It’s a common misconception that inspiration “hits when you least expect it,” however this is a poor method for encouraging innovation and creativity. Just think back to a time when you or a team you were a part of had to come up with a fix for a certain problem. It may be as simple as creating a plan to achieve your goals for the current quarter or choosing a theme for a workplace party. As soon as your mind begins to generate thoughts, it stops working.
What you require is a plan to encourage the flow of your creative ideas. The solution is to brainstorm. The best ideas can emerge when brainstorming is incorporated into the problem-solving process since it encourages cooperation and creative thinking.
Introduction to Brainstorming
As the name implies, brainstorming involves using one’s mind to come up with a plethora of original solutions to an issue. It is a technique for sparking creativity and idea generation.
You can use this technique whenever you need fresh ideas, but it is typically used by individuals or teams at the start of projects to generate original answers to pressing issues.
While brainstorming is typically done in groups, it may also be a very useful technique for individuals working on their objectives and projects, such as choosing a topic for a piece of writing or your next craft project.
When you know how to brainstorm, it’s simple to:
- Obtain outside viewpoints.
- Encourage innovation and inventiveness.
- Encourage cooperation.
- Think about all your options.
- Develop a lot of concepts quickly.
- Keep your creativity fresh.
Brainstorming History
The act of brainstorming did not occur suddenly. When advertising executive Alex Osborn discovered that conventional business meetings weren’t the best place to communicate new ideas, he originally invented the phrase in 1941. He sought a means of enabling people to think creatively without worrying about rejection.
Osborn asserted that the following two rules increased “ideative efficacy”: avoid criticism and prioritise quantity over quality.
Osborn developed the four rules of productive brainstorming based on these principles: concentrate on quantity, refrain from criticism, accept unconventional ideas, and combine and improve ideas. These guidelines were intended to develop a collaborative environment that encouraged absurd and innovative ideas by encouraging people to think in fresh and different ways.
According to Osborn, brainstorming should be utilised to achieve a specific objective or challenge. Without a clear aim or solution in mind, brainstorming may result in working in the wrong direction.
Osborn’s original approach is crucial for developing into an idea machine whether you are brainstorming on your own for personal projects and goals or working in a team.
A straightforward, common approach for idea generation and problem-solving is brainstorming. It inspires people to come up with innovative ideas that initially may appear a little crazy. A few of these concepts can be developed into an original solution to a problem. Other ideas can spark even more creative solutions and ideas.
