Tmerno
Brainstorming is a movement that tries to foster inventiveness and the development of thoughts to take care of an issue or continue an undertaking. Brainstorming is ordinarily completed in a group, however an activity should likewise be possible individually.
Firstly, you need to identify the problem for which the solution will be found. When using brainstorming, the objective is for you and your group to be able to bring together all the proposals that come up. And, in addition, it is important to leave this exercise with the identification of the idea or ideas that have the most potential for efficiency.
The brainstorming technique was developed by North American advertising executive Alex Osborn and its other objective is to engage the work team in solving a problem and give everyone the freedom to explore their creativity during this process.
When and why to use Brainstorming?
Brainstorming can be used in many situations. Normally, this technique is highly sought after to solve problems, but it can also be applied in positive and development situations, when thinking about the growth of a company, for example.
Some situations to apply the exercise:
A) Advertising: When developing ideas for campaigns.
B) Team building: With discussions about ideas, expanding creativity.
C) Product development: Both for the development of new ones and for the improvement of existing ones.
D) Problem solving: Thinking focused on analyzing consequences and searching for a solution.
E) Project management: Identify deliverables, resources, tasks and responsibilities.
F) Process management: Look for ways to improve the company’s internal processes.
The advantages of Brainstorming
By using brainstorming during group dynamics, it is possible to develop various interpersonal skills. The first of these is interactivity, because this activity generates the exchange of information between participants.
Furthermore, everyone learns to express the ideas they have thought of. In the corporate environment, this leads to another benefit, which is the appreciation and development of employees. During brainstorming, employees are listened to and their opinions are taken into account, generating even more motivation for their daily lives.
This technique also encourages teamwork and, therefore, also helps a lot in the relationship between participants, creating a more relaxed and peaceful environment in which to work. Communication also benefits during brainstorming, as participants feel more comfortable expressing themselves and feel more encouraged to put into practice the ideas generated in this dynamic.
For those who use brainstorming individually, creative thinking continues to be greatly stimulated. Doing it this way is advantageous when it is difficult to reconcile the schedules of all the necessary people. If your company’s employees don’t adapt to brainstorming, but you still need this dynamic to execute your projects, doing it alone is the best solution.
How to Brainstorm?
Brainstorming isn’t just about getting a bunch of people in a room and asking each person to share an idea. This will cause a huge commotion and the activity will not achieve its objective. To have a satisfactory result when using brainstorming, you need to pay attention to these 6 points:
1. Choose a leader for the activity
Having a leader leading the brainstorming will ensure that the activity is well executed. This is because he will focus on completing the steps and organize the team, avoiding problems during preparation. This leader will direct and moderate possible conflicts, in addition to commanding and evaluating all stages of brainstorming.
2. Encourage collaboration from all members
The more people participate, the more ideas will emerge! So, encourage and encourage everyone, even if these ideas are not used in the end. This will increase the creativity of whoever is participating and will encourage many qualities in your team, such as proactivity and a sense of argument. Finally, participants will feel free to give their opinions, increasing their sense of trust with the company
3. Don’t criticize any idea
The more ideas, the better. So, don’t criticize anything so as not to reduce the quantity in the end. This will help in case the chosen idea is not a good one. With many options, it’s easier to find the perfect solution. When you realize that you already have enough ideas to continue, organize everything and summarize any that seem repetitive.
4. Schedule note-taking time
Timing your team’s notes will increase concentration on creating ideas during brainstorming, reducing distractions and maintaining focus. Having a predetermined amount of time to come up with ideas will increase creativity.
5. Record all ideas
Write down everything that comes up during Brainstorming. This way, no information will be at risk of being lost during analysis. Making these notes in a place where everyone can see them is very advantageous, as all participants will be able to follow the construction of the ideas. They can be made on cardboard, whiteboard, post-its, whatever is best available for the group.
6. Select the best ideas
After thinking about ideas, you need to critically analyze and select the ones that best fit the objective of that brainstorming session. Furthermore, pay attention to whether the selected idea is possible to be implemented.
