Is it really possible to turn a really bad idea into a really great one? Absolutely.

The Worst Idea technique is not only one of the most popular with brainstorm groups, it’s extremely effective. As you might suspect from the name, the facilitator asks participants to come up with the worst possible idea they can think of. Nothing is “too bad” – distasteful, rude, crass, embarrassing, off-color. The worse, the better.

How about a car that automatically runs over pedestrians who cross against the signal? A new diet pasta that is mixed with worms and human hair, to get dieters to eat less? A new recycled product that’s good for the environment – like previously used toilet tissue? How much worse could you get? Keep trying.

What’s the point of such an exercise?

First, it “loosens up” the group. We have been taught to reject bad ideas, and therefore won’t allow ourselves to go there. By encouraging people to think outlandish thoughts, the creative process is jump-started.

Second, many bad ideas contain some provocative element, something powerful and compelling. By making a simple change, you can often turn a bad idea into a great one. A car that runs over slow pedestrians might not be practical – but one that senses pedestrians ahead and automatically brakes might be. A diet pasta mixed with worms and hair might not be such a palatable notion – but one fortified with extra protein and fiber might be.

The Worst Idea can be a lot of fun. Give it a try next time your brainstorming. Be gross, outrageous, cynical. You just might come up with your BEST worst idea ever.

You may already be familiar with Mind Mapping, an idea generation tool defined by Wikipedia as “…a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.” Mind Maps of some sort or another have been around a long time; however, author Tony Buzan is credited with developing the well-known, modern approach.

Mind Mapping is an excellent group ideation technique, one of many we teach in our SmartStorming training. Specifically, it can help groups (and individuals, by the way) build directly and tangentially off of a given thought. The initial idea quickly leads to expanded concepts, or in totally new directions which can then be expanded themselves.

Obviously Mind Maps can be created by hand. But there are also quite a few software applications for Mind Mapping, which can also be used very successfully in a SmartStorming session. One very simple one is FreeMind, which is, in fact, FREE. You can download the software for both Windows and Mac here: http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Download. (Note: the program is Java-based. We have no association with the developers and make no claims as to the quality or value of the software.)

Here’s a brief video demo of the software.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBHEg8nQsNI]