Seven Secrets to Good Brainstorming - Deepstash
Seven Secrets to Good Brainstorming

Seven Secrets to Good Brainstorming

fastcompany.com

5 ideas

·

214 reads

2

Keep reading for FREE

Seven Secrets to Good Brainstorming

Seven Secrets to Good Brainstorming

When all the current cost-cutting is over and business models begin to make sense again, one thing will differentiate winning companies from also-rans: their ability to innovate.

“Innovate or die” is not an idle threat. It’s the harsh reality of the modern, fast-forward economy.

So how to do brainstorming and what rules to follow for sparking good ideas?

14

62 reads

#1-#3

1. Sharpen the focus

Start with a well-honed statement of the problem at hand. Edgy is better than fuzzy. Best topic statements focus outward on a specific customer need or service enhancement rather than inward on some organizational goal. 

2. Write playful rules

E.g.:

  • Defer judgment
  • One conversation at a time
  • Go for quantity
  • Be visual
  • Encourage wild ideas

3. Number your ideas

This rule seems counterintuitive. But lists create goals to motivate participants. One could say, ‘Let’s try to get to 100 ideas.’ Lists provide a reference point if you want to jump back & forth between ideas.

15

45 reads

#4

4. Build and jump

Most brainstorming sessions follow a power curve: They start out slowly, build to a crescendo, and then start to plateau. The best facilitators nurture the conversation in its early stages, step out of the way as the ideas start to flow, and then jump in again when energy starts to peter out.

Go for two things in a brainstorm: fluency and flexibility. Fluency is a very rapid flow of ideas, so there’s never more than a moment of silence. Flexibility is approaching the same idea from different viewpoints.”

15

32 reads

#5

5. Make the space remember

Good facilitators should also write ideas down on an accessible surface. One could hold their brainstorms in rooms wallpapered with whiteboards or butcher paper. Alternatively, one could also use easel-sized Post-it notes. 

When the facilitator tries to pull together all the ideas after the session, she can stack up nice, tidy rectangular things instead of spreading butcher paper all the way down the hall.

15

39 reads

#6-#7

6. Stretch your mental muscles

Brainstorming, like marathon running, should begin with warm-up exercises. 

7. Get physical

Brainstorming sessions can be occasions for show-and-tell. Participants bring examples of competitors’ products, objects that relate to the problem, or elegant solutions from other fields as springboards for ideas. Also, keep materials on hand — blocks, foam core, tubing — to build crude models of a concept.

16

36 reads

CURATED BY

phaedrus

Digital Marketer Welcome to my Deepstash where I share ideas I find most valuable for those who wish learn more about digital marketing!

stash-superman-illustration

Explore the World’s

Best Ideas

200,000+ ideas on pretty much any topic. Created by the smartest people around & well-organized so you can explore at will.

An Idea for Everything

Explore the biggest library of insights. And we've infused it with powerful filtering tools so you can easily find what you need.

Knowledge Library

Powerful Saving & Organizational Tools

Save ideas for later reading, for personalized stashes, or for remembering it later.

# Personal Growth

Take Your Ideas

Anywhere

Organize your ideas & listen on the go. And with Pro, there are no limits.

Listen on the go

Just press play and we take care of the words.

Never worry about spotty connections

No Internet access? No problem. Within the mobile app, all your ideas are available, even when offline.

Get Organized with Stashes

Ideas for your next work project? Quotes that inspire you? Put them in the right place so you never lose them.

Join

2 Million Stashers

4.8

5,740 Reviews

App Store

4.7

72,690 Reviews

Google Play

Sean Green

Great interesting short snippets of informative articles. Highly recommended to anyone who loves information and lacks patience.

Ashley Anthony

This app is LOADED with RELEVANT, HELPFUL, AND EDUCATIONAL material. It is creatively intellectual, yet minimal enough to not overstimulate and create a learning block. I am exceptionally impressed with this app!

Shankul Varada

Best app ever! You heard it right. This app has helped me get back on my quest to get things done while equipping myself with knowledge everyday.

samz905

Don’t look further if you love learning new things. A refreshing concept that provides quick ideas for busy thought leaders.

Jamyson Haug

Great for quick bits of information and interesting ideas around whatever topics you are interested in. Visually, it looks great as well.

Laetitia Berton

I have only been using it for a few days now, but I have found answers to questions I had never consciously formulated, or to problems I face everyday at work or at home. I wish I had found this earlier, highly recommended!

Giovanna Scalzone

Brilliant. It feels fresh and encouraging. So many interesting pieces of information that are just enough to absorb and apply. So happy I found this.

Ghazala Begum

Even five minutes a day will improve your thinking. I've come across new ideas and learnt to improve existing ways to become more motivated, confident and happier.

Read & Learn

20x Faster

without
deepstash

with
deepstash

with

deepstash

Access to 200,000+ ideas

Access to the mobile app

Unlimited idea saving & library

Unlimited history

Unlimited listening to ideas

Downloading & offline access

Personalized recommendations

Supercharge your mind with one idea per day

Enter your email and spend 1 minute every day to learn something new.

Email

I agree to receive email updates