2012 will almost certainly be “The Year of Ideas.”

With a major national election on the horizon, cataclysmic changes in business, finance, society, culture—in both the online and offline arenas, big ideas will be in great demand.

The truth is, we live in a world of continuous change, where the “status quo” is, in fact, a state of flux. Organizations and individuals must continuously reinvent themselves in order to remain relevant.

Even your Facebook page format changes on a regular basis!

If you and your team are going to be masterful innovators, you are going to have to make use of the most widely practiced technique for idea generation—group brainstorming. The problem is, the vast majority of brainstorms are random, haphazard, poorly planned and ineffectively facilitated. And the results are usually just as disappointing.

Here are a dozen simple tips to help you squeeze maximum effectiveness from every brainstorm session—and experience the kinds of results that will keep you and your group at the top of your game.

1. Plan Ahead – Take some time to plan your brainstorms before you walk into the room. Nothing can have a greater impact on brainstorm success than simply considering what will actually happen during the session. How will you set up your challenge? What types of techniques will you use to engage your participants and keep energy high? How will you manage any potential conflicts? By planning ahead, you free yourself to be a masterful leader during the session… rather than the person at the head of the table frantically trying to make things work.
2. Invite Diversity – Tired of hearing the same old ideas? Then stop inviting the same old group to your brainstorms! Invite a stranger, or two. Seek out new and different participants who can bring a different, often surprising perspective to your challenge. And don’t worry if they aren’t experts in your topic. You have plenty of those already. Welcome the unexpected… and see how the quality and freshness of your ideas skyrockets!
3. Change the Scenery – Just as diversity in participants can stimulate new thinking, so can meeting in different locations. The same, familiar conference room or office can, over time, become mind-numbing. Move your team into a new space in 2012. How about outdoors? In a museum? At the mall? Use your imagination… and your team will find it easier to use theirs!
4. Go Crazy! – “Playing it safe” is no longer safe. In pretty much every industry and organizational environment, people today are looking for things that are new, unexpected, different and even shocking. Inspire your team to go for more wild and edgy ideas in 2012. Encourage them to think outside their comfort zone. The results will be exhilarating.
5. Become a Two (or More) Trick Pony – How many idea generation techniques do you know and use? If you answered, “None,” then you are just like the vast majority of brainstorm facilitators. Make a point of familiarizing yourself with at least two new ideation techniques in 2012. Don’t know where to find them? Just type “brainstorming techniques” into your favorite search engine and see what pops up. There are dozens, if not hundreds of proven techniques for stimulating the mind to think in new and different ways. Try some! They work!
6. Get More Stimulation – Creative idea generation is an associative process. In other words, it happens when we make new connections to existing information and experiences. The more information and experiences we have to work with, the more (and more exciting) connections we can make! Make it a regular practice to seek out new sources of inspiration (stimuli) to stock your team’s creative pond. Provocative imagery, art, music, advertising – anything that interests or excites you. Encourage the team to do the same and share. The quality and quantity of your new ideas will improve dramatically.
7. Channel Your Inner Steve Jobs – What made Apple’s late founder and creative catalyst such a powerful visionary was his unwavering commitment to innovation. You can do the same. Simply decide that you will never accept “good enough.” Practice thinking forward rather than thinking practical (safe). Strive for solutions that are not only viable, but that set you and your team apart from the herd. In short, unleash your inner creative genius!
8. Question Everything - We all tend to think of ourselves as “know-it-alls,” and walk around every day with firm beliefs about what’s right and what’s wrong, or what is and is not possible. But true innovators continually question their own pre-conceived beliefs, and those of others. This is the basis of the most creative question you can ask: “What if?” This year try questioning more of your assumptions before generating ideas. What do you know to be true about the challenge? In what circumstances might it not be true? And if it’s not absolutely true, what are the possibilities? You just might be surprised at how much you didn’t really know all along!
9. Trust Yourself More – After you’ve challenged all those pre-existing beliefs, trust your intuition. Make a commitment to yourself and your team to stop self-editing. If you think it, say it. Then see where it goes. Sometimes the craziest and most embarrassing thought leads to a game changing idea. So give yourself permission to think the unthinkable and say the unspeakable.
10. Cover All the Angles – The world’s greatest thinkers are those who can attack a challenge from many different angles. This is yet another example of “What if?” Develop the habit of intentionally exploring different viewpoints or perspectives. How would our customer approach this problem? How would our competition? How would Einstein? How would someone from another planet? How can we do this simply? How can we do it inexpensively? How would we do it if we had all the money in the world? You will be amazed at how different a challenge looks and feels when you look at it from a different vantage point.
11. Kick Out the Boss! – You read right. With all due respect for the bosses out there, no one can kill a brainstorm faster or more effectively than you. It’s not necessarily your fault (although it may be!) But some people just aren’t comfortable expressing wild ideas in front of authority figures—especially those who sign the check. So figure out a way to minimize the boss’s intimidating impact on the group. If they insist on participating, respectfully ask them to join the session later, after the team has generated a first round of ideas. Or better yet, suggest that ideas be shared with them after the session. They can always have veto power. But it does no one any good if potentially great ideas are never shared in the first place.
12. Choose Wisely – Generating ideas is one thing. Selecting them is another altogether. Develop a sound, objective process for evaluating and choosing your best ideas. What criteria will define a winning solution? Where can you combine or eliminate ideas that are similar in their approach. Remember, a great brainstorm can generate a lot of ideas. Be prepared to manage the selection process as effectively as you do the idea generation phase.

Successful brainstorms do not happen by chance. They are planned and executed by individuals who put in the time and effort to ensure things run smoothly. Make a resolution to be a masterful brainstormer in 2012.

It just might be your most innovative year ever!

The vast majority of people who regularly lead or participate in brainstorms report that the results they achieve in their idea generation sessions are all-too-often, disappointing. A lack of fresh ideas, minimal participation, dominating personalities and inadequate follow-through are among the most common complaints.

This is the first in a series of articles that will provide a basic understanding of the key principles necessary for brainstorming success. By simply considering and applying these concepts, you and your team can experience much more productive and enjoyable brainstorms.

Every day, in conference rooms around the world, tens of thousands of brainstorms take place. Workgroups come together (often with trepidation) to generate fresh ideas, solve problems, explore opportunities and identify new ways to achieve success. In fact, in a world where advancing technology allows more and more tasks to be accomplished by fewer and fewer people, the brainstorm is one of the few remaining collaborative business processes.

Some question the effectiveness of brainstorming, and for good reason. Most sessions aren’t planned or facilitated very well, and all-too-often deliver disappointing results in terms of the breadth and depth of ideas actually generated, as well as a less-than-pleasant experience for participants.

However numerous studies show that when brainstorms are conducted well, the opposite is the case – the process is consistently productive and gratifying. So apparently the problem isn’t brainstorming, it’s brainstorming as typically practiced.

So just what does the typical brainstorm look like? Here are several of the most common types of brainstorming experiences, each of which is a reflection of the personal style of the individual leading the session, the participating group and the prevailing business culture in which the brainstorm takes place.

Pressure Cooker
Don’t you realize that generating ideas is serious business? The Pressure Cooker brainstorm is intense, overly focused and not the least bit fun. In fact, just a few moments of spontaneous laughter or lightness is frowned upon, and the offenders are reprimanded for “not taking the task seriously.” The team has work to do; this is no time for play! Of course, the most effective brainstorms always contain a degree of lightness and joyful exploration and wonder. They are a creative process, after all. An overly serious environment reduces spontaneity and can literally inhibit or even shut down creative thinking. Try approaching even the most serious challenges with a sense of childlike curiosity. Think of brainstorms as “play with purpose.”

Margaritaville
The antithesis of the Pressure Cooker, in these excessively laid back, “no worries” brainstorms, everyone wastes away…their time, that is. No structure, no clear goals or objectives, no leadership skills, all contribute to an enjoyable, but otherwise worthless experience. The conversations veer repeatedly off topic, the fun and lightness referred to earlier escalate to the level of silliness, and little, if anything, gets accomplished. Many people fall into the Margaritaville trap because they believe that brainstorms, as a creative activity, should be loose and unstructured. But nothing could be further from the truth. It is a well-known fact among creative professionals that creativity without structure leads to chaos. The most effective brainstorms always provide an organized process to help keep people’s creative thinking focused and productive.

Friday the 13th
These high-stakes brainstorms inspire fear in even the most courageous of participants. There is danger lurking at every turn, and you never know who’s going to get their heads chopped off next—simply for sharing an idea that the resident “Idea Assassin” feels is unworthy of consideration. And not only are potentially great ideas systematically killed off…so is everyone’s enthusiasm and willingness to participate. These brainstorms typically start off uncomfortable and end up in utter discouragement. In contrast, high-powered brainstorming sessions are always “judgment-free zones,” where everyone feels safe to share even their most off-the-wall ideas.

Déjà Vu
Been there, done that. These brainstorming sessions feel eerily the same—as the last one, and the one before that and the one before that. Same people, same group dynamics, same areas of exploration, and worst of all, same tired, old ideas. When you remain in safe, familiar, territory and never venture out from the status quo, how can you NOT generate the same results? And when you have no fresh, new thinking, there is no innovation. Successful teams regularly inject their brainstorms with a healthy dose of diversity in personalities, background and points of view, plus new types of ideation techniques to engage minds in new and different ways.

Wrestlemania
Let’s get ready to rumble! This brainstorm style is a true battle royale, where two or more participants duke it out to decide whose ideas are best. Funny thing is, it’s always their own ideas they’re fighting for. Most of the time one or two strong, imposing personalities totally dominate these sessions, leaving very little room for others to share.  The conflict rages on throughout the brainstorm, and when the dust settles, everyone is emotionally bruised, battered and exhausted. In contrast, great brainstorms feel effortless. Teams quickly get into “the zone” and stay there. Time flies, and so do the game-changing ideas!

Of course, these are just a few examples. There are as many different styles of brainstorms as there are brainstorm leaders and participants. It is human nature to superimpose our own personalities, interests, beliefs, insecurities, preferences, etc. onto whatever we create, and brainstorms are no exception.

By all means, make your brainstorms your own. Research, learn and make use of your favorite ideation techniques. Try different icebreaker activities to get your group aligned and collaborating quickly. Just make sure that whatever you do, you always foster an environment where participants feel safe in sharing, where they can embrace and enjoy their creative spirits, and where the seeds of innovation can take root and grow.

“Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it.” — Cole Porter

Just in case you had any doubts, it seems everybody is doing it – brainstorming, that is. And just how are they doing it? Well, pretty much the same way everywhere.

The SmartStorming partners recently returned from Krakow, Poland, where we conducted our two-day SmartStorming Brainstorm Leadership Workshop at the 2011 Worldwide Partners Creative Summit. And the experience was nothing short of remarkable!

Not only did we meet and work with a group of very smart, talented and engaged professionals, we also learned a thing or two about group dynamics, multiculturalism, problem solving techniques and, of course, brainstorming.

Our workshop participants were marketing agency pros from around the world: Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Ukraine. While there were many cultural differences, two things were the same: they all brainstormed on a regular basis and they all faced virtually identical challenges when doing so.

The Good

The group clearly viewed brainstorming to be critical business process, and recognized its  importance to their organizations. The direct link between brainstorming and the ability to innovate was clear to them.

brainstorming <-> creative problem solving <-> ideas <-> innovation

And so, all were eager to learn how to experience better results when brainstorming with their teams and clients, and were completely open to new and unfamiliar ideas and problem solving techniques.

The Bad

In her book, The Seeds of Innovation, Elaine Dundon identifies nine problems that are typically encountered with brainstorming as typically practiced.

1. Lack of process
2. Lack of a skilled facilitator
3. Lack of skilled participants
4. Listing of rules
5. No agreement on the problem
6. Lack of stimuli
7. Pressure to be creative on queue
8. Pressure to converge quickly
9. Lack of follow-up

And, perhaps not surprisingly, the majority of these challenges were voiced by the group during our opening discussion about just what causes brainstorms to fail.

The implications of this experience are actually quite compelling, and suggest that regardless of differences in culture, business practices and customs, geography,  personality, etc., what takes place in the room when a group of people get together to generate creative ideas, in the absence of a structured process and effective problem solving techniques, is pretty much the same no matter who you are or where you are. And that “pretty much the same” is all-too-often disappointing.

Perhaps most interesting to us at SmartStorming was that there seemed to be very little difference among the participants in terms of just how much direct training or self-directed learning the participants had on the topic of brainstorming. One might imagine that in some countries a greater emphasis would be placed on learning skills to help facilitate this important process. But this was not the case. As we usually find in the U.S., not one participant had experienced any meaningful training in brainstorming or creative problem solving.

The Promise

The good news is that while brainstorming as typically practiced is clearly broken, it’s not all that difficult to fix.

The level of interest, participation and enthusiasm throughout the two-day workshop was very high. Even the most seasoned creative professionals in the group reported exciting revelations, specifically about how to turn “bad” ideas into game-changers; how to minimize shyness and self-consciousness among participants and facilitate spontaneous sharing; how to use different problem solving techniques and brainstorming activities to accomplish different objectives; etc.

And already we are receiving reports from abroad about the participants’ first highly successful SmartStorming sessions back at their agencies.

Their brainstorming, it would seem, is fixed.

In the 1930s, when Alex Osborn “invented” brainstorming, he knew, even then, that certain skills and guidelines were necessary for the process to be successful. Many of those are directly related to Elaine Dundon’s list of brainstorming challenges. But Osborn’s new way of generating ideas was just so novel and exciting, it apparently took off on its own.

The legacy is a world that, today, depends heavily on brainstorming, but really doesn’t have a clue how to do it.

But with a little effort and investment of time and attention, Alex Osborn’s vision of highly productive ideation sessions quickly becomes a reality. And great ideas are no longer a rarity, they are the norm.

“He who every morning plans the transaction of the day and follows out that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the maze of the most busy life. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidence, chaos will soon reign.“

- Victor Hugo

Unfortunately, most people have never experienced a genuinely successful brainstorm. The vast majority range from disappointing to disastrous. So when it comes to planning a brainstorm, you may not even know what to plan for.

If you want to create a much more efficient, productive and enjoyable brainstorming experience for yourself and your team, it is essential that you thoroughly pre-plan your sessions. This first step in our SmartStorming process is one that is almost never taken, and one of the most critical. In fact, taking this one step alone can have a dramatic impact on the success of your ideation sessions.

Experience design is a discipline in which processes or environments—experiences— are carefully crafted to meet the needs, desires, skills and expectations of the participants. Consider, for example, a roller coaster. The designer considers each moment of the experience, from the time the rider is strapped into the seat, through the first rise, the first big drop, every twist, turn and barrel roll, until the car rolls to a stop and the journey is over.

A group brainstorm session is much the same. As a successful leader, you must plan exactly where you want to take your participants, what their overall experience will be, how to keep your group on track and how it will all end up. Think of yourself as an experience designer, leave as little as possible to chance, and your sessions will consistently deliver the results you are looking for.

There are three key advantages in pre-planning your brainstorm sessions:

1. Pre-planning helps make your session flow more easily and productively from beginning to end. As the facilitator, you enter the room with a greater sense of confidence because you have comprehensively mapped out the precise journey of imagination your group is about to embark upon. You have clearly pre-determined the goals and objectives, invited the best team (knowledge and experience) to help you achieve your goals, you have pre-selected the best idea-generation tools and techniques for the challenge, and possess the right criteria necessary for efficiently evaluating and selecting ideas. When you pre-plan your sessions, you minimize the Machiavellian forces of chaos and entropy that can quickly undermine loosely structured traditional brainstorms.
2. Pre-planning dramatically increases your group’s creative yield of new ideas.There are numerous, proven group idea-generation tools and techniques that inspire fresh thinking and new ways to approach problem solving. These tools and techniques can be used individually, or combined in different combinations to eradicate limiting assumptions, explore multiple viewpoints and stimulate powerful free-association – what we call “popcorning” of ideas. Pre-planning provides you the valuable opportunity to orchestrate the best tools and techniques to ignite your group’s imagination and achieve your goal. It can dramatically increase your group’s creative yield, often by as much as 40-60%.
3. Pre-planning frees you up to lead more effectively. Once you have laid out your session plan, you will have a clear, concise overview of how your brainstorm will flow from beginning to end. This blueprint takes all the guesswork out of how to structure your session, or what to do, or when to do it. It’s all there… simply organized and in sequence. So as the group leader, you can focus on the matter at hand—generating ideas.

The 7 Pre-Planning Steps
Our SmartStorming Pre-Session Planner makes pre-planning easy. It walks the leader through the seven easy-to-follow steps necessary to structure great sessions, time after time. The steps are simple and logical. They are designed to stimulate your best thinking and get you highly organized, regardless of how challenged you may be in the organizational department.

Pre-planning requires an investment of just a few minutes of quality time, but guarantees your SmartStorm session will flow more efficiently, more enjoyably, and produce far superior results than traditional brainstorming efforts.

Here is a brief overview of each step we take in the SmartStorming Pre-Session Planner. You’ll soon see why this simple step will change forever the way you approach group ideation meetings.

Step 1: Clarify the Challenge, Goals and Objectives
It’s very difficult to get where you want to go if you don’t know where you’re going. That’s why goals and objectives are so vitally important. Clarifying your specific challenge, goals and objectives focuses the group’s attention and sets a high creative bar.

Step 2: Choose Participants
You can dramatically increase the quantity and quality of the ideas your group produces by thoughtfully selecting your participants. Choosing individuals with the most appropriate backgrounds, skills, knowledge, and experience for the challenge, instead of simply inviting the “usual suspects,” is a critically important step in group ideation success.

Step 3: Provide Background Information
In a typical, poorly-planned brainstorm session, participants enter the room with only a vague notion of the task at hand. They may know the general subject, but typically don’t understand the specifics of the challenge. Getting them “up to speed” can often take 20% or more of your allotted time. Provide your group with all the information they need to succeed—before the session takes place.

Step 4: Choose Your Icebreaker
When participants enter the room, chances are they are coming in with scattered attention, preoccupied with other outside concerns. The first job of a good facilitator is to help focus the group on the challenge ahead, free up their attention from distractions, breakdown interpersonal barriers and galvanize them as a collaborative team aligned toward a common goal. The fastest way to accomplish this is through brief, playful icebreaker activities.

Step 5: Select Ideation Techniques
While every part of a SmartStorming session is important, arguably the most important is the time allotted for actual idea generation. Simply “throwing ideas against the wall” is hardly the most effective way to help groups generate abundant, innovative concepts. There are dozens of techniques for enhancing the flow of original thoughts, helping teams expand and enhance the ideas of others and create totally new directions by combining or exploring various aspects of ideas. Decide ahead of time which tools and techniques will be most appropriate for your challenge and your group, in order to ensure outstanding results.

Step 6: Establish Selection Criteria
A productive SmartStorming session can produce literally hundreds of new ideas. Some are great. Some have potential. Some are…well, you know. How you organize, evaluate, and select the best ideas can become a daunting challenge, particularly in the heat of the moment, and if you haven’t considered your process ahead of time. Your selection criteria should be built directly from your challenge, goals and objectives, established in Step One. By pre-determining the specific yardstick you will use to measure the effectiveness of potential ideas, you will have a clear, unambiguous process in place, ready to implement.

Step 7: Plan Next Steps and Follow-Through
Most people believe a brainstorming session ends when the ideas have been selected. In fact, the end of the idea selection process actually launches an entirely new process—follow-through. Once again, most people never even consider this to be part of an effective ideation session. But breakthrough ideas are useless unless they are transformed from ethereal concepts into tangible realities. To bring new ideas to life, next steps and timetables need to be determined, responsibilities assigned, milestones established and progress meetings scheduled.

That’s it. Once you have completed your pre-session planning, you are all set! You will feel organized, buttoned-down and more confident in your abilities to lead a great session. Your group will appreciate the difference the new structure and techniques will make in liberating their creativity to more effortlessly achieve success.

Click here to download a free copy of our SmartStorming Pre-session Planner – and start pre-planning perfect brainstorms today!

Video of our successful webinar, “7 Secrets for Supercharging Your Brainstorms,” held on Tuesday, September 14, 2010.

7 Secrets for Supercharging Your Brainstorms

1.Preplan your sessions to boost yield of ideas

2.Get your group off to a fast start

3.Proactively manage and balance personalities

4.Engage the silent thinkers

5.Keep the energy high and ideas flowing

6.Use proven idea-generation techniques (like Idea Sprinting)

7.Never select ideas without pre-determined criteria

To learn more about how to supercharge your brainstorms, REGISTER HERE to receive a free copy of the SmartStorming 7-Step Pre-Session Planner, including instructions for the powerful Idea Sprinting ideation technique.

© 2010 SmartStorming LLC – All rights reserved

Group brainstorming, as we know it today, has been around since the 1930s. For the most part, it hasn’t changed all that much in the past seventy-plus years, except in one respect: the development of new ideation techniques.

Ideation techniques are, quite simply, novel thought-provoking exercises designed to help groups tackle challenges in ways they might not otherwise consider. Some make it easier for groups to view issues from fresh perspectives; others provide engaging processes to help stimulate imagination, overcome shyness, facilitate collaboration, and much more.

In short, ideation techniques make it possible for groups to generate a greater breadth and depth of ideas (i.e., more, better ideas).

Anyone who takes even a few moments to Google “ideation techniques” will learn that there are dozens, perhaps hundreds, around. Some are well-known and extensively documented; others are less-so.

We recently conducted a survey among our network to find out just where people stand on ideation techniques—which ones they know, which ones they use in brainstorms, and what they think about them. The results are interesting, if not completely surprising.

When asked whether they believe knowing and using different ideation techniques is beneficial to brainstorming, the answer was a resounding “Yes!”

“…it helps you see more possibilities and solutions”

“…otherwise all people do it sit in a room and go around in circles discussing the same old issues & thoughts without any focus or direction.”

“It directs and channels your thinking.”

“… solutions can arise unconventionally, where otherwise no solutions may have surfaced creatively.”

Many respondents also suggested that knowing and understanding a variety of techniques is critical to group brainstorming success (a notion we at SmartStorming wholeheartedly agree with).

“The more techniques you can use the more chance you have of getting better results from a group.”

“…You have to match the technique to the objective and the strengths/weaknesses of the group.”

“…the more tools you bring to the stage, the more likely you are to come up with a hit.”

“…if you use only one brainstorming technique, you’ll lose the crispness of creativity.”

However, when provided a list of well-known ideation techniques, only one had relatively broad awareness—Mind Mapping—followed by Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats and the widely-used S.W.O.T. Analysis. All others listed had less than 7% awareness.

Mind Mapping – 23%
S.W.O.T. Analysis – 20%
Six Thinking Hats – 19%
180-Degree Thinking/Reversal – 8%
SCAMPER – 7%
Worst Idea – 6%
In Their Shoes – 6%
All others – <3%

And when asked what other techniques (not listed in the survey) they used, more than 54% of listed no additional techniques at all; and fewer than 10% listed more than two.

It is important to note that this survey was conducted among our network of readers, presumably an audience that is more tuned-in to advanced brainstorming and ideation techniques than the average businessperson. And yet, it is clear that even among this group, very few know, understand and use a range of ideation techniques.

Again, this result isn’t entirely surprising. In our own ongoing research, we find that fewer than 10% of individuals in any industry (even creativity-focused businesses like advertising and design) have had any training whatsoever in brainstorming and group ideation. Those that have typically know one or two ideation techniques, but nothing about brainstorming session structure or facilitation skills.

And so it would appear that while we understand and acknowledge the value of having a library of ideation techniques at our disposal, few of us make the effort to identify and learn those techniques.

In this era of the “innovation economy,” it is bewildering that individuals and organizations still don’t recognize the importance of idea generation. Business success today requires continuous reevaluation and reinvention of one’s business offering. Once organizations could thrive for decades on a single great idea; today they need a great idea every year, and in some cases every month or week.

Only by taking the personal initiative to educate oneself in a variety of ideation techniques—and to offer training throughout one’s organization in effective brainstorm leadership and facilitation—can anyone hope to survive and thrive in today’s competitive business environment.

Innovation begins with ideas. No ideas, no innovation.

How many great ideas did you and your team come up with today?

——————-

Note: Here’s a full list of all ideation techniques mentioned by survey respondents. They’re a good start for building your own library!

Mind Mapping
S.W.O.T. Analysis
Six Thinking Hats
180-Degree Thinking/Reversal
SCAMPER
Worst Idea
In Their Shoes
3-D Ideation (SmartStorming)
Brainwalking
Group Graffitti
Freewriting
Divergent/Convergent Thinking
Process & Task Orientation
Role Reversal (similar to “In Their Shoes”)
Working Backwards
Analografiti by Vera F. Birkenbihl
Subconscious Ideation
Delphi Method
Synetics
Zero Draft
Rapid Writing
Random Input/Analogy
Alter Ego
What If?
Parallel Design
How Might Be?
Facilitated Creative Visualization
Socratic Questioning
Kills the Sacred Cows (similar to 180-Degree Thinking)
Random Stimulation
Forced Connection
Ask a Stranger

And here is webpage with a fairly extensive listing of techniques you can explore and use: http://www.mycoted.com/Category:Creativity_Techniques

How to Get Your Group Thinking On Its Feet

Group Graffiti is a physical, highly interactive idea generation technique that gets participants out of their seats and thinking on their feet. As its name implies, Group Graffiti is a writing and/or drawing exercise done with large sheets of paper taped to a wall. A problem statement is posted above and participants (armed with large, thick markers) are instructed to stroll back and forth along the wall spontaneously “tagging” it with ideas. Participants are also encouraged to build on the ideas of others.

Wild, audacious thinking is encouraged. The goal is to fill the wall with as many ideas and drawings as possible before the time deadline expires.

How to facilitate Group Graffiti:

1. Post 6-12 large, self-sticking sheets from a Post-it® Easel Pad (or a section of brown butcher paper) on a long, smooth, uncluttered wall surface. Also provide large markers to all participants.
2. Post the problem statement prominently on the wall.
3. Set a timer for 15-20 minutes. Instruct your participants to go to wall with their markers, and walk around randomly writing down or sketching ideas on the wall.
4. Encourage your group to spontaneously build on and evolve each other’s ideas — or jot down new ones. Anything goes in Group Graffiti.
5. When time has expired. Lead your group through the selection process by asking them to help identify the best ideas (based on your selection criteria) from the wall and read them out loud.
6. Once the best ideas have been selected, ask your group to look for ways to improve or build on the them to make the even better.

Wisdom of the Crowd Option
Creative ideas can come from anyone at any time, even from people not directly involved in your problem/solution process. To harvest the wisdom of the crowd, try posting large sheets of paper with the problem statement written boldly at the top in a public space or hallway. Just watch as individuals walking stop and add their ideas.

“Language is the means of getting an idea from my brain into yours without surgery.” – Mark Amidon

How many life changing ideas do you figure have been thought up over the centuries, yet no one ever heard about them?

How many times every day do you imagine a brilliant concept is presented to a decision-maker, only to be shot down and buried forever?

How many creative geniuses do you think are really able to effectively communicate and present their ideas to others? Not everyone is a Steve Jobs. In fact, very few of us are. Which is one of the key reasons why Steve Jobs is, well, Steve Jobs.

Creativity and innovative thinking don’t really require clear, effective communication. Big brained scientists with minimal social skills think up mind-blowing ideas in the privacy of their labs every day. But true innovation requires that those remarkable, game-changing ideas make it through the gauntlet of judgment and criticism, all the way through to completion, where they can deliver real, lasting value. That simply cannot happen if no one knows about them and enthusiastically supports them. And that requires effective communication and presentation skills.

As Howard H. Aiken is quoted as saying, “Don’t worry about people stealing an idea. If it’s original, you will have to ram it down their throats.” And while ramming it down their throats might not always be required, a little persuasion almost always will be.

Communication is the often forgotten, essential component of innovation. True, it’s not as sexy as all those other components we love reading about, things like creative ideation, strategic implementation, enhanced value, disruptive technology, elegant design and a dozen or so other overused buzz words. But in the end, if your big idea is not clearly and persuasively presented to your collaborators and decision makers, it will simply wither on the vine.

We’ve all seen it happen, especially in a group brainstorm session. Someone at the table has an idea, a good idea, one they love and that has real merit. Unfortunately, they don’t have the confidence and expertise to articulate it persuasively. A louder voice and bigger ego in the room shoots it down, and there it lies. Sometimes a supportive comrade will pick up the idea and champion it to the group. But if a skilled communicator doesn’t take up the challenge, it’s dead.

The good news is that communication and presentation skills can be learned and mastered by anybody. As with any other discipline, there are simple, proven methods and techniques that can help you speak with authority and influence the opinions and decisions of others. So if you are going to be an effective innovator, or even a contributor to the innovation process, you had better start boning up on your communication skills.

Here are a few tips to help you sell your next big idea…

1. Know What You’re Trying to Achieve – Before you open your mouth, think for a moment about what you want your words to actually accomplish. Are you trying to convince someone that your idea is the best there is, or simply one of several worthy of further consideration? Are you attempting to get final approval for your idea or simply create the opportunity to present it up the chain of command? Is your idea fully fleshed out or just an embryonic concept? Such things can have a profound impact on what you say and how you say it. So take a moment or two to think about what you wish to achieve before you speak, and you will have a much better chance of choosing the best words to help you attain your goal.
2. Know Who You’re Talking To – One of the great revelations most people have when mastering communication and presentation skills is that their audience often doesn’t really care all that much about what they have to say. In fact, the people you present your idea to only care about one thing… what’s in it for them. To sell your idea, you need to understand ahead of time what the other person’s agenda is, what their goals and objectives are in a given situation, and then frame your communication in the best way possible to let them know you understand, and that your idea can help them achieve their goals. Will your idea make them (or their team) look good? Could it result in a bonus or praise from management? Is it so risky that they might be hesitant to support it? Remember this number one secret of great communicators – know your audience well, and tell them what they need to hear. That is persuasive communication.
3. Know What You’re Going to Say – Seems obvious, right? But how many times have you opened your mouth and realized, almost immediately, that you were saying precisely the wrong thing at precisely the wrong time? If you’ve taken a few moments to focus on the first two steps, this third one becomes a lot easier. What do you have to say to this person in order to get them to respond the way you would like them to, right now? That’s precisely what you want to say at precisely this moment.
4. Know How You’re Going to Say It – As the saying goes, you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. Of course, you can kill a lot more with a flyswatter. Too meek or too bold an approach will not do the trick when presenting an idea for approval. How you deliver your message can be just as important as the message itself. Consider the situation. Is the mood upbeat and congenial or tense and combative? Are ideas being shot down faster than they can be spoken, or is everyone being overly supportive and not really giving anything real, critical evaluation? Are you on a tight deadline or do you have time to spare? Take the temperature in the room before you start selling. Make sure your manner and tone are confident, but appropriate.

Is it really possible to do all of this in the middle of a brainstorm, or even a business presentation? Of course. Masterful communicators and presenters do it every day. It just takes a little awareness, attention and practice. Don’t wait until your job depends on it. Start using these four simple communication tips today. In no time you will be able to consider all of these things in just a few seconds.

Many people think that being a confident, persuasive communicator is something you’re just born with. Nothing could be further from the truth. Communication is a skill. Learn it, master it, become a more valuable part of the innovation cycle – and start seeing more your ideas become a reality.