1. Brainstorming - Creative
Problem Solving Method
Halka Baláčková , MBA
Masaryk Institute of A dvanced Studies,
Czech Technical University in Prague
www. muvs . cvut . cz
e-mail: hbalackova@volny.cz
UNIDO – Technology Foresight for Practicioners – Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

2. Session objectives
 What is brainstorming
 Why and when use it
 How to organise and lead a successful
brainstorming session
 What mistakes are to be avoided
Additional creative problem solving
MUVS CVUT Prague

methods
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

3. What is brainstorming
„The best way how to have a good idea is
to have many ideas“
 Alex F. Osborne, 1939
 method of thinking up solutions, concepts,
ideas in problem solving

using the brain to storm new ideas in groups
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
„It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think
up a new one.“
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

4. Why and When Use It
 the creative process is not always easy (problems
of fear, criticism, no existing solutions yet)
 one person has a limited capacity
 people tend to judge new ideas immediately (a
change is difficult for a human being)
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Creative thinking require
appropriate tools !
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

5. How does it work
 in a group of people
 free associations to the topic given
 relax ed and friendly atmosphere
 deferred judgements – release the human
mind, lateral thinking
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As many ideas as possible,
no matter how crazy they
are
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

6. The key rules
1. relaxed atmosphere - completely
free
2. no criticism or judgements
3. quantity matters
4. all ideas legitimate
5. all ideas put on the sheet of paper
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6. evaluation only after the session
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

7. BENEFITS of
brainstorming
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UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

8. Why and When Use It
Specific questions :
- How can we promote our products?
- What can our company do in 5 years hence?
- What can we do to solve the problem XY?
- How can we improve co-operation of A and B?
- What do our customers really want?
- What opportunities do we have this year?
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- How can we have more fun at work?
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

9. BRAINSTORMING
CONSTRAINTS
 does not rank the ideas
 cannot help you select the important
ones
 does not suggest the best solutions
 must be amended by other
methods
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UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

10. Organising a session?
1. PREPARATION
PHASE
3. EVALUATION
2. CONDUCT THE
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SESSION
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

11. 1. PREPARATION
PHASE
Specify the problem
What do we really want?
Invite people Select the right
make sure they people
have time up to 10 – 12
different positions
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Decide when and where
place and time matters
„U“ layout of the room
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

12. 2. CONDUCT THE SESSION
1. Specify the objectives – make sure that everybody is happy
with the central question.
2. Decide the roles: - leader, recorder, panel.
3. Explain the rules (or make sure that everybody knows them.
Eventually – a warm-up exercise for fun). You can let people to jot
down a few ideas before starting.
4. Begin by going around, after some rounds, open the floor.
5. Record the ideas exactly, clarify only in the end.
6. Suspend judgements !
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7. Encourage the ideas, even the most radical and far-fetched.
Allow the late coming ideas, do not hurry.
8. At the end – eliminate duplicates, clarify, thank the participants.
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

13. 3. EVALUATION PHASE
Put the evaluation off / next day
Add newly born ideas to the list
Group similar ideas together
Select the best or most interesting
suggestions
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Create teams which will work on
them further
Inform people about the results
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

14. M istakes to be avoid ed
 people are  bad experience
negative in with the method
advance (it will not  judgements occur
work anyway) during the session
 too many  any criticism and
brainstormings in personal attacks
the company
MUVS CVUT Prague
 bad atmosphere
in the beginning
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

15. Additional creative
problem - solving methods
INDIVIDUAL BRAINWRITING
COLOURFUL CARDS
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MIND MAPS
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

16. INDIVIDUAL BRAINWRITING
When?
- When you need to solve some problem alone, and
you do not have a group to work with
How?
- A piece of paper (can be big and colourful to stimulate
your thinking).
- Jot down all ideas linked with the issue.
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- !! Do not judge yourself !!
- further steps as in brainstorming
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

17. COLOURFUL CARDS
When?
- in a group of people, sensitive topic (eg. What do we like / dislike
about our managers, company?)
How?
- a set of papers / person (smaller pieces, A4/3 or 3M), colours as
needed, for example yellow and green
- people individually note their opinions on the cards, one idea
per card, yellow – positive, green – negative
- glue the cards on the flip chart, grouping immediately similar
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opinions together, negative on the left, positive on the right
- let people see and discuss the result
- brainstorming on What can we do about it? can follow
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

18. MIND MAPS *
WHAT is it?
- alternative way of making notes and mapping any issue
- many well-known thinkers used some form of it
(Leonardo da Vinci)
- does not use linear form of notes , but EXPLOSIVE
- using colours, pictures and symbols
WHY?
explosive
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- uses natural brain processes
form
- stimulate thinking, fun, joy
linear form
* eg. Tony Buzan, The Creative Intelligence
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

19. How to use MIND MAPS
architecture
history
capital city PRAGUE
culture
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transport restaurants
and good food
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

20. When to use MIND MAPS
 to make a daily schedule
 notes of the lesson, books, articles
 holiday planning
 shopping list
 to do list
every day, as often as possible, be creative,
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
develop your own style with time, have fun
 also in groups after brainstorming session
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

21. SUMMARY
 creativity is not born by itself
 creative methods must be consciously
introduced and developed in organisations
 people must be encouraged to use them,
with no fear to make mistakes, prized for new
ideas
 support from top management needed
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 good preparation and patience
Have fun and all the best !
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague

22. End of Presentation
 Thanks for
attention –
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questions welcome
UNIDO - Technology Foresight for Practitioners - Training course, 6-10 October 2003, Prague