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Posts Tagged ‘brainstorming’

Does brainstorming still have value

June 11th, 2009 by Steve Swann | 2 Comments | Filed in Business, Problem Solving, Thinking

In a recent post I posed  the question:

Does “business” actually have the capacity to deliver on the innovation promise? (click to read)

Often, when a business wants to jump into the innovation lane their first stop is a brainstorming session. “Ahhhhh, not again” I hear you say!! (No wonder innovation is so toothless….)

Well you are not the only one who cringes at the thought. I’ve seen quite a bit of commentary recently on the subject. A good article that discussed the Pro’s and Con’s was written by Mark McGuiness at Lateral Action. Another more recent is from Business Week – Brainstorming for Better Business – which gives some real life examples of brainstorming in action.

From my perspectives Brainstorming is an effective part in a process, and should not be viewed as a singular isolated event. By this I mean that there has to be some type of “focus” prior to the brainstorming to make sure it addresses the right problem. This helps keep the ideation on track.

Following the brainstorming is evaluation and the same people need to be involved. This helps train the participants to think of future ideas within the evaluation criteria – thereby improving the quality and effectiveness of future sessions.Those that use brainstorming regularly and embed it in their working practices become effective at it, and find it valuable. Those who view it as a chore or an ineffective practice end up making it so.

Several weeks ago I saw this illustration. In the accompanying article it explained how some items travel along a “Value” path and ultimately pass through a trough where they have so little value that they are actively trashed. I think that brainstorming is in this part of the cycle. Hopefully this useful tool’s value will again be appreciated.

where is brainstorming in the value trough?

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writing a problem statement

October 13th, 2008 by Steve Swann | 13 Comments | Filed in Doing, Thinking, Tools & Resources

Brainstorming and coming up with ideas is stimulating and satisfying. The satisfaction comes from finding good workable solutions to problems. Therefore defining the problem clearly upfront can be a real aid to the idea creation and problem solving that follows.

Defining a problem with a Problem Statement is common on academic circles and within TQM and Six Sigma methodologies. For Brainstorming however we need something shorter and simpler.

I’ve had a quick look for a problem statement template specifically for brainstorming. I didn’t find one but did come across some themes that I’ve pulled together into the following process.

The first step is to write down your problem or the current state. Don’t worry too much about quality at this point – simply making a start is significant. Next, expand on your problem by asking the following questions:

  • who does it affect / does not affect.
  • what does it effect / does not affect.
  • how does it effect / does not affect.
  • when is it a problem / is not a problem.
  • where is it a problem / is not a problem.

Now, re-write your problem statement based on those answers.


The Second step is the same as the first, but focuses on the Desired or Future State.

The Third Step is to combine your revised Problem or Current State and your desired Future State into a single statement. This might take a couple of attempts but stick with it. Finally, review your new problem statement against the following criteria:

  • Focused on only one Problem.
  • One or two sentences long.
  • Does not suggest a Solution.

You should now have a concise and well balanced Problem Statement ready for a brainstorming session. It should be unambiguous and devoid of assumptions. It will enable you or your group to focus in on the problem and work toward solutions that truly fit.

Try it yourself – Download a Problem Statement workbook by clicking this link: Download Writing a Problem Statement - Workbook Version 1.0

The following diagram outlines the process:



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tools for getting your ideas in order

August 21st, 2008 by Steve Swann | No Comments | Filed in Doing, Ideas, Thinking

Mind mapping has been around for years and it’s a terrific tool for expanding ideas. They are great for working through all the thinking associated with a specific idea and putting it into some sort of order.

What I’ve been looking for though is something that allows me to collect a bunch of related ideas and organise them. I’ve needed something that allows me to get the thoughts out of my head and on to something I can work with. For that task Mind Maps don’t quite work for me. In the past I’ve tended to use paper and pens or Post-its (nothing wrong with that), and sometimes PowerPoint.

I’ve recently discovered a great (free) tool that allows me to collect my ideas and organise my thinking into a concept mapa new term for me. From the concept map I can take the key concepts and expand and refine them as mind maps. The mind maps allow me to sort, categorise and expand sub-ordinate thoughts; I can document these into very specific outputs and actions.

The following is a concept map that shows the process and the relationships between Concept Maps and Mind Maps.

Concept and Mind Mapping

This was my first attempt at using IHMC’s (Institute for Human & Machine Cognition) concept mapping tool Cmap. It took me about five minutes. Very easy to use, so if you’re looking something to help capture, connect and visualise your thoughts try it out. A great source of information and resources on Mind mapping, Brainstorming and Creative Thinking is Innovation Tools. Check them out too. 

InnovationTools provides entrepreneurs and innovators with a focused, growing collection of the best resources on business innovation, creativity and brainstorming. Our goal is to help you to learn more about the tools, strategies and techniques you can use to be more creative in your business — and to help your company to increase its capacity for innovation and change.




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