Brainstorming Effectively

BRAINSTORMING: The basic tool used in generating many possible solutions to a problem is brainstorming. To use the brainstorming process effectively requires following a prescribed set of rules very closely. These rules are: 1. No positive or negative comments are allowed during the brainstorming phase. 2. Positive or negative non-verbal evaluations are discouraged as well. 3. A group member may ask for clarification if the member does not understand a given suggestion, but it is important to avoid any questions that are directed to "how" or "why" of the idea. In other words, the person suggesting a solution is not to be asked to defend the idea! 4. "Far out" or amusing suggestions are encouraged. Laughter can serve as a good release and help people relax. A seemingly wild or amusing suggestion is listed with the more serious ideas for group consideration, unless the "author" of the idea specifically asks that it be withheld. Sometimes a wild idea can be changed or built upon for creative practical solutions. The idea here is to relax and let the ideas flow. 5. Encourage group members to generate solutions that are based upon changing ideas already presented, (e.g., reversing, expanding, limiting). 6. Combine ideas that seem to compliment each other.

Copyright AE Schwartz & Associates All rights reserved. For additional presentation materials and resources: ReadySetPresent and for a Free listing as a Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, Vendor/Organization: TrainingConsortium

CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.

MORE RESOURCES:

Hull adds creative element to Dallas Stars#39; company line - Dallas Morning News

Group hopes to transform vacant building into NoDo creative center - Omaha World-Herald

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://www.omaha.com/index.php%3Fu_page%3D2798%26u_sid%3D10530408cid=1287378751ei=pFxjSeKUJpnK8ATf2bGQBAusg=AFQjCNFRQagbUN0ex_uMcL2NxpvvlQTENgGroup hopes to transform vacant building into NoDo bcreative/b center/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fOmaha World-Herald,nbsp;NEnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1BY CHRISTINE LAUE An artist-led group wants to transform a mostly vacant north downtown building into a bcreative/b center with studios, classrooms, b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-1fd=Rurl=http://www.omaha.com/index.php%3Fu_page%3D1208%26u_sid%3D10530353cid=1287378751ei=pFxjSeKUJpnK8ATf2bGQBAusg=AFQjCNGg8_gWKZGW-fQYZObcSP8y4xFP0ARetail space seen as vital to linking NoDo, Old Market arts areas/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrOmaha World-Herald/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287378751hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

President-elect Barack Obama inspires an artistic flood of creativity - Chicago Tribune

Hugo Create Contest – Discover Your Creativity - MediaSyndicate (press release)

Market calls for creativity, quick thinking - Inman.com

FileMaker Developers Win $1000 for Your Creativity - prMac (press release)

Are Creative Types Just Good For Flings? - The Frisky

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-are-creative-types-just-good-for-flings/cid=1287256714ei=pFxjSeKUJpnK8ATf2bGQBAusg=AFQjCNGtuMr0TEMH73Z6PH0UtWy8ZIopuwimg src=http://nt0.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=DJvyOzLX0jUJimgurl=static.thefrisky.com/images/uploads/Man_Painter_main.jpg width=80 height=53 alt= border=1brfont size=-2The Frisky/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-0fd=Rurl=http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-are-creative-types-just-good-for-flings/cid=1287256714ei=pFxjSeKUJpnK8ATf2bGQBAusg=AFQjCNGtuMr0TEMH73Z6PH0UtWy8ZIopuwAre bCreative/b Types Just Good For Flings?/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Frisky,nbsp;Georgianbsp;-/font nobr20 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Are “bcreative/b types” good for anything other than flings? “I am always attracted to bcreative/b men,” one woman writes the Guardian. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Creativity key in quest to help nonprofits - Rockford Register Star

(From the last 12 hours) - Monterey County Herald

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/131369cid=1286922348ei=pFxjSeKUJpnK8ATf2bGQBAusg=AFQjCNEbpflo72sx-_OCS3OW2bRMln268Aimg src=http://nt2.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=sk2pBhcdsvIJimgurl=www.aspendailynews.com/files/imagecache/art_photo/files/articles/RIPDeVilbissJudgePortrait_.jpg width=56 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Aspen Daily News/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-0fd=Rurl=http://www.montereyherald.com/entertainment/ci_11384329cid=1286922348ei=pFxjSeKUJpnK8ATf2bGQBAusg=AFQjCNEcr796XE-jJb2SIjLIFB2k4zSE7A(From the last 12 hours)/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMonterey County Herald,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Your bcreativity/b could be stronger, but your ability to see past the obvious allows you to step out way ahead of others. Friends might surprise you with b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-1fd=Rurl=http://www.montereyherald.com/entertainment/ci_11366657cid=1286922348ei=pFxjSeKUJpnK8ATf2bGQBAusg=AFQjCNGg2cK0bAPzrrgeN33ZJSfFRoqJKg(From the last 12 hours)/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMonterey County Herald/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-2fd=Rurl=http://www.montereyherald.com/entertainment/ci_11370873cid=1286922348ei=pFxjSeKUJpnK8ATf2bGQBAusg=AFQjCNFVNbQzzq9nOJxwTgGoXbBz06t9gg(From the last 12 hours)/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMonterey County Herald/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1286922348hl=ennobrall 13 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Canada Amnesty International Secretary General: Cultural Show ... - The Epoch Times

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D9732cid=1286895394ei=pFxjSeKUJpnK8ATf2bGQBAusg=AFQjCNFMFz4jr60gasDG28IdTjuquk8jzgCanada Amnesty International Secretary General: Cultural Show b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Epoch Times,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobrJan 4, 2009/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1It obviously reflects considerable hard work and talent and bcreativity/b,quot; said Neve who is the Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-1fd=Rurl=http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D9760cid=1286895394ei=pFxjSeKUJpnK8ATf2bGQBAusg=AFQjCNG8HaJU5liIqVOGx1ii6dSpwQYfDgFilmmaker Gets Ideas, Inspiration/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Epoch Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-2fd=Rurl=http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/9756/cid=1286895394ei=pFxjSeKUJpnK8ATf2bGQBAusg=AFQjCNGVk_zsZ-oMg_3qblwIMn5UZq7HbQ‘A true delight’ Says Public Official/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Epoch Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1286895394hl=ennobrall 76 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Creativity - Google News

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