Brainstorming allows people to generate more and often better ideas than planning within groups. It keeps a person focused on his own ideas instead of being distracted by others’ ideas and opinions. Groups are often inhibiting when one person leads the group, causing a narrow-minded consideration of a problem. Some people simply sit and concentrate on a subject while others write out a problem and potential solutions. Speedwriting is also commonly used to generate ideas, as writing fast and continuously causes the conscious mind to relax.
That’s not to say that groups aren’t useful. Assuming the group has a diversity of people who can avoid being influenced by others, it can generate new ideas and build upon previous ones. This is done by moving around the table from one person to the next – with each person contributing an idea. After everyone has spoken, the ideas can be discussed again.
“Crawford’s Slip” involves letting people write their ideas on slips of paper and collecting the slips at the end. It allows participants to think without distractions and provides equal opportunities for quiet participants. It also prevents one person from preventing creative thought in another.
This technique encourages individuals to contribute their ideas before being influenced by others’ ideas. It starts with individual brainstorming. A group of two is then formed to discuss the problem between them. A third member is later added to the group. He contributes his ideas first; then, the first two members present what they have already discussed. The process continues in the same manner with the fourth member, and so on, until each member has given his contribution. Only then is the final decision made.
With this technique, individuals write their ideas on a sheet of paper. Next, the papers are rotated to another person, who then writes his thoughts about the ideas on the paper handed to him. The process is continued until all members have written on everybody else’s paper.
This starts with individuals contributing ideas in a random or “round robin” fashion. This is followed by silence, in which everyone thinks of ideas and writes them down. In addition, each one also guesses what the others’ ideas may be based on the contributions at the beginning. In the next part, each one presents his ideas and guesses. This is followed by a discussion of the ideas that have been generated.