6.9
BRAINSTORMING: GENERATING IDEAS QUICKLY
Inspired by numerous sources.
Brainstorming is a commonly used group process and innovation tool. It’s usually used to gen-
erate a lot of ideas quickly. Teams and groups use it because it’s an understood and acceptable
process in most organizations, and because it generates short bursts of energy and lots of ideas.
WHY USE BRAINSTORMING?
✔ It’s a quick way of getting lots of information on the table.
✔ It increases participation, which leads to commitment.
✔ It leads to creative ideas and solutions.
✔ It leads to synergy, whereby new ideas are built on each other; participants begin to put
together previously unrelated ideas.
✔ It’s fun and energizing.
✔ It’s more efficient than debating one idea at a time. Generating a number of ideas in a
group, and then evaluating and debating to find the best ideas(s), is effective and time-
efficient.
DEVELOPMENTAL VERSUS EVALUATIVE THINKING
For brainstorming to be effective, leaders need to ensure that their workgroup or team distin-
guishes between two kinds of thinking, developmental and evaluative. (Note: The references
to “hat” thinking can be understood by reviewing ☛6.6 Six-Hat thinking.)
196 SECTION 6 TOOLS FORCRITICALTHINKING ANDINNOVATION
Developmental
- Used to get
many ideas in
the open.
Evaluative
- Used to
determine the
best plan of
action.
Type of
thinking Techniques Ground rules
Developmental:
- Brainstorming
- Lateral thinking
- Green- and yellow-hat
thinking
Evaluative:
- Priority setting
- White-, red-, and
black-hat thinking - Decision making
Developmental:
- No criticism.
- Build on others’ ideas.
- Out-of-the-box thinking encouraged.
- Quantity more important than
quality.
Evaluative:
- Clarification, concerns, and
questioning okay. - Debate is okay.
- Seek closure on the best ideas or
actions.