Page 283 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

266 Chapter 10

Using Brainstorming to Discover Alternatives One technique to help you find or cre-
Brainstorming ate good ideas is brainstorming, developed in the advertising industry, whose business
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A technique for it is to create innovative advertising campaigns. Its use has spread to areas such as
stimulating creative banking, engineering, medicine, education, and government—any place where cre-
thinking by ative ideas are desired. In order for a group’s creativity to be released, members must
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temporarily feel safe in a nonthreatening environment free of judgment. Because critical evalua-
suspending tion kills creativity, the main principle behind brainstorming is “no evaluation”
evaluation of during the brainstorming process. Evaluation of ideas—a necessary component of
alternatives. critical thinking—takes place after group members have listed all the ideas they can
think of.
Effective brainstorming is harder than it looks because staying nonjudgmental is
not easy! We have a tendency to comment on suggestions: “That sounds great!” or
“Where did you get that idea?” Some organizations have creatively used squirt guns
and nerf balls to stifle this tendency, sending water or a ball in the direction of the
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offender. After years of research into brainstorming, two measures have emerged that
help ensure both quantity and quality of ideas: If you have the time, allow members to
generate ideas initially alone and then offer them to the group. This is especially help-
ful for generating quantity of ideas. Second, the less said the better. Avoid storytelling
tangents and explanations of the ideas—the gist of the idea is your priority. Follow
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wisely the steps of brainstorming (see Table 10.5) by staying focused and minimizing
Brainwriting
evaluation. Brainstorming steps are briefly described in Table 10.5.
Individual Brainstorming has several variations, including brainwriting, which capitalizes on
brainstorming in
writing before group the fact that group members are sometimes more productive when they work alone
discussion of items. initially, but in the presence of others. During brainwriting, members are given a spec-
ified time limit—10 or 15 minutes—to write down as many ideas as they can generate

TABLE 10.5
Steps in 1. Members are presented with the problem, which can range from specific
brainstorming (What should we name our new microbrew?) to abstract (How can we improve
living conditions in the residence halls?)
2. Members are encouraged to generate as many solutions as possible, under the
following rules:
A. No evaluation is permitted. No one is allowed to criticize, laugh at, or
negatively react to any idea.
B. Quantity is sought. Members should try to generate as many solutions as they
can, initially alone if time allows. The facilitator should prod them to think of
more if there is a lull.
C. Innovation is encouraged. Wild and crazy ideas are encouraged—you never
know which one will spark just the right solution for the group.
D. Hitchhiking on previous ideas is encouraged, but tangents and explanations
should be curtailed; just focus on the gist of the idea.
3. All ideas are written down so that the entire group can see.
4. All ideas are evaluated, but at another session or after a substantial break.

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