects.
This method can be very useful with large groups.
The fact that no one need speak can be a relief for some people who are reluctant to speak in groups.
The disadvantages of the slip method are:
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Due to the anonymous nature of the input, it is impossible to build on the ideas of others.
The process is slow.
Some ideas may be illegible or incomplete and hard to understand.
It is difficult to get clarification.
Phase 2
The second phase of brainstorming is the idea-sorting and evaluation phase. This needs to be a separate activity
from the first phase. Do not get the two mixed up. Evaluation during the idea-generating process can be fatal to
the creation of new ideas. Ideas are fragile things when they are fresh. They don't survive criticism very well. Let
the generation phase run until the ideas begin to dry up, then move on to the sorting and evaluation phase.
Idea Sorting:
This activity is intended to reduce the size of the list of ideas generated by grouping them logically together. After
the group has stopped presenting new ideas, ask them to help with the sorting by identifying those ideas that
seem to belong together. The groupings should be fairly obvious. Ideas that are similar in intent, content, wording,
etc., should be grouped together. This can generate a whole new (but shorter) list. Try for agreement about how
to word the explanation of the newly grouped ideas. This should result in more fully described ideas.
Idea Evaluation:
In this part of the exercise, the ideas are open for debate, criticism and evaluation. They can be examined for
merit and debated for viability. The results of this process should be a list of ideas to be pursued and developed.
The decision about which ideas to pursue should be a group decision.
 2000, Crow Development Corporation