1. Brainstorming

Brainstorming is "a conference technique by which a group attempts to find a solution for a specific problem by amassing all the ideas spontaneously by its members" (Alex Osborn). It can be used for answering a question, introducing a new subject, raising interest, and surveying knowledge and attitudes.

A Step-by-Step guide to brainstorming:
Introduce a question, problem, or topic both orally and in writing on chart paper.

1. Define your problem (please note that the word "problem" is not necessarily negative).

2. Write out the problem concisely and make sure that everyone understands the problem and is in agreement with the way it is worded. There is no need to put a lot of restrictions on your problem at this time.

3. Invite participants to respond with as many ideas or suggestions as possible, ideally in single words or short phrases. Encourage everyone to participate but do not proceed in any set order.

4. Explain that until the brainstorm is complete, no one may repeat or comment on any response.

5. Record every response on chart paper. Often, the most creative or outrageous suggestions are the most useful and interesting.

6. Give yourselves a time limit - Larger groups may need more time to get everyone's ideas out.

7. There must be absolutely no criticizing of ideas. No matter how impossible or how silly an idea is, it must be written down. Laughing is to be encouraged. Criticism is not. Why? Because you want to encourage the free flow of ideas. Whereas criticism will stop the participants of the brainstorming session from generating ideas. Moreover, ideas that first seem silly may prove to be very good or may lead to ideas that are very good.

8. Once your time is up, select five ideas that you like the best. Make sure everyone involved in the brainstorming session is in agreement.

9. Write down about five criteria for judging which ideas best solve your problem. Criteria should start with the word "should", for example, "it should be cost effective", "it should be legal", "it should be possible to finish before July 15", etc.

10. Afterward, prioritize, analyze, or use the list to generate discussion or problem solving. Give each idea a score of 0 to 5 points depending on how well it meets each criterion. Once all of the ideas have been scored for each criterion, add up the scores.

The idea with the highest score will best solve your problem. But you should keep a record of all of your best ideas and their scores in case your best idea turns out not to be workable.