Creative Thinking: Brainstorming Works!

What is brainstorming? The Oxford dictionary calls it a spontaneous group discussion to Produce ideas and Ways of solving problems. This method was first popularized by 'Alex Faickney Osborn' in the 1930s in a book entitled
'Applied Imagination'.

Basic Rules

There are 4 basic rules of brainstorming:

1. Generate as many ideas as possible (quantity of ideas)
2. Generate ideas as crazy as possible (no need to restrict the idea with certain limitations)
3. Developing ideas from the ideas that already exist (to renew or modify)
4. Avoiding assessments of the ideas generated (meant for the mind free of things that are resist or interfere with the process of generating ideas)

Why we should brainstorm?

• To create the latest innovations
• The best way to get the best ideas
• Make the process more fun to exchange thoughts
• Sharpen the creative brains

Then how to do?
'The best way to get a good idea is to get a lot of ideas.' - Linus Pauling, Nobel Prize Winner

The Method

This method does not have to be done sequentially, we can skip some parts that are not so important. This method is a process of brainstorming that is used in general:

1. Selecting a problem

The discussion should not be too big. Simply look at things simple yet lead to major problems. For example "how to design good transporter of LPG cylinders" can be sorted into several components such as:

LPG carriers (unit),
LPG carriers (large amounts),
LPG carriers (large size),
LPG carriers in the state of flooding, and others.

2. Gather the group members

Selected group members should have the same desire to solve the problem selected.

3. Sorting members of the group

Members of the group are split up to search for ideas that are separate but together solve the same problem. Suppose there are 30 people who follow, it can be divided into 3 subgroups, each consisting of 10 persons. Issues to be discussed is: "how to design good transporter of LPG cylinders. " The first group to discuss the LPG carriers (units), and so on.

4. Make a list of questions

Suppose the issues discussed were: "how to design good transporter of LPG cylinders. " We can make a list of questions related to issues such as: "what are the factors obstacles that may arise when carrying LPG cylinders?", "for whom this design objective? Adults or the elderly? "," what is required by a person carrying LPG cylinders? Do bring comfort or mild? ", and so on.

5. Preparation

It is intended for the process of brainstorming can be done well. Choose a chairman who will be the start and end of a brainstorming with the allotted time. Each group who have got the theme to be discussed can choose one person as recorder of ideas. Registrar also be argued. Group seating can be arranged circular to facilitate the process. Brainstorming process can be divided into several sessions, each session was given time limit. Determine the goal of ideas at every session, eg the first 10 minute session, we must get at least 10 ideas. Each session can be improved.

6. Brainstorming process

The process can be started on one person to express an opinion, then after that proceed to the next person clockwise. Every single person who issued the opinion should be recorded by the registrar of ideas. Anyone who wants to argue to wait until his turn. If someone runs out of ideas to jump turn. And so on until the session is finished.

7. Evaluation

Evaluation can be done to get the best ideas solutions. The evaluation was done after every session is complete. If no more ideas that can be put forward before the session finished, we could evaluate. The solution was to form an idea unit or a combination of several ideas from members. After obtaining several solutions can then be evaluated completely. Total evaluation of combining the solutions obtained by each group and can produce the best ideas.

The conclusion was wrong!

Osborn believes that by conducting brainstorming ideas will get two times more than individual thinking. Is this true? Several experiments conducted to test these conclusions. In 1958, a year after Osborn's book was published, a study proved that Osborn's conclusion was wrong! Another experiment conducted in 1987 by Michael Diehl and Wolfgang Stroebe from Tubingen University in Germany produced a similar conclusion.

The ideas generated from the brainstorming process was not able to beat the number of ideas generated by the ideas that were collected for each member of the group after they were asked to work alone.

Why so?

There are several possibilities here. The first possibility is the so-called free-rider phenomenon. Here, some group members prefer to keep their opinions and let other members participated. It may be that they feel a brainstorming session will not produce something useful for themselves. The second reason is the so-called evaluation apprehension. According to this theory, participants may not dare to produce crazy ideas for fear that would be laughed after the brainstorming process. Diehl and Stroebe acknowledge the influence of these two possibilities, although not significant. According to them, who were most responsible is the third phenomenon called blocking.

What is blocking?

In brainstorming sessions, participants will be alternately expressed his idea. At the moment there are others who speak and while there is an idea that suddenly appears in your brain, you have to wait your turn. Because short-term memory capacity (short-term memory) is not able to generate new ideas while still having to remember the previous ideas that have not been issued, you will spend time without being able to generate further ideas. Sometimes, when you turn the time to talk too long, you may even have forgotten the idea you want to contribute. This phenomenon is also supported by the fact that more and more members of groups that participate, the fewer ideas being generated, when compared with the number of ideas that can be generated if each member of the group working alone.

Conclusion

If so, is not the brainstorming process become useless? Would not it be better if we work alone first, and then collect and combine these ideas? Of course not! The advantages of the brainstorming process that does not come from working alone is the ability to combine ideas from several individuals. Therefore, it is to think about is how to take advantage of this while reducing vulnerabilities.

This simple technique worth trying. There is a good idea before a brainstorming session started, giving a piece of paper to each participant and ask them to work alone for 20-30 minutes beforehand. Ask them to register as many possible ideas that can be generated. Afterwards, ask them to join the group and bring the list. To create a brainstorming session becomes more alive, do not ask them to read the list in a rigid, let the discussion flow freely, and when the discussion happened to mention one of the items on their list, then put forward the item. Ask the group to continue to develop the idea that one of the other ideas. At the end of the session, expected all items on the list of participants is discussed. In this way, the brainstorming will produce the maximum benefit.
Good luck.