COURSE OVERVIEW:
We are paid to think. Our success depends on our results, and we think when we want results that are better than they would be without thinking. Yet we rarely think about the way we think, or see it as a skill that we might develop. Few of us are trained to think. Brainstorming helps us think more clearly and creatively.
At the heart of the process is a distinction between two types of thinking: having ideas, and making use of them. Many of our conversations are messy mixtures of the two: our first reaction to an idea tends to be to judge, evaluate or criticise it. As a result, neither kind of thinking is entirely successful. The most important skill in brainstorming is separating these two types of thinking, and keeping them separate.
Brainstorming is a group creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members.
In other words, brainstorming is a situation where a group of people meet to generate new ideas and solutions around a specific domain of interest by removing inhibitions. People are able to think more freely and they suggest as many spontaneous new ideas as possible. All the ideas are noted down without criticism and after the brainstorming session the ideas are evaluated.
This course explains how to conduct effective formal group brainstorming sessions. But you can use nearly all the techniques described here, by themselves, either alone or in a meeting. Similarly, you could conduct any part of the brainstorm process in isolation, or space the sections over several days to give people time to think further.
After completing this course you will understand what brainstorming is, how to plan for a brainstorming session, how to explore the problem, how to generate ideas and how to develop a solution.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:
- What is brainstorming?
- Alex Osborn’s four rules of brainstorming
- How to think outside ourselves?
- The two stages of thinking
- The reasons for crossing from the operational to the creative cycle
- Associative thinking
- Why most brainstorming isn’t?
- How to plan the session?
- How to assemble the brainstorming team?
- Who to include in the brainstorming team?
- How to define the task?
- Why brainstorming works best with constructed problems?
- How to transform a problem?
- How to loosen the structure of the problem?
- Why the problem may be ill-structured?
- How to draw up a timetable?
- How to set targets?
- How to vary the format of the session?
- How to use both individual and group brainstorming?
- The venue and equipment needed for a brainstorming session
- How to explore the problem?
- How to factor the problem?
- The associative ‘How to’s’
- How to generate ideas?
- How to use an oracle?
- The use of metaphorical thinking
- The analogy game
- The identification techniques
- The reversal techniques
- What are the rules that govern the Task as Understood?
- Which technique to use and when?
- How to select ideas?
- How to use your intuitive judgement?
- How to cluster ideas?
- How to rank and rate ideas?
- How to vote on ideas?
- How to develop the solution?
- How to evaluate the solution?
- Why our solution’s success would depend on other people?
- The force field analysis
- How and why you should identify the sponsor?
- How to map out a plan of action?
- The failure prevention analysis
COURSE DURATION:
The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.
COURSE DELIVERY:
Purchase and download course content.
ASSESSMENT:
A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.