B as ic Too ls f o r Pr oc ess Im p r ov

em en t

B R A IN S T O R M IN G

B RA 1
INSTORMING
 B as ic Too ls f o r Pr oc ess Im p r ov
em en t

What is Brainstor m ing?

Brainstorming is a tool used by teams to bring out the ideas of each individual and present
them in an orderly fashion to the rest of the team. The key ingredient is to provide an
environment free of criticism for creative and unrestricted exploration of options or
solutions (Viewgraph 1).

Why should a team do Brainstor m ing?

Brainstorming helps a team break free of old, ineffective ideas. This free-wheeling
technique for generating ideas may produce some that seem half-baked, but it can lead to
new and original solutions to problems. Some of the specific benefits of Brainstorming
(Viewgraph 2) are that it

 Encou r ag es c r eativ it y . It expands your thinking to include all aspects of a

problem or a solution. You can identify a wide range of options.

 Rap id ly p r oduc es a lar g e nu m b er o f id eas . By encouraging people

to offer whatever ideas come to mind, it helps groups develop many ideas
quickly.

 Equ alizes invo lv em en t by all t eam m em b er s . It provides a

nonjudgmental environment that encourages everyone to offer ideas. All ideas are
recorded.

 Fos t er s a s ens e o f own er sh ip. Having all members actively participate in the
Brainstorming process fosters a sense of ownership in the topic discussed and in the
resulting activities. When the people on a team contribute personally to the direction
of a decision, they are more likely to support it.

 Pr ov i d es i npu t t o o t h er t oo l s . You may want to affinitize the

brainstormed ideas. And, if appropriate, you can work with the team to reduce the
number of ideas by Multivoting.

Brainstorming is useful when you want to generate a large number of ideas about issues to
tackle, possible causes of problems, approaches to use, or actions to take.

2 B RA
INSTORMING
 B as ic Too ls f o r Pr oc ess Im p r ov
em en t

Wh at i s B r ai n s t o r m i n g ?

A tool used by teams for creative exploration of options in

an
environment free of criticism.

B RA VIEWGRAPH 1
INSTORMIN
G

B en ef i t s o f B r ai n s t o r m i n g

• Creativity

• Large number of ideas

• All team members involved

• Sense of ownership in decisions

• Input to other tools

B RA 3
INSTORMING
 B RA B as ic Too ls f o r Pr oc ess Im p r ov VIEWGRAPH 2
INSTORMIN em en t
G

4 B RA
INSTORMING
What are the ground rules for Brainstor m ing?

For all participants to enjoy a creative and productive Brainstorming experience, the
facilitator needs to review and get team members’ buy-in on the ground rules for the
session. These are the rules (Viewgraphs 3 and 4):

 A c ti v e p artic i p ati on by all team members. Everyone expresses his or her

ideas, even if they seem silly or far out.

 No d iscuss ion—criticisms, compliments, or other comments—during the

brainstorm.

 B u ild on id eas generated by other team members.

 A ll id eas w ritten ex ac tly as p r es en t ed and d isp lay ed where everyone

can see them.

 Set a ti m e li m it.

 Cl arify i d eas . After the brainstorm, go over the list to make sure that all team
members understand the ideas. Remember that you are only clarifying the ideas,
not making judgments about them.

 Co m b in e id eas . See whether two or more ideas that appear to be the same
can be combined.

How is a Brainstor m ing session conducted?

The recommended sequence for conducting Brainstorming (Viewgraphs 5 and 6) and some
suggestions for conducting the session effectively are provided below:

 Rev iew t h e r u les for Brainstorming. Describe how this session will be
conducted by going over the points below.

 Set a ti m e li m it for Brainstorming, assign a timekeeper and data recorder,

and start the clock. Brainstorming should be a rapid generation of ideas, so do it
quickly; 5-15 minutes works well. If the time limit has expired and ideas are still being
generated, you can extend the time limit at five-minute intervals.

 St at e t h e t op i c to be brainstormed in the form of a question. Write it down and

post it where everyone can refer to it. Ensure that everyone understands it.
 B r ai n s t o r m i n g Gr o u n d Ru l es

• Active participation by everyone

• No discussion

• Build on others’ ideas

B RA VIEWGRAPH 3
INSTORMIN
G

B r ai n s t o r m i n g Gr o u n d Ru l es

• Display ideas as presented

• Set a time limit

• Clarify and combine

B RA VIEWGRAPH 4
INSTORMIN
G
 Co llec t ev er yon e’s id eas . After allowing a few minutes for the participants to
think about the question, ask them to give their ideas. Establish either a structured
or unstructured format for calling out ideas:

> Structured: The facilitator establishes a rotation that enables each person in the
group to contribute an idea in turn. Any individual who is not ready with an idea
when his or her turn comes can pass until the next round, when he or she may
offer an idea or pass again.

> Unstructured: Team members call out ideas as they come to mind. This
method calls for close monitoring by the facilitator to enforce the ground rules
and ensure that all team members have a chance to participate.

 Reco r d id eas on a chartpack as they are called out, or collect ideas written by
TM
team members on post-its . Display the ideas where everyone can see them.
Having the words visible to everyone at the same time avoids misinterpretation and
duplication and helps stimulate creative thinking by other team members.

> When recording ideas, ensure that they are written down exactly as spoken by the
team member. Don’t interpret.

> Try to generate as long a list as possible. Keep Brainstorming until all
participants have passed or the allotted time has expired.

 Clarify each id ea after all ideas have been presented, to ensure that all members
have the same understanding of it. Pointing to each idea on the chartpack in turn,
ask the participants whether they have any questions about its meaning. You may
have to ask the contributor to explain the idea in a different way.

 Eli m i n at e dup li c ati ons . If two or more ideas appear to mean the same
thing, you should try to combine them or eliminate the duplicates. Before you can
wrap the like ideas into a single item or eliminate any items on the list, all of those
who contributed the similar ideas must agree that they mean the same thing.
Otherwise, they remain as separate items.
 B r ai n s t o r m in g Seq u en c e

• Review the rules

• Set a time limit

• State the question

• Collect ideas

> structured

> unstructured

B RA VIEWGRAPH 5
INSTORMIN
G

B r ai n s t o r m in g Seq u en c e

• Record and display ideas

• Clarify the meaning

• Eliminate duplications
B RA VIEWGRAPH 6
INSTORMIN
G
How can we practice what we’ve learned?

Some practical exercises will enable you to apply the skills you've just learned. The first
exercise is sketched out in detail. When you have completed that, you can try
Brainstorming one or two other topics from the list provided below.

DETA IL ED EXERCISE: A team of recycling experts from throughout the base was
assembled to address the issue of increasing command awareness of the recycling
program. They were asked to brainstorm the following question (Viewgraph 7):

What can be done to ensure proper disposal of recyclable material on the base?

The team clarified the topic by defining the terms used in it:

Recyclable material is defined as white paper, aluminum cans, cardboard boxes, glass
bottles, and plastic containers not contaminated by food.

Proper disposal means that all recyclable material is placed in containers designated
for that purpose and segregated so that different types of recyclable material
aren’t mixed; for instance, paper is not mixed with cans.

On the base is defined as inside the perimeter fence that surrounds the property of the
base.

A p p ly t h e g r ound r u les and s equ enc e f o r B r ains t o r m ing t o g en er at e id

eas on t h i s t op i c f o r 5 m i nu t es . A list of ideas of the kind that might be
generated during such a Brainstorming session is provided as an example at the end of
this module.

OTHER EXERCISE TOPICS:

> How can we improve the readiness of the command?

> What can be done about the state of readiness of the fire control systems?

> Why is our ship dragging anchor in heavy weather?

> What things do we need to consider in planning a perfect meeting?

> What can be done to improve the productivity of our meetings?

> How can information flow be improved within our organization?

> Why are the organization's vehicles getting poor gas mileage?

> How can we reduce the time it takes the pharmacy to fill a prescription?

> What activities should we plan for the unit Christmas party?
 B r ai n s t o r m in g Ex er c i s e

What can be done to ensure

the proper disposal of recyclable material on the base?

B RA VIEWGRAPH 7
INSTORMIN
G
 Detailed Exercise
Example of List of Brainstormed Ideas

The following list is not the "right answer" to the exercise. Rather, it is an example of the
kind of large list of diversified solutions that might be brainstormed during a session such as
the one in the Detailed Exercise.

Use metal detectors on all trash leaving the command.

Pass monetary gains back to the individual.
Hold mandatory training for all hands.

Place more recycling bins throughout the command.

Station a watch next to the trash cans.
Have remote cameras monitoring the trash cans.

Throw an annual picnic using the money from recycling.

Have a contest between base commands.
Place recycling bins next to wastebaskets.
Remove wastebaskets from all office areas.
Inspect wastebaskets at the end of each day.
Make it an honor offense not to recycle. Educate
personnel on why we need to recycle.
Make recycling violators perform community service.

Post signs throughout the command encouraging recycling. Use

computers to make the command paperless.
Have instant cash rewards for people who recycle. Don’t
pick up trash if it has recyclable material inside. Find a
TM
way to recycle yellow post-its .
Put up signs at all soft drink machines.
Remove all soft drink machines.
REFERENCES:

1. Brassard, M. (1988). The Memory Jogger, A Pocket Guide of Tools for

Continuous Improvement, p. 69. Methuen, MA: GOAL/QPC.

2. Department of the Navy (November 1992). Fundamentals of Total Quality Leadership

(Instructor Guide), pp. 6-20 - 6-24. San Diego, CA: Navy Personnel Research and
Development Center.

3. Scholtes, P.R., et al (1988). The Team Handbook, pp. 2-37 - 2-39. Madison, WI: Joiner
Associates.
B as ic Too ls f o r Pr oc ess Im p r ov
em en t
 B as ic Too ls f o r Pr oc ess Im p r ov
em en t

12 B RA INSTORMING
 W h at i s B r ai n s t o r m i n g ?

A tool used by teams for creative exploration of options in an environment free of criticism.

BRAINSTORMIN VIEWGRAPH 1
G
 B en ef i t s o f B r ai n s t o r m i n g

• Creativity

• Large number of ideas

• All team members involved

• Sense of ownership in decisions

• Input to other tools

BRAINSTORMIN VIEWGRAPH 2
G
 B r ai n s t o r m i n g Gr o u n d Ru l es

• Active participation by everyone

• No discussion

• Build on others’ ideas

BRAINSTORMIN VIEWGRAPH 3
G
 B r ai n s t o r m i n g Gr o u n d Ru l es

• Display ideas as presented

• Set a time limit

• Clarify and combine

BRAINSTORMIN VIEWGRAPH 4
G
 B r ai n s t o r m i n g Seq u en c e

• Review the rules

• Set a time limit

• State the question

• Collect ideas

> structured

> unstructured

BRAINSTORMIN VIEWGRAPH 5
G
 B r ai n s t o r m i n g Seq u en c e

• Record and display ideas

• Clarify the meaning

• Eliminate duplications

BRAINSTORMIN VIEWGRAPH 6
G
 B r ai n s t o r m i n g Ex er c i s e

What can be done to ensure

the proper disposal of recyclable material on the base?

BRAINSTORMIN VIEWGRAPH 7
G