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April 2008 Article

Creative Brainstorming Part II: Generating Ideas, Zeroing in on the Winner

Your goal in a creative brainstorming session is to generate as many ideas as you can, says Eric Steidinger, vice president and executive creative director of the August Jackson Company. This part of the session is judged on the quantity of ideas, not the quality.

“No idea is a bad idea, or a good idea,” at this stage, Eric explains. There is absolutely no judging. You don’t want to discourage participants by criticizing their ideas. On the other hand, you don’t want to express approval for an idea, which might suggest the others were not as good. Or, an approval could send the whole group down a similar path when you want as much and as varied input as possible.

During the brainstorming, all the ideas should be written down where the group can see them…usually a flip chart or white board. Set a time limit, say 30 to 45 minutes, and come up with as many ideas as possible. The more the better. When the limit is reached, begin the winnowing process.

First, Eric says, everyone gets to go up and put an X next to their three favorite ideas. They do not need to say why they are their favorites. This is an emotional response.

Second, pull out the three or four that got the most votes, then spend 10 to 15 minutes on each idea. Make two lists:

1) What people like about the idea. What’s good about it.

2) What they don’t like about it. What doesn’t work.

Get the room to focus on what works and what doesn’t in turn, Eric says.

Third, hone in on the one that people like the most. You can even borrow from another idea to fix what might not be working on the chosen idea, Eric suggests. “Sometimes an idea you didn’t pick pops out as having the thing you are missing.”

Fourth, bring the group to consensus. “If some members aren’t speaking, challenge them” Eric says to give an opinion. “Some of the most creative thinking can come from negatives. If the idea doesn’t quite do what you want, talk about what it will take to accomplish that goal,” he continues.

When you have participants with a variety of responsibilities in the room, it really helps the winnowing process, Eric says. Those who are into budgeting or operations, for example, can point out why the idea isn’t doable from their viewpoints. Then the goal is to seek out, with their help, what can make it doable.

You may need to repeat part of the cycle where you judge the idea and improve it. You may even find an idea not chosen may now look like a better one. Then you start the judging and improving process over again with that idea.

In the end you should have a well-honed idea that all team members have bought in on and are ready to implement.

A partner of GEP and Krisam, August Jackson is a boutique agency focused on targeted audience communications. They are specialists in event marketing and productions, advertising, public relations, and design. They connect clients with audiences ranging from senior management to the sales force to the media.