As I walked into the first class of my fourth year in University I was taken back by large bags sitting atop of tables in my Marketing classroom. Why were they here? My professor, John Lax (Saint Leo University) walked in shortly after and said, “Today we're going back to the basics…we're leaning a lesson in brainstorming” The class chuckled, not believing that was the case until he told us we had 20 minutes to get into groups (people we’ve never met before). We had to search the bags, write a page or two of ideas and create something out of the materials. This activity, though childish was a great life lesson.
The first piece of thought leadership, I have decided to start with the basics. Small business owners brainstorm to an extent
with every new idea they have but brainstorming as a whole has been forgotten
in the working world. We learn this valuable skill at a young age, typically in
elementary school with pencil crayons, a big piece of white paper and mind
maps.
Caption: An
example from a blogspot of a grade 3’s simple yet effective mindmap.
As we dive into our life/business ventures, brainstorming
becomes a lost art. Little do we know brainstorming is one of the most
effective ways to generate ideas, develop marketing plans, and build team
bonds.
There are some simple rules when it comes to brainstorming.
- - Have a group (yes you can do it yourself but it
becomes less effective)
- - Put a time limit on each session. (this stops
inefficiency and repeated ideas)
- -
Write every idea down no matter how ridiculous
it may sound.
-
- Don’t discourage any idea once written down
(even if they are not plausible)
-
- Have fun and enjoy the process. ( when people
are happy, they generate better and more efficient ideas)
- -
Keep a record of the idea’s paper for later
references
Make sure to take time out of the busy schedule and
brainstorm new ideas. This may not seem as important as day-to-day operations
but without new ideas the business will hit a stand still. If done properly
brainstorming can be the kick start to the next level for your business.
So don’t be afraid to pull out that full scrap piece of
paper and your 64 pencil crayon package! Enjoy the process.
