Brainstorming: What is it and how to do it?

Imagine that you have a problem on your hand and you don't know how to solve it. Perhaps because you don't have the knowledge to solve it or you have no action on it. How would you solve this problem?

I'm sure this question has already got you at some point in your life, whether at a business meeting, at college, or during a project, among other things.

And most likely you've done Brainstorming without even knowing what you were doing. Do you want me to prove that to you?

Keep reading!

What is Brainstorming?

Brainstorming is a method used to create and explore the creative capacity of individuals or groups. The technique proposes that a group of people come together and use their thoughts and ideas so that they can reach a consensus on problem-solving with the suspension of judgment and chain reaction.

The Brainstorming technique was created in the 1940s by an advertiser called Alex Osborn and can be used in any context. The premises for its development are a team engaged in solving a problem, and the freedom to be creative in generating ideas for a possible solution.

Do you realize now how much you have used this technique? When asking the opinion of several people about a subject, a problem, or a thought that you had automatically held a brainstorming session without even knowing!

When it comes to finding solutions to a problem the brainstorming is an excellent way to discover how to proceed.

How to do a good Brainstorming?

Just join several people in a room and each one goes throwing their ideas, right? Wrong! After all, many people talking at the same time will only serve to start a generalized turmoil, and that is not the purpose of Brainstorming.

To get good results it is necessary to follow a few steps so at the end of the meeting everyone leaves satisfied, and especially the client who is closer to having his problem solved.

And speaking about the customer, pay close attention to this: all brainstorming should focus on customer satisfaction because by solving your customers' problems, you will automatically be solving your problems!

Let's learn the 7 steps to succeed in brainstorming:

1 - Define a leader

As the goal is to bring together a group to share and generate ideas, it is interesting to define a leader so that the steps are performed correctly and in an organized way, avoiding possible conflicts.

In the first stages, conflict is harmful because it promotes the rejection of ideas that have not yet been developed. It is up to the driver to moderate, evaluate and command each stage of Brainstorming.

2 - All members should collaborate with their ideas   

Encourage all participants to give ideas without fear, as the more people participate, the more different ideas will emerge. Even if not all of them are used, this will stimulate the creativity of the people involved.

Brainstorming values ​​common sense, proactivity, arguments, and the courage to express ideas.

3 - No idea can be criticized because quantity is necessary  

At the Brainstorming meeting, aim to shoot ideas, without criteria. The more ideas, the better, because the process of creation requires that one thought to go out of the way for the next to come. When the flow is exhausted or when there are enough ideas, synthesize them and group them into categories.

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4 - Set a time for the notes   

Timing the notes will help the team to focus during Brainstorming. It becomes a "challenge" to force the mind to think of creative ideas with timed time.

5 - Ideas must be registered   

It is important to register the ideas because in this way nothing of what was said in the Brainstorming meeting will be forgotten and this will facilitate the analysis. If it is possible, write it down on a board or card so that everyone can see the construction of ideas.

Another method that is on the rise is the use of post-its because they allow ideas to be quickly registered, edited, or discarded.

Finally, separate them by categories, organizing them by the similarity of content.

6 - Do not point fingers

Brainstorming seeks to solve problems and not find guilty. If the goal is to blame someone or something, the tool loses its meaning a little because it does not solve the problem, right?

7 - Make a selection of the best ideas   

Still in a group, make a critical analysis of the ideas suggested during Brainstorming and select the best. Observe whether they are focused on the problem and whether they are "doable" since utopian or infeasible solutions will not do any good.

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