Brainstorming - Explanation and definition of brainstorming

What is brainstorming

Brainstorming is a technique of work being performed on equipment which allows us to quickly reach a group of people propose, clarify and evaluate a number significant ideas in order to solve some problem or situation, the main objective of brainstorming is improving.

Developed in 1938, as its name indicates the brainstorming is to provide an unlimited number of ideas about a topic as we can think of, is thus a tool teamwork that is used to exploit the creativity of the team and lead the contribution of a lot of ideas in a spontaneous and uninhibited way.

The brainstorming is a technique that is used primarily for:

• Identify interim containment measures.

• Define the possible causes of the problem.

• Identify definitive solutions.

• Suggest improvement actions.

• Identify barriers and support the implementation of improvement actions.

Types of brainstorming

We can classify two types of brainstorming or by the order of intervention participants:

• Ordered brainstorming - An intervention order is defined and strictly following order each component of the group brings an idea, if in turn does not happens no idea says "step" and passes the turn to the next team member.

• Disordered brainstorming - Ideas are provided by team members as they arise.

Brainstorming Application

In order to get a good use of this technique, then the steps separated into three distinct phases;

Generation phase:

In the first phase a moderator of the meeting that made the introduction and statement of the problem to solve, in addition to recording all ideas and moderating the meeting is selected.

The selected moderator made a clear definition of the object of the session, then the contributions of ideas will be made per person and shift quickly and concisely, following the basic rule not to criticize or laugh at the ideas of others. Any idea will be valid however absurd it may seem. The completion of this phase is marked by depletion of emerging ideas, not discussing ideas at this stage allowed.

Clarification phase:

In this phase are explained the meaning of the ideas that have not been clear enough for the generators of these are detailed.

Selection phase:

In this phase are discussed and purged of ideas discarding those that are similar to others, or general to encompass more specific and those that the group found not to correspond to the session object.

Once you have finished brainstorming, the group has a list of possible solutions to the problem agreed and validated initially exposed.

Today, thanks to the technology in Internet there are tools that allow us to perform the technique of brainstorming with anyone anywhere in the world.

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