Effective brainstorming activities: How to guide your team from brainstorming ideas to success

In this article we will discuss what brainstorming is, the importance of brainstorming, brainstorming methods and how to use them properly.

When people talk about teamwork, problem solving and interesting ideas, there is one term that is often repeated: brainstorming. This creative technique helps you achieve excellent results. It allows you to come to conclusions that you might not have come to on your own. Although there are many brainstorming advantages, not everyone knows or uses it. How to do brainstorming effectively?

What is brainstorming and examples

Brainstorming is a term composed of two words brain and storm. When you use it, you strain your brain to come to different conclusions. Brainstorming can also be described as a set of creative methods to help you come up with different ideas, which you then present to your colleagues. The basis of brainstorming is zero critical evaluation. This means that no one present should judge the ideas of others. In most cases, brainstorming takes the form of a spontaneous discussion on a given topic. A colleague’s idea may develop yours or inspire you to do something new. This method tries to relax the atmosphere among the participating group members. It is meant to create a safe place where no one judges anyone. This can be particularly helpful for quieter colleagues with less tendency to talk in a group.

Brainstorming in practice

Brainstorming focuses on new ideas and developing creative thinking. It can be used in marketing, IT sector or any other field where it is necessary to come up with something new. Although it is a more free-flowing discussion where ideas should flow, you should keep a few important brainstorming rules in mind. Use them to get the necessary results with the whole group.

Basic brainstorming rules for developing creativity and generating new ideas

• Set a time limit. Depending on the complexity of the problem, set a time together with your colleagues. It takes usually between 15 and 60 minutes. A longer time makes it harder to concentrate and makes the meeting unnecessarily long. If you would like to spend more time with this activity, do not forget to take regular breaks.
• Choose the main person of the discussion. If there are more than one of you in the team, it is a good idea to choose someone to lead the discussion.
  This person will choose the type of brainstorming, keep track of time, define the problem, and can award the floor.
• Select the number of discussion members. Everyone can bring their own perspective to the discussion, but when there are many people, you may find yourself drowning in ideas as a group. The best number of people for a brainstorm activity is 2 – 6.
• Define the problem. Each brainstorming session should have a defined topic or issue. An imprecise topic will cause you to move from one area to another. So, define the problem you want to find a solution to.
• Avoid criticism. To foster creativity, you and your colleagues need to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and safe. Don’t criticize any thought or idea, quite the opposite. Try to make use of their brainstorming tips.
• Encourage crazy ideas. There’s nothing too crazy about brainstorming. Even though an idea may seem unrealistic, keep it open. It might help you come up with something interesting.
• Focus on quantity. Although quality is better than quantity, this is absolutely not the case with brainstorming. Sorting through the ideas and choosing the best ones will come after you’re done with the discussion. Therefore, you and your colleagues write everything down and don’t leave out even the smallest detail.
• Bet on the visuals. Some things encourage creative thinking more when they are drawn or in the form of a table or diagram. So get some clean, preferably unlined paper, pencils, pens or a whiteboard to draw on with your colleagues. Other options are handy UML diagrams, also known as “mind maps”, various sticky notes, stickers and other aids.
• Avoid shouting. When someone speaks, others should listen and think quietly.
  If there are more of you in the group, agree that whenever someone wants to say something, they will speak up.
  That way everyone gets to speak and there is no chaos.

The rules and principles of brainstorming can be adapted to the needs of the group and the specific situation.

Basic brainstorming methods

Brainstorming has several methods. Choose one before starting the discussion. This will help you stick to the topic and ensure that you get the results you want.

1. 6-3-5 Brainwriting method with six participants

This type is also known as the 635 Method. It is based on six participants. Each of them writes down three ideas on paper, which are then developed by colleagues to their right. The individual ideas circulate among the members five times. In this way, everyone participates in each idea and contributes their share. If you ask who the brainwriting method is best for, the answer is introverts. Their involvement in debates is usually minimal. It’s a shame, though, because their creativity is often unappreciated. However, the main idea behind the 635 Method is to encourage creativity and divergent thinking in the group, with each participant contributing to the creation of ideas through writing and sharing with other team members.

2. The alter ego method – think like the target group

The method known as Alter Ego is great when you need to look at a problem from a different perspective. When brainstorming in this way, you need to put yourself in the shoes of a famous person or target group. When you start thinking like someone else, you look at the situation differently.

3. Wordstorming method – a waterfall of ideas

Innovative methods especially suitable for creating large numbers of words and original slogans include wordstorming. All you need is paper and a pen. Write a word or sentence related to a topic or issue and let your colleagues write more. You can then use the ideas to come up with an interesting whole.

4. Questioning method

This type of brainstorming is great for perfectionists. When you want the best results, have the group question all possible assumptions. See where the idea has a flaw or a minus. Using the opinions of others, you can uncover what else to improve and change.

5. Brainstorming and mind mapping for visualizing connections

A mind map is also an excellent brainstorming tool. It helps you to see things in context and notice the bigger picture, organise your thoughts and improve your memory. In fact, many people find it easier to remember information in visual form.

Creating mind maps is easy.
All you need to do is get a pen and paper.
Write your main idea or problem in the middle.
From that problem, start making basic branches.
The number of them varies, but they should connect to the main idea.
Write whatever comes to mind.
Once you have the first branches, you can divide them into more.
There is no limit to creativity.
If you’re not comfortable writing on paper, use a mind map program.
You can find lots of them on the internet and most of them are completely free.
You can find them in our article Tools that make work easier.

Other brainstorming types

Other variants include:

• Hobo method – in this method, a problem or topic is first introduced. Then each participant has time for self-study. After a certain amount of time, everyone gets together and starts discussing. The Hobo method is especially suitable if you don’t know much about the topic and are new to it;
• carousel brainstorming – discussants divide into groups and solve different tasks. When they have completed them, they move to the next place where another group was before. The aim of this variation of thinking is to get everyone to comment on an issue or idea;
• ping pong – this type is suitable for two people exchanging ideas and sharing their views.

How to avoid common brainstorming mistakes?

The most common mistake in brainstorming is its lack of regulation, which leads to a situation where extroverts talk a lot and introverts hardly at all. Therefore, the best solution is to choose a main member, i.e. someone who will lead the whole discussion. If you don’t want someone “superior” in the group, try a warm-up activity, often called icebreaker (a game designed to break the ice and initial shyness).

The warm-up activity can be anything.
The best is a simple question to think about, answered by all the judges.
For example, each person chooses an object and says at least five things they associate with it.

Another risk of brainstorming is straying off topic and tackling a different issue.
The solution to this problem is to regularly return to the basic idea.
Write it down on paper and put it in the middle of your desk, or place it on a magnetic whiteboard.
Whenever you feel like you’re going off on a tangent, ask how your idea relates to the topic at hand.

Brainstorming to support creativity

In conclusion, if we ask the question “What is brainstorming?” it’s a great creative technique that opens the door to new ideas. It improves the results not only of whole groups but also of individuals. It can develop creativity and allows you to look at a problem from a different perspective. It can be used in almost every field, but in the IT sector or marketing it is crucial. Try it out with your colleagues or completely on your own and help your personal growth and career!