Free Brainstorming
Too many people make the mistake of thinking that brainstorming has to be a terribly rigid and structured process. Thankfully, that is not the case at all! Free brainstorming should be more widely utilized in order for the most creative ideas to flow through.
When you’re brainstorming, it is easy to get caught up in the idea that you have to find an immediate solution. That thought could really halt the facilitation of the goals you’re trying to accomplish. Instead of focusing on finding the absolute answer right away, allow for better thinking by focusing on creative ideas and business innovation. This form of free brainstorming will lead to a better overall experience.
The best way to do this is to make sure that everyone doing the brainstorming is on the same page. Inform everyone that there is no real structure to the solutions they are able to come up with. Any and all ideas should be accepted and added to the mind mapping you’re doing. Telling anyone that their idea will not work will zap the innovation right out of the room! Remember, you’re doing free brainstorming and doing away with rigid rules.
Even if you secretly think that some of the ideas are silly or unworkable, you’re bound to find one that does your problem solving. Once everyone in the free brainstorming session starts to feel more relaxed you’ll notice the lateral thinking start to emerge. Thinking outside the box is definitely what you want in order to solve your problems!
Again, write down any and all ideas. Your goal for this brainstorming session is not to choose the answer; it is to come up with the possibilities. If you focus too much on determining the solution you’re likely to miss the creative ideas your team would have come up with. It can be hard to do this free brainstorming, especially if you’re on a strict time schedule!
The best way to avoid problems with time is to limit the amount of free brainstorming you do. Hold your meeting for a half hour to an hour, and then deliberate if necessary. Remember, taking action is what will get you the results, not coming up with many different ideas. They are both vital steps that much be separated in order to get the best possible results.
Free brainstorming is one of the best methods of problem solving and business innovation. When you let your mind fly free there is no telling what great things you’ll be able to come up with. Focus on the ideas during this time instead of the solution, and you’ll be surprised at the great things you come up with.
