Page 133 - 100 Great Business Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

GROUP PROCESSES FOR

GENERATING CREATIVE

ALTERNATIVES

The remainder of this chapter examines the various group
processes for generating alternatives. Don't overlook any of
them, since they may all help you in one way or another. I
try to use them all occasionally, although, my favorites are
these four:

65/1. Brainstorming
74/10. Excursion technique
83 /19. Lotus blossom
93/29. Storyboarding

See Table 4.5, page 112, for a quick guide to these processes.

65/I. BRAINSTORMING

Brainstorming is one of the most effective, and probably the
most widely used, of the group processes. 3 It was created
over sixty years ago by Alex Osborn of the advertising firm
of Batten, Barton, Durstine and Osborn to increase the quan-
tity and quality of advertising ideas. 4 The process became
known as brainstorming because the participants' brains
were used to "storm" a problem. Alternative solutions are
offered verbally by group members in spontaneous fashion
as they think of them. The leader acknowledges each contri-
bution, which is recorded on a board for all to see. Wild and
crazy ideas are encouraged. Quantity, not quality, counts at
first. In the initial session there is no discussion or criticism.
The ideas are evaluated at later meetings of the same group.