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Ways to Start Brainstorming

By October 20, 2019May 24th, 2023No Comments

,,I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t.” –Thomas Edison

House, M.D. and his team going crazy over various symptoms written on a white board are among my favorite brainstorming scenes.  Although fictional, depiction of brainstorming in this tv show is probably the closest to its original idea developed by Alex Faickney Osborn. It is swift, non-judgmental (or at least subject to witty, but fast-paced comments), it embraces diversity and some very strange conclusions. The following are just a few ways to start brainstorming.

What is Brainstorming

Brainstorming is not the only type of storm we can benefit from. However, it is by far the most pleasant and fulfilling. I did not give it much of a thought before I reached a certain age. Exchanging ideas in early years was simply that – exchanging ideas. And then we learnt about the phenomenon called “brainstorming”. Our lives changed.

Brainstorming can make your life easier, especially if you are a team player. Even if you are not, brainstorming can help out in solving some issues. There are many situations in life when two heads are smarter than one. We should all take advantage of this fact and ask for advice or different opinion, whenever possible. Brainstorming became a must in many industries nowadays, not just in creative ones. This phenomenon carries the knowledge and ideas sharing in its essence.

Ways to Start Brainstorming

Relying on quantity as a pre-requisite – the advocates of brainstorming claim that there is rarely quality without quantity. The more ideas we all bring to the table, the better the chances of finding that special solution to our problems.

Accepting strange ideas – when we are dealing with great number of ideas, there is no way to avoid completely strange ones, or even outrages and seemingly irrelevant ideas. However, brainstorming is teaching us that we should open our minds to different opinions. This is one of the best aspects of brainstorming. It can widen our horizons and force us to look at the same picture from a different angle.

Restraining from criticism – since wild and unusual ideas are welcome, one of the main rules teaches us not to criticize them. Learning to accept different possibilities is beneficial. Have you ever tried to unsuccessfully solve a problem in your life doing the same thing over and over again? I know I have. Sometimes I managed eventually, others I failed. The point is that I could have saved some time and efforts if I have only been able to put another perspective on the issue.

Combining ideas – there is no brainstorming without teamwork. If you are smart enough to recognize when you need help and brave enough to try something different, the result is inevitable. What is also great about combining ideas is that you get to practice the associative way of thinking that engages brain cells and boosts brain capacity.

 

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