Find an original concept, a new product, develop a company… Some important decisions require collective reflection and exchange to be effective. But how to bring together and inspire management, method and project on several participants who may come from different backgrounds? Glowbl gives you the keys to organizing an effective brainstorming.
What is the definition of brainstorming?
Brainstorming is a method of problem solving or idea generation that encourages creativity and divergent thinking. By promoting the free expression of ideas, without judgment or censorship. The main objective of brainstorming def is to produce a large amount of ideas. And often in a group, within a defined time frame. These ideas can then be evaluated, refined and used to find solutions to a given problem. And to stimulate innovation or encourage the development of new concepts. In short, brainstorming aims to exploit the synergy of the group to generate original ideas and stimulate creativity.
What is brainstorming?
Brainstorming definition is an idea generation technique that encourages free expression and the exploration of creative concepts without judgment. In this chapter, we will discuss the basic principles of brainstorming, its origins and the different forms it can take. Including brainstorming in group, team and individual.
How do we brainstorm?
For brainstorming to be effective, it is essential to follow a structured process. We will detail the key steps of brainstorming, from defining the goal to selecting and evaluating the ideas generated. Each step will be explained in detail, with concrete examples to illustrate its practical application.
What’s the other name for brainstorming?
The other commonly used name for brainstorming translation is “brainstorming”. It is a literal translation of the English “brainstorming” and it evokes the idea of stimulating the mind to generate creative ideas.
What is a brainstorming tool?
A brainstorming tool is a resource, whether hardware or software, designed to facilitate and improve the brainstorming process. These tools are used to stimulate creativity. And organize the ideas generated and facilitate collaboration between members of a team or working group. Examples of brainstorming tools include:
- Whiteboard or erasable board: Allows you to visually record and organize ideas as they are generated during a group brainstorming session.
- Post-it or cards: Participants can write their ideas on post-it notes or cards, then paste them or arrange them on a board to facilitate organization and visualization.
- Mind mapping software: These applications create mind maps or diagrams to visually represent ideas and their relationships.
- Online brainstorming apps: Platforms like Miro, Trello, or Glowbl offer features to organize and collaborate on ideas remotely, in real time.
- Creativity games and exercises: Card games, reflection challenges, or lateral thinking techniques can be used as tools to stimulate creative thinking and get out of the usual thought patterns.
These brainstorming tools are used in a complementary way to help participants generate, organize and develop ideas in an effective and collaborative way.
Read also : The Raci Matrix
What are the 2 fundamental roles of brainstorming?
Idea generator
The primary role of brainstorming is to stimulate the generation of creative and original ideas. By encouraging free expression and eliminating the fear of judgment, brainstorming allows participants to think diversely and propose a wide variety of ideas, even the most wacky. This process of generating ideas can lead to innovative solutions and new perspectives on a given problem.
Collaboration catalyst
The second role of brainstorming is to foster collaboration and synergy within a group. By bringing together people with diverse skills and experiences, brainstorming allows us to capitalize on individual strengths and combine knowledge and perspectives to create richer and more complete ideas. The brainstorming process also encourages open communication and consensus building around the ideas generated, which promotes the engagement and buy-in of all participants to the end result.
How to brainstorm on your own?
Brainstorming on your own may seem like a challenge, but it is quite feasible and even beneficial to stimulate individual creativity. Here are some steps to guide you through this process:
Set a clear goal
Before you begin, identify the problem or topic you want to generate ideas about. Having a clear goal will help guide your thinking and maintain focus.
Choose an enabling environment
Find a quiet and comfortable place where you can concentrate without being interrupted. Eliminate potential distractions so you can fully immerse yourself in the brainstorming process.
Clear your mind
Start by freeing your mind by writing down all the ideas that come to mind, without judgment or censorship. Let your imagination run wild and write down everything that seems relevant, even the most wacky ideas.
Use brainstorming techniques
Experiment with different brainstorming techniques to stimulate your creativity. For example, you can use mind mapping by first writing your subject in the center of a sheet of paper and then linking related ideas in a free and non-linear way.
Ask questions
Ask yourself questions or use keywords to explore different perspectives and angles on the topic. For example, ask yourself “How could I improve this situation?” or “What are the different possible approaches to solving this problem? ».
Take breaks
If you find yourself stuck or your mind is starting to wander, take regular breaks to cool off and return to your brainstorming with a new and revitalized perspective.
Select and refine your ideas
Once you have generated a list of ideas, review your notes and identify which ones seem most promising or interesting to you. Then develop and refine those ideas by eliminating those that are less relevant or feasible.
Document your ideas
Be sure to document all your ideas, even the simplest or most obvious ones. You may be surprised at how a seemingly mundane idea can lead to an innovative solution.
By regularly practicing individual brainstorming, you can develop your ability to generate creative ideas and find original solutions to various problems.
What questions are asked during a brainstorming session?
When brainstorming, the questions asked should be open, challenging and focused on the specific topic or problem you want to explore. Here are some examples of questions you could ask to stimulate thinking and generate creative ideas:
- What are the different aspects of this problem/topic that we should consider?
- What are the root causes of this problem?
- How could we approach this challenge in a completely new way?
- What are the possible solutions that we have not yet considered?
- How could we improve this process/product/service?
- What are the current or emerging trends that could influence our approach?
- What resources or skills could be used to solve this problem?
- What are the potential obstacles we might encounter and how could we overcome them?
- How could we maximize the benefits of this opportunity?
- What are the alternative perspectives or perspectives that we have not yet explored?
- What are possible future scenarios and how could we prepare for them?
- What lessons can we learn from similar situations in other contexts?
- How could we further involve relevant stakeholders in this process?
- What are the core values we want to promote through our actions?
- What specific steps could we take to implement our most promising ideas?
These questions are designed to encourage reflection, stimulate creativity and guide the brainstorming process towards innovative and relevant ideas. Feel free to adapt them according to your specific subject or objective.
Be a dynamic facilitator in the brainstorm
Organizing an effective brainstorming depends, in the first place, on who will dictate the tempo of this meeting. To get the best out of all participants, the facilitator must be positive and enthusiastic. It is this energy that will inject a dynamic into the group, especially at the beginning of the session, when languages can struggle to untie.
In this regard, the facilitator must clearly set the rules and the main theme from the beginning of the brainstorming. Especially the most important: to make everyone understand that there are no bad or too fanciful ideas, that you should not hesitate to give free rein to your imagination, without slowing down, and be force of proposal. Similarly, it is up to him to revive the debate in case of weak times, to direct the moments of sorting ideas, voting on the best proposal, etc.
Finally, the facilitator is the master of time. He must keep an eye on the time in order to best rhythm the brainstorming, between phases of reflection and exchanges.
Gather with online brainstorming participants from different backgrounds
To organize an effective brainstorming, the choice and the number of participants are essential. Count between five and fifteen people to obtain a satisfactory and relevant result. Above all, try as much as possible to bring together a panel of participants from different backgrounds, mixing gender and age.
For example, in the context of a brainstorming in a company, it would be ideal to invite employees from different departments, creative elements as well as experience, or even external stakeholders (service providers, customers, etc.). It is possible to mix participants from different levels of hierarchy, but only if everyone is comfortable enough with this idea.
Stimulate the creativity of participants
As mentioned earlier, a positive and dynamic facilitator is one of the keys to a successful brainstorming. But, more generally, the environment chosen for this meeting is also very important for generating ideas. It is therefore appropriate to organize brainstorming in a quiet and, above all, inspiring place. In a café, in the room of a cultural place, in a garden: the place must be friendly and take participants out of a professional or too solemn context.
For brainstorming purposes, you can provide colored post-it notes and markers that will allow participants to write down all their ideas. Beyond the practical aspect, displaying these small papers on the wall will create a colorful fresco, more pleasant and stimulating than a classic whiteboard. Finally, to stay friendly, also plan some drinks and snacks.
How to organize this event online?
Due to distance or busy schedules, it is possible to organize an online brainstorming with the same success as a physical meeting. Glowbl and its ergonomics make it possible to maintain the conviviality and proximity decisive to find ideas all together.
The Glowbl interface makes it easy to take and give the floor, to create discussion groups as an aside or to react via a chat. It is also possible to share different types of content: documents, photos, YouTube videos, which helps to bring rhythm to the brainstorming and stimulate the creativity of the participants
