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?

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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

This article originally appeared in our SmartStorming “Innovation Insights” newsletter. To subscribe, click here, or simply use the registration form in the right hand column.

One of the simplest, most valuable skills a brainstorm facilitator can develop is the ability to “read the direction” in which their group’s thoughts are flowing. Just like the ebbing and flowing tides of an ocean or river, collaborative thinking flows in one of two distinct directions: 1) it can diverge outward, in a broad, multidirectional, expansive exploration of ideas; or 2) it can converge inward, narrowing focus in an effort to judge, select and eliminate ideas.

Divergent and Convergent Thinking
Divergent thinking opens the imagination to all possibilities, while convergent thinking analyzes and chooses from among those possibilities. In a sense, divergent and convergent thinking are the Yin and Yang of creative problem solving. Neither is superior to the other – simply more appropriate for the task at hand. And both processes are essential to the ultimate success of any group idea generation session. So it’s important to understand their relative benefits, to identify when and under what circumstances each type of thinking is taking place, and to learn how to guide the group back to the most appropriate and effective method of thinking.

The Benefits of Divergent Thinking
Divergent thinking allows a group to generate as many fresh, new ideas as possible in a short timeframe. During this process all judgment is suspended, the group is encouraged to go for quantity of ideas, not quality, spontaneously build on one another’s ideas, and push the boundaries of the imagination…even wild, crazy, audacious ideas are welcome. In fact, the motto for divergent thinking is, “Everything is possible!” All ideas are equally embraced and recorded. In divergent thinking there really is no such thing as a bad idea. The goal is to simply achieve the largest creative yield of ideas and new connections possible. Look at divergent thinking as “big picture,” unencumbered by any practical or logistical constrains, limitations, or judgments.

The Benefits of Convergent Thinking
If divergent thinking is casting the widest net possible to capture new ideas, then convergent thinking can be thought of as harvesting of the very best of catch. Just as a funnel decreases the scope of a substance, so that it fits through a narrow opening, convergent thinking narrows down a large number of ideas through the process of analyzing, judging, eliminating and selecting. Convergent thinking is ideally suited for thoroughly evaluating the merits of an idea, or seeing how well it holds up to scrutiny based on pre-established criteria. We use convergent thinking to gain clarity, consider practical constraints, draw conclusions, determine the bottom-line, and select the best ideas.

When Thinking Processes Collide
As we mentioned earlier, each of the two thinking processes has an essential role to play in an effective brainstorm. However, if they take place simultaneously, or at the inappropriate time, they will quickly become an obstacle to success. Like matter and antimatter, one will neutralize the benefits of the other and create potentially “explosive” situations.

For example, imagine your group is in the middle of a spirited “blue sky” exploration of new, inventive ways to promote your product or service in light of new competition (divergent thinking). Suddenly a participant begins to judge or shoot down fledgling ideas they feel aren’t worthy of consideration (convergent thinking). What happens? The spontaneous outflow of idea sharing comes to a grinding halt. People clam up, become defensive and withhold their thoughts in fear of being judged or ridiculed. It takes a vigilant and skilled facilitator to spot convergent thinking when it seeps into the divergent ideation process. To get the session back on track, the facilitator must quickly stop the judgment and shift the group back in the direction of productive, divergent thinking.

Conversely if your group is in the selection process of narrowing down an abundance of ideas, convergent thinking is just the method you need. By assessing and judging ideas according to an established list of objective criteria, you can quickly separate the wheat from the chaff. However, if divergent thinking enters your evaluation process, your group will start free-associating ways to save an impractical idea… or worse, spontaneously begin a whole new round of unnecessary idea-generation. When this occurs, the objective selection process gets hijacked; sessions run overtime, and usually end without closure.

The Best of Both Worlds
An awareness and understanding of both these types of collaborative thinking can have a profound impact on the ultimate effectiveness of your idea generation sessions. Learn to identify them quickly. Develop skills for guiding or redirecting your group’s attention in the most productive direction. Then watch, not just as the ideas flow – but as the very best rise to the top.

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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]