Habitual Brainstorming: Techniques for Generating Ideas
Today, we'll be talking about the importance of brainstorming, and some techniques you can use to generate ideas.
Brainstorming is a method of problem-solving in which divergent ideas are generated with the goal of finding one or more viable solutions. In today's post, we'll talk about how to conduct brainstorming sessions without getting bogged down by efficiency-triggering brain blocks. We'll also talk about how to jump into an existing brainstorm session without generating new ideas from scratch.
A classic brainstorming session is much like a successful game of telephone. One person throws out an idea, the next person adds their own twist, and so forth. When injected with different perspectives and allowed to grow from the outset, these spontaneous sessions can yield amazing ideas in a very short time.
The problem is that many people fall victim to "brain blocks," or sessions that go nowhere because everyone assumes it's someone else's turn to throw out an idea. This is frustrating when you're waiting to throw out your own creative spark. It's also de-motivating when you realize half the room has already zoned out awaiting their turn.
So, how can you make the most of a brainstorming session without getting bogged down by brain blocks? Let's take a look:
First things first: if you have no idea what to say next, chances are there's no one else in your room who does either. Go ahead and throw out the first thing that comes to mind. If this happens to be a mediocrity, don't spend another moment thinking about it. There's always another brainstorming session where you can try again.
Alternatively, if the first thing that comes to mind is a creative genius – or even just something off-the-wall – it's to your advantage to say it. Even if the others in your room don't think much of it at the time, you'll have planted an intriguing idea in their minds. This seed could develop over time into something truly delightful.
We should also note the dangers of too much control over a brainstorming session. If only one person is throwing out ideas and everyone else is just repeating them, you're missing out on one of the great joys of brainstorming: spontaneous generation of ideas. To be sure, there is a fine line between a successful brainstorming session and one that just winds down into consensus.
The best way to determine where that line lies is to dump everyone's ideas out onto the table and see where collection time takes us. Before you know it, you'll have an idea yourself. That's the beauty of brainstorming. Give it a shot!
BrainStates, Your Brain at Work: The Science of Discovery and Innovation by Dolf Deurlich and Cynthia Solomon. Copyright © 2014 by Dolf Deurlich and Cynthia Solomon. Reprinted with permission of Scribner, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
To read the full article, visit: http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/12/12/habitual-brainstorming-techniques-generating-ideas/
About Me: I'm an author who loves to share information on creative thinking, life coaching and other mind development related topics. My book, Habitual Brainstorming: Techniques for Generating Ideas, provides a collection of new and proven creative thinking techniques that you can use to inspire yourself and your clients. To learn more about this book or schedule a free consultation with me call 512-530-3083 or email coach@soulcoachingsolutions.com.
Title: How to Be a Successful Blogger
By: Chris Guillebeau, the Art of Non-Conformity blog June 19, 2013 in Business
I'm not going to lie to you. Becoming a successful blogger is hard. It takes time, effort, energy and commitment. But if you can get it right, blogging can be an extremely lucrative way to make money online from home by doing what you love--sharing knowledge and connecting with interesting people around the world. Here are some of the best tips I've learned for becoming a successful blogger over the years.
1. Blog to promote your business. Don't blog just to blog. Your blogs should be about promoting your business, not just as a way to share information on interesting topics. This is why it helps to keep track of the blogs you read, and which ones have a high impact on your decision making or marketing strategy.
2. Have a good idea for an amazing post that you can write quickly. If you come up with something crazy or unique every time you sit down at your computer, this will make people want to hear more from you every time they visit your blog. They'll be actively looking for more posts that you can put out there.
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5. Find ways to connect with other bloggers in your niche. You should try to get along with others who are doing similar things--whether it's by being active participants in their blogs or just spending time together in person or online after conferences or events.
Conclusion: I'm an author who loves to share information on creative thinking, life coaching and other mind development related topics. My book, Habitual Brainstorming: Techniques for Generating Ideas, provides a collection of new and proven creative thinking techniques that you can use to inspire yourself and your clients. To learn more about this book or schedule a free consultation with me call 512-530-3083 or email coach@soulcoachingsolutions.com.
Title: How to Be a Successful Blogger
By: Chris Guillebeau, the Art of Non-Conformity blog June 19, 2013 in Business
I'm not going to lie to you. Becoming a successful blogger is hard.