This SlideShare presentation offers media and business professionals tips and tricks to get the most out their brainstorming sessions. Better brainstorming makes for better ideas, which makes for better events, publications and inventions.
Report
Share
Report
Share
1 of 18
More Related Content
10 tools for better brainstorming
1. 10 tools to better brainstorming
By Annah Pritchett
3. “Process for generating creative ideas and
solutions through intensive and
freewheeling group discussion. Every
participant is encouraged to think aloud
and suggest as many ideas as possible, no
matter seemingly how outlandish or
bizarre”
(businessdictionary.com)
4. The Process of the Brainstorm
Task
It always
starts with a
task that
needs to be
addressed by
a group of
creative
thinkers.
Brainstorm
Every Idea is
allowed to
find its way
onto the
table.
Evaluate
Taking time
after the
brain storm
session to
think through
the best ideas
the group
came up with
6. “Unfortunately, many college students’ brainstorming
sessions are not as productive as they could be. A variety
of factors, such as a distracting environment or an
argument amongst group members, can wreck a
brainstorming session — and this can hurt the outcome of
your assignment.”
(USA today)
Ideas are hard
to generate
Feelings get
hurt
People feel too
intimidated to
contribute
8. 1. Establish ground rules
• After your team has settled in, make sure to
give them the framework for the
brainstorming time.
1. Every voice matters, don’t
hold back
2. Get comfortable with silence,
leave space for others to talk
3. Save ALL evaluation for the
evaluating portion
9. 2. Set Goals
• After the group has an idea of the structure, collectively set
a vision for what you would like to see the group
accomplish.
“By the end of this time I
would like to see ten solid
story ideas for next
semester’s issue ofThe
Point Magazine.”
“Walking away from this
experience I would like to
have the name of the venue
and caterer we would like to
contact for our event.”
10. 3. Use a white board
• White board’s open up
the group conversation
so everyone is on the
same page and can track
what the group has said
and where they are
headed.
11. 4.Write everything down
• Write down great ideas.
Write down bad ideas.Write
down boring ideas, write
down unachievable ideas.To
leave something out is to
evaluate what ideas are
good, which is NOT the
purpose of the brainstorm.
12. 5. Ask Clarifying Questions
• It is likely that someone will say half of a thought and
give up before articulating it fully. Push yourself to
understand where your group is at and to genuinely
understand all ideas, not just the ones you like.
13. 6. NEVER hold back ideas
• This is the big one: Do not talk
yourself out of voicing an idea
or opinion. Brainstorming is a
success when the whiteboard
is full, not when the
whiteboard has some good
ideas. (This should be
established in the ground
rules portion)
14. 7. Encourage teammates
• Brainstorming is vulnerable.
View each person on your
team as your teacher,
someone you have a lot to
learn from, encourage their
ideas and push the “quiet
ones” to voice themselves.
15. 8. Gauge group energy
Brainstorming can be exhausting. Halfway through the
process take the temperature of the room. If people
starting dwindling…
1. Get food!This always restores a room’s
energy
2. Stand up. Sitting in one spot for a long
time is very draining. Moving around can
usually be the shot of energy a group
needs.
3. Talk loud, use your hands.Yes, this sounds
crazy, but emoting in this way is extremely
effecting to instill energy back in a group.
16. 9. Listen with excellence
• Brainstorming should be the “Wild
West” of meetings.To reach success
everyone must feel free to be
themselves and voice their thoughts.
The way to maintain this freedom
while also being productive is by
committing to being a better listener
than you are a talker.This also opens
up space for the quieter voices in the
room.
17. 10. Evaluate
• You did it!You made it
through a full session of
freewheeling brainstorming!
Now it is time to refer back to
the white board and personal
notes and evaluate the ideas
that worked, why they
worked, and the next step in
order to accomplish your
task.