Five Rules for Brainstorming

Creativity and thinking of a big idea is not easy. Many people have their preferred method of finding ideas but there are many other methods too. If you are running out of ideas and don’t know what to do to generate more ideas, here are five rules of generating ideas:

1. Spare The Judgment 

Judgement is the enemy of true creativity. Pass no judgment to the ideas you have, and watch as your mind will be filled with creative ideas. This is because judging your ideas whether it is good or bad will limit your creativity. Instead, defer the judgement and appreciate each idea you have. That is not only the case, as you can let ideas flow so people can build from each other’s great ideas.

2. Encourage Wild Ideas

The next step after passing out on judgements is to accept any idea, no matter how wild it may be. Embrace the most out-of-the-box notions. Who knows? These wild ideas might turn out to be great ideas. Remember that at times, there’s often not a whole lot of difference between outrageous and brilliant.

3. Build on the Ideas of Others

Again, don’t be so judgmental of the ideas whether it is yours or others. Instead of using the word “but” when describing the idea, choose the word “and” as it encourages positivity and inclusivity. As a result, it can lead to a ton of ideas.

4. It Doesn’t Hurt To Be Visual

Not many people can mentally visualize their ideas when brainstorming. In fact, it is a difficult thing. Which is why you can generate ideas better with simple office materials like colored markers and Post-its. The colors will make it easier to differentiate between one idea to the other and you will be able to clearly articulate all of your ideas. One thing you can do is to stick your ideas on the wall so others can also visualize them.

5. Quantity First

Don’t be stingy in sharing the ideas you have on your mind. Share as many ideas as you can, as we are going for quantity here. It doesn’t matter if the ideas are deemed silly, as long as you know you tried to generate as many ideas as you can. Remember, the rule still applies that you shouldn’t judge your ideas too quickly. You should try to generate 100 ideas for any 60-minute session.

What other tips do you have for brainstorming? Share your ideas in the comment section below!