Brainstorming Techniques
Meera calls a classic brainstorm: six people in a room and the question "any ideas?" Kabir speaks first, everyone builds on his idea, and forty minutes later the whiteboard holds nine versions of the same thought. The fix is not more meetings. It is better techniques.
The rule
Diverge first, converge later — never judge an idea while it forms.
Idea generation has two phases: diverge (produce many options) and converge (compare and choose). Mixing them kills ideas early. The moment someone says "that won't work", people start filtering themselves. Open group brainstorms also suffer from anchoring, where everyone circles the first idea spoken, and loud voices, where the most senior or confident person steers the room.
Two techniques fight these problems.
Mind mapping lays out the shape of a problem. Write the framed problem in the centre of a page, draw branches for its main themes, and let sub-branches grow into causes and ideas:
- Centre: final-years don't list their old books
- Effort: typing every detail → scan the barcode instead?
- Timing: exams, then leaving campus → list before exams start?
- Price: no idea what to ask → show last term's sale prices?
- Trust: meeting strangers → verified campus accounts?
Brainwriting replaces talking with silent writing. In the popular 6-3-5 format, six people each write three ideas on a sheet in five minutes, then pass the sheet on. The next person adds three more, building on what is already there. After six rounds, thirty minutes in all, the group has up to 108 ideas, and the quiet student ambassador counted as much as the founder.
The shortcut
Pick the tool for the problem in front of you:
- The problem's shape is unclear → mind map it first.
- The group has uneven voices → brainwrite before anyone speaks.
- Only when ideas stop coming → cluster, discuss and vote.
Frame it (5 min)
Meera writes the framed problem in the centre of the whiteboard. Everyone reads it before anything else happens.
The trap is judging during the diverge phase, and even a raised eyebrow counts. Keep a strict rule: no critique until the timer ends.
Drills
Answer fast — trust the rule.
Why does brainwriting help quieter team members?
In 6-3-5, six people each add three ideas per round and pass sheets until every sheet has visited everyone. What is the most ideas you can get?
What belongs in the centre of a mind map?
Mid-session, while ideas are still being generated, Kabir says, "The barcode idea won't work, move on." Which rule did he break?
Remember
- Diverge first, converge later; no judging while ideas form.
- Mind map an unclear problem; brainwrite when voices are uneven.
- Trap: open "any ideas?" sessions, where the first and loudest idea wins.