They are often the result of many years of hard work. Good ideas don’t come as easy as flipping a switch. They are usually the result of years of difficult work.
If one person is responsible for coming up with a solution, it can take a long time and be very stressful. When a group of people are trying to solve a problem, there may be disagreements about what the best solution is.
If you find yourself in a rut, try doing one of these things:
1. The “J.K. Rowling” Brainstorm
Whether or not the legend is true, it is a great exercise to write down ideas that are very meaningful. It is annoying to write on a napkin, which makes what you write all the more special. Try it at a diner with a cup of coffee.
2. Write 10 ideas every day
This is one of the things I do to work my creative muscles. Every day, I write down 10 ideas of things that would be fun to pursue. I don’t worry about how long they would take or if they are realistic, I just let my mind wander and come up with ideas. After a few days, I’m surprised at how many great ideas I have.
3. Brainstorm every idea that couldn’t possibly work
Next time you are in a meeting and people are coming up with ideas, try thinking of all the ideas that would not work. This might lead you to a good idea.
4. Write with your non-dominant hand
The following is an exercise a friend learned in college while taking a poetry class which emphasizes the importance of minimalism. They were instructed to write poems with their non-dominant hand which usually results in frustration due to the slowness and sloppiness of the handwriting. Since they only want to get to the heart of what they want to say, they subconsciously delete words. The end result is a short and provocative piece. Try it with anything.
5. Draw what you want to say
There is something about using symbols and stick figures instead of words that can be helpful even if you are not an illustrator. This can be a useful way of organizing a proposal, chapter of a book, or presentation. The words will almost seem to reveal themselves.
6. Construct it all by memory
This is another helpful exercise others found to be effective when studying poetry. Instead of sitting in front of your notepad and trying to get everything down on paper, construct your message by memory in your head. If you stick with this long enough, two things happen. First, you automatically delete anything that isn’t vibrant enough to be remembered (a positive), and second, you keep things short and concise because otherwise you wouldn’t be able to remember it. Then, once you’ve got it all the way you want it, write it down.
7. Speak it as you write it
Saying your thoughts and problems out loud can help you to better understand and solve them. This is especially true for writers – reading your work out loud can help you to come up with new and innovative solutions to problems.
8. Go for a walk with a pen
You should only carry a pen and no notepad with you. If you get a great idea, write it down on your hand. This is a test of your ability to be concise. When you have a notebook with you, you may feel like you need to write down everything that comes to mind. However, if you only have a pen and your hand is your tablet, then you will be more mindful of what you ultimately choose to write down. Conciseness tends to reveal the most simple (and best) material anyway.
9. Have an “idea storm.”
Group brainstorming sessions are a big part of how they generate new ideas at Idea Booth. They will clear off their big conference table, bring everyone in on the team, and appoint one person to be in charge of writing down all the ideas that come up. They give themselves about fifteen minutes to just brainstorm whatever comes to mind, then they step back and circle the best ideas. From there, they start expanding on each idea, talking through how they would make it a reality.
10. Detox from all technology
Once more, something that is both undervalued and seldom done because it is difficult, but the consequences are always positive. The next time you feel stuck creatively, try taking a whole day off from any digital devices. Wake up early and put your phone away in your closet, without checking it. Don’t even open your laptop. Allow yourself a day without any screens, and whenever you feel the urge to do something or you get bored, write in a journal, go for a walk, or read a book. I swear that by the afternoon you’ll have lots of new ideas.
11. Brainstorm in front of an audience
Talk to the friend you share everything with when you need help brainstorming. Pull out the whiteboard and explain the problem. Your friend can provide feedback and ideas. You may find the solution yourself by the time you finish explaining the challenge.
12. Use social media to gain feedback
Instead of spending a lot of time trying to come up with a good idea, it is better to start sharing things on social media and seeing what people respond to. Brainstorm by interacting with people and making changes based on their feedback.
13. Wake up at odd hours
Getting up at an ungodly hour can be really effective in sparking creativity. If you’re used to getting up at a reasonable time, try getting up in the middle of the night. This is not for the faint of heart, but there is something to be said for drastically adjusting your surroundings to jump start your creativity.
14. Create it in a completely different format
I have heard that working on a piece of writing, composing the same story through music can be a helpful cross-training exercise. This challenges you to keep things concise, and also tends to reveal a lot about the emotions that are underlying what you are creating. After all, music is a language.
15. Starbursting
What, Why, How, When, Where, and Who. A brainstorming technique that uses visualization, starbursting should be employed once you or your team has focused on a single idea. To start starbursting, write an idea in the middle of a whiteboard and draw a six-pointed star around it. Each point will correspond to a question: What, Why, How, When, Where, and Who. Each point will represent a question:
- Who?
- What?
- When?
- Where?
- Why?
- How?
As you develop your idea, think about every possible question that could be relevant to it. This will help you anticipate potential problems or obstacles you hadn’t considered before.
16. The five whys, a.k.a. why analysis
The “five whys” brainstorming technique is a good way to evaluate the strength of an idea. Challenge yourself to ask “why” questions about a topic or idea at least five times and consider what new problems surface. To help organize your thoughts, consider using a flowchart or fishbone diagram in addition to this brainstorming technique.
17. SWOT analysis
Is it Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities or Threats? You might be familiar with the term SWOT analysis in relation to strategic planning. Did you know that this same concept can be used as a brainstorming tool to help determine whether an idea is worth pursuing? To do this, simply discuss the following aspects of your topic: Are they Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, or Threats? Discuss the following aspects of your topic to determine whether it’s worth executing:
- One way to think about the strengths of an idea is how it compares to similar ideas or products. If the idea is significantly better in some way, it has a strength. Another way to think about the strengths of an idea is how it meets the needs of the customer. If the idea addresses a need that is not being met by other products, it has a strength.
- Are there any flaws with the idea that could make it fail?
- What other opportunities are there to capitalize on this idea?
- What are some potential negative outcomes that could occur if the idea is implemented?
18. How Now Wow
How: These are simple, obvious ideas that are easy to implement. Now: These are creative ideas that are a little more challenging to implement, but still feasible. Wow: These are out-of-the-box ideas that would be very challenging, if not impossible, to implement. The How Now Wow brainstorming technique is all about categorizing ideas based on how unique they are and how easy they are to implement. Once you’ve collected several ideas, either individually or from team members, talk through where they fall in the How Now Wow spectrum.
- A How idea might be something that is original but not executable.
- Now ideas are unoriginal ideas that are easily executable.
- Wow, these are some great ideas that have never been thought of before! They seem easy to implement too.
To get the most out of your ideas, you should prioritize those that are both executable and innovative. This will help you stand out from your competitors and break away from any monotony in your company. To help organize your ideas, you can use a matrix with four squares. The difficulty of the idea should be weighted on the Y-axis, and the innovation of the idea should be on the X-axis.
19. Drivers analysis
This brainstorming technique is used to analyze the drivers or “causes” of a problem. To use this technique, keep asking yourself or your team of brainstormers: “What’s driving [insert problem]?” and then, “What’s driving [insert answer to the previous question]?” The more you dig into a problem, the more well-vetted it will be and the more confident you will be in executing solutions for those problems.
20. Mind mapping
This brainstorming technique is called mind mapping, which helps to come up with new ideas by addressing the anchoring effect, which is a common challenge where people fixate on the first ideas instead of coming up with new ones.
You’ll need a large piece of paper or whiteboard to brainstorm. Begin by writing down a topic and then drawing lines connecting related ideas to it. This helps you visualize your topic and what might impact its execution or even expedite it.
21. Gap filling, a.k.a. gap analysis
Lay out the specific steps that will help you close the gap. If you don’t know how to execute an idea, gap filling can help you by addressing the obstacles in your way. Start by making a statement of where you are and where you want to be. For example, “Our company creates smart watches; we want to expand our portfolio to also include fitness trackers.” Then list the specific steps that will help you achieve your goal.
Brainstorm a plan of action by writing out your goals and brainstorming solutions to the obstacles preventing you from achieving those goals.
22. Brainwriting, a.k.a. slip writing
The process repeats until all the pieces of paper are full. A brainstorming technique that does not rely on verbal communication, brainwriting involves every brainstormer working together from the start. Each person writes down three ideas relating to a topic on three separate slips of paper, then passes them to the right or left. The next person adds to these ideas, creating bullet points and considerations. This process is repeated until all the pieces of paper are full.
The facilitator of the brainstorming session hands out slips of paper to everyone at the table. Once everyone has a slip, they pass it around the table until it reaches the facilitator again. This allows the facilitator to either read all of the ideas themselves or have the brainstormers discuss each idea out loud to decide which ones are worth pursuing. It’s important to note that this technique should be limited to 10 people or less to avoid being overwhelmed with ideas or time constraints.
23. Collaborative brainwriting
You can think of collaborative brainwriting like a group of people anonymously sharing ideas with each other over a period of time. A facilitator will usually start this process by creating a space for people to share their ideas, such as a piece of paper, sticky notes, or a cloud-based document.
Since team members can build off of the ideas and provide feedback anonymously, it is important to set a clear deadline for when the brainstorming session will end. This will allow all participants to have a chance to contribute.
24. Six thinking hats
This technique, called brainstorming, requires at least six people. Each person is assigned an imaginary “hat” to wear that represents a different perspective. For example, one person might be assigned the perspective of looking at the impact of an idea, and another might be assigned the perspective of looking at the constraints of an idea.
The ideas that are most important to your organization can be chosen. By the end of the group discussion, everyone in the brainstorming group should feel confident about the chosen ideas.
Remember, brainstorming is about quantity over quality
A brainstorming session can be a fun and creative opportunity for a group, when the technique used supports different thinking and expression styles.
There is something satisfying about seeing your ideas come to fruition, whether you are working alone or as part of a team. Get the creative ideas flowing, then customize a workflow management tool to turn those ideas into action.