1.5 - About University

6.9B RAINSTORMING: GENERATING I DEAS Q UICKLYInspired by numerous sources.Brainstorming is a commonly used group process and innovation tool. It’s usually used to generatea lot of ideas quickly. Teams and groups use it because it’s an understood and acceptableprocess in most organizations, and because it generates short bursts of energy and lots of ideas.✔✔✔✔✔✔W HY USE BRAINSTORMING?It’s a quick way of getting lots of information on the table.It increases participation, which leads to commitment.It leads to creative ideas and solutions.It leads to synergy, whereby new ideas are built on each other; participants begin to puttogether previously unrelated ideas.It’s fun and energizing.It’s more efficient than debating one idea at a time. Generating a number of ideas in agroup, and then evaluating and debating to find the best ideas(s), is effective and timeefficient.D EVELOPMENTAL VERSUS EVALUATIVE THINKINGFor brainstorming to be effective, leaders need to ensure that their workgroup or team distinguishesbetween two kinds of thinking, developmental and evaluative. (Note: The referencesto “hat” thinking can be understood by reviewing ☛ 6.6 Six-Hat thinking.)Type ofthinking Techniques Ground rulesDevelopmental• Used to getmany ideas inthe open.Evaluative• Used todetermine thebest plan ofaction.Developmental:• Brainstorming• Lateral thinking• Green- and yellow-hatthinkingEvaluative:• Priority setting• White-, red-, andblack-hat thinking• Decision makingDevelopmental:• No criticism.• Build on others’ ideas.• Out-of-the-box thinking encouraged.• Quantity more important thanquality.Evaluative:• Clarification, concerns, andquestioning okay.• Debate is okay.• Seek closure on the best ideas oractions.196 SECTION 6 TOOLS FOR CRITICAL THINKING AND INNOVATION