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10
Brainstorming Rules
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Set
directions.
Describe the situation and
define the
problem.
Help people to understand the problem to be solved and clarify the
objectives.
Focus on productive objectives and keep group on
track.
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Involve everyone.
Encourage everyone to contribute. Control dominating participants.
Celebrate
diversity. Use different techniques to draw ideas from
group.
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Encourage cross-fertilization.
Build on each other. Let others' ideas take you somewhere else.
Combine,
synergize,
and improve upon ideas. -
Encourage
outside-the-box thinking.
Challenge
assumptions.
Be creative.
Go crazy. Sometimes the wildest ideas lead to great ones. The wilder
the ideas the better Step out of your shoes to surface new insights.
("What if you were a cat, or a film scenario writer – how would you
solve the problem?"). Encourage
active listening.
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Don't overlook the obvious –
the obvious
solution is sometimes the best.
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Suspend judgment.
No ideas are bad ideas.
All
ideas are good ideas. (Actually, a minority opinion offered during
group decision making often stimulates more
innovative solutions to a problem).
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Don't fear repetitions.
At different
moments you see with different eyes. During discussion afterwards
the duplicate ideas you may find them different or they may trigger
a different response at a different time.
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Don't
stop and discuss.
Go for quantity, not
quality. Keep the momentum going.
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Record and display each
idea.
Make sure each idea is
complete – don't use one-word
descriptions to avoid misunderstanding. Don't edit.
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Apply the
80/20 Principle
and
change hats to select the best
ideas.
Look through your list of
ideas and circle the 20% that will yield 80% of the results you are
looking for. Encourage
full-spectrum thinking.
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