Steps to Generate Effective Ideas Using Brainstorming

Steps to Generate Effective Ideas Using BrainstormingSteps to Generate Effective Ideas Using BrainstormingBrainstormingis a technique where ideas for a specific herausforderung or situation are brought up freely, with the idea that notlagehing should be rejected until all of the ideas are presented. While normally brainstorming is done in groups, an individual can certainly hold a brainstorm session on their own by writing down their own ideas. Alex Osborn, an advertising executive who died in 1966, is credited with creating the process and giving it the moniker, Brainstorming. Osborn felt that the standard business meeting inhibited the creation and sharing of new ideas. As such he wanted to come up with a new method to develop ideas. He created the following rules for brainstorming All ideas are welcome, no criticism.More ideas are better - youre looking for quantity.As ideas are shared, people will build on each other.Wild, crazy, and impossible ideas are encouraged. How Does Brainstorming in a Meeting Function? There are many different ways to conduct a brainstorming session, but here are seven general principles that will make brainstorming sessions and other meetings successful. Prepare for the session. You need a conference room with a place for notes to be taken. You can use flip charts, a whiteboard, a computer that you can project onto a screen, or whatever works for your group. Make sure you have the right materials, such as pens with enough ink. Assign a person to write on the board. The key talent consideration for this is handwriting, not level. Its okay for an admin to take the notes, but the VP can also take on the note taker role. Gather your group together. The interactions among participants are a critical part of brainstorming. It is possible to do so over video conference, but if possible, having everyone in the same room can help. If you expect the meeting to belastung a long time, snacksand drinks never hurt. State the problem clearl y. The purpose of brainstorming is to solve a specific problem. A good method is to write the problem clearly at the top of the board. For instance Location for company picnic or How to ensure employees always clock in and out or Ideas for the new marketing campaign. Having this in full view of everyone helps the meeting stay focused. Provide the necessary background information. Ideally, you would provide the necessary information before the meeting, but sometimes you need to provide it during the meeting. For instance, if your problem is, How to ensure that employees always clock in and out, youd need to explain why thats a problem, what groups are forgetting to clock in/out, what the consequences of this are, and so forth. Without this information, participants may not understand the real need for the brainstorming session, which will decrease the probability of a good session and a workable solution. There are no bad ideas in brainstorming. While the group will, of course, gener ate some bad ideas, group members are asked not to offer criticism until after the brainstorming session has ended. The note taker should write down whatever ideas are thrown out without comment or criticism. Other group members should take care not to comment negatively either. Remember that Johns dumb idea may spark a thought in Carols head that makes Polly think of the idea that is ultimately chosen. Ideas dont need to be logical or legal, just throw them out. Set a time limit. A good brainstorming session doesnt last forever. Depending on the problem, 10 or even five minutes may provide adequate time. Other sessions can last longer, but regardless, state up front how long this will go on. The time crunch at the end might spur ideas. Go over your list of ideas. Once the brainstorming session is complete, the group can discuss the list and pick out the most promising ideas. Even though youre rejecting ideas at this stage, take care not to become too critical of rejected ideas. Why ? You want your team members willing and excited to share their ideas next time. When you have your list of the most promising ideas, you can start to do research to determine which one to implement. Is Brainstorming the Best Tool for Finding a Creative Solution? Some people think so, but others think the fast list creation doesnt allow for the truly great ideas. If you choose to use brainstorming as an idea generation technique, you dont have to limit yourself to ideas from that session. If something better comes up tomorrow, there are no hard feelings.

Small acts of kindness improve work relationships, study finds

Small abroll-container-transport-system of kindness improve work relationships, study findsSmall acts of kindness improve work relationships, study findsTheres scientific proof that your tiny act of kindnesses arent going unnoticed. A new study in the journal Emotion found that when co-workers are nice to each other, it improves everyones attitude in the workplace.University of California researchers recruited 88 workers at a Coca-Cola plant in Madrid, Spain, to participate in a happiness study for four weeks. Unknown to some of the participants, workers were being divided into receivers, givers and a control group. Givers were told to perform small but noticeable acts of kindnesses towards co-workers in the receivers group. The only qualification? Givers were told to not be obvious about it and brag about their good deeds.Givers got to choose how they would show and express their generosity. The acts of kindnesses givers reported doing ranged from getting their co-workers coffee to making a co-worker feel appreciated by verbally encouraging them.Those small good deeds added up and made people happier to work together.Paying it forward worksThe researchers hypothesis that paying it forward helps us all succeed was proven true. Givers got the most benefits. After two months, givers said they were more satisfied with their lives and jobs and reported fewer depressive symptoms. Receivers said they felt happier. Both groups also reported higher levels of competence and autonomy in the short-term and long-term.Researchers suggested that the kindnesses helped receivers sense of belonging and ownership in the workplace Positive feedback could have increased Receivers sense that their choices were more meaningful and thus more reflective of their true selves. When your co-worker is telling you that you are doing a good job, it helps you believe it too. If it happens in a public setting, it also signals your value to the organization, and that makes you feel appreciated .Good deeds are also contagious, and spread beyond just the giver and receiver. After being the recipient of a good deed, receivers in the study would pay it forward to others in the company, creating cycles of generosity.What this study shows is that taking time out of your busy work day to help a colleague may be a small sacrifice, but its not an insignificant one. In the long-run, we notice.

5 ways to get to know someone without using cookie-cutter questions

5 ways to get to know someone without using cookie-cutter questions5 ways to get to know someone without using cookie-cutter questionsWhen it comes to networking events, theres a whole world of topics that you could potentially ask someone about. So, why not try asking about something that will let you in on who they really are?Here are a few lightheartedicebreakers that you can use when you want to get to know someone.Ask them about their personalityAn Indeed Career Guide post features the question, Which season fits your personality best - spring, summer, fall, or winter - and why?There are so many ways to answer, but whatever response you get is sure to make you feel like you learned something new and entertaining.Maybe some of their personality will be extra obvious during the rest of your conversationLadders is now on SmartNewsDownload the SmartNews app and add the Ladders channel to read the latest career news and advice wherever you go.Ask them about their pastDavid Burkus, an author and Associate Professor of Leadership and Innovation at Oral Roberts University, features questions that you can rumliche lage to people - excluding What do you do? in the Harvard Business Review.One of them is, Where did you grow up?This question dives into others backgrounds (but in a much less assertive and loaded way than Where are you from?), Burkus writes, and allows them to answer with simple details from childhood or to engage in their story of how they got to where they are right now and what theyre doing.Ask them about their travel aspirationsAja Frost, a staff writer for HubSpot, features this question in The Muse If you could fly anywhere for free, where would you go?You might be surprised at what you hear. Everyone has their own idea of paradise, so it could be interesting to find out where they would go if the question of money wasnt even on the table.Ask them about their philosophy on lifeOk, so theres a much mora casual way to ask about something like this . Susan M. Heathfield, an HR expert, management and organization development consultant, includes icebreaker questions for meetings in The Balance.One of Heathfields recommendations If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would the slogan be? (Examples Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow, we all die. Bite off more than you can chew. There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.).This is definitely a playful approach to learning about someones outlook on life, but sometimes, thats what you need to feel comfortable around someone new.Ask them about their taste in foodMuseum Hack, which operates tours and team building exercises at museums, features this icebreaker question (among a list of100)on the website What is your favorite meal to cook and why?Everyone has a favorite food. And, while whether or not they know how to cook it is another story, theyre sure to give you an answer that makes it clear that theres more to life than just work.After all, work sh ouldnt be your everything.