Brainstorming is the name of the game when it comes to generating new and innovative ideas for your next presentation. Brainstorming – especially with a group – can push you and your colleagues outside of your comfort zones so that you might find new answers to common questions and open up the possibilities for your slides, your speech, your storytelling and more.
However, brainstorming with a group isn’t as simple as just sitting down and rattling off any number of sparkling pearls of inspiration. If it was that easy we’d all have brilliant, groundbreaking PowerPoint presentations every time. The fact is, brainstorming is a very complicated form of group communication that involves both free-flowing ideas and expressions as well as a disciplined focus within the particular parameters that define the matter at hand.
There are a number of skill sub-sets that any group brainstorming session relies on. One of the most important has to do with problem solving. If all the members of your group are experienced and adept at basic problem solving skills, your brainstorming sessions will be much more productive.
Here are some very simple guidelines for approaching a problem, making it manageable and taking care of it before it becomes a major headache.
Learn these lessons and teach them to your team. You’ll soon be making quick work of the obstacles that stand between you and total creativity.
Leave Assumptions at the Door
When it comes to problem solving, you don’t know what you’re talking about. That’s the whole reason why you are now in problem solving mode. Get rid of all of your assumptions when you are trying to problem solve. What if the Wright Brothers had insisted on rational, practical ideas when they were trying to figure out how to configure their flying machine? Big ideas require wide open minds!
The Way of Kaizen
Kaizen is a management philosophy that became very popular during Japan’s rise as an economic superpower. Simply put, kaizen involves identifying the little problems that make up a bigger one. By identifying the components that create your bigger challenges you can avoid getting overwhelmed. You may also find that solving one little problem can create a domino effect, resulting in an avalanche of inspired solutions.
Perception Problems
One of the biggest obstacles in problem solving can be your definitions of your problems themselves. The way that you define your problems can obscure obvious solutions. As you begin to chip away at an issue, take the time to redefine it. Constantly reevaluating a situation can help you see it from multiple perspectives, insuring that you don’t miss what’s right in front of you.
Take these tools into problem-solving at work or even in your own personal life. Problem solving is mostly just a matter of distance, perspective and insight. As you master it, you’ll find that your brainstorming will really take off.
