Brainstorming for quality improvement

Brainstorming is a method for developing creative solutions to problems. It works by focus­ing on a problem, and then deliberately coming up with as many unusual solutions as pos­sible by pushing the ideas as far as possible.

Most problems are not solved automatically by the first idea that comes to mind. It is important to consider many possible solutions to get to the best solution. One of the best ways to do this is called brainstorming. Brainstorming is the act of defining a problem or idea and coming up with anything related to the topic—no matter how remote the sugges­tion may sound. All these ideas are recorded and evaluated only after the brainstorming session is completed.

1. Brainstorming Definitions

According to Alex F. Osborne, brainstorming is a tool for maximizing a group’s creativity in problem solving. It 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.”

Brainstorming can be a difficult process for many reasons. Sometimes, people are unwill­ing to suggest a solution for fear of criticism or the problem may just be a very difficult one, and one that no existing solutions exist for yet. Osborne’s solution is to think up as many ideas as possible regardless of how ridiculous they may seem at first. Since it is very unlikely to think up the perfect solution immediately, he recommends getting every idea out of your head and then going back to examine them afterwards. An idea that may have initially sounded off- the-wall may actually turn out to be a plausible idea with a little modification. Osborne’s tech­nique of deferred judgement increases the individual’s synthesis capabilities by releasing the human mind from the analysis mode of thinking. Brainstorming is considered to be a group method of listing suggested ideas pertaining to a solution for a specific problem.

The technique of brainstorming takes place in a panel format. The brainstorming panel is composed of a leader, a recorder and panel members. The leader is responsible for main­taining a rapid flow of ideas while the recorder lists all the ideas as they are presented. The size of the panel may vary but a range of 10 to 12 is usually optimum. If the group were to get larger, there would be a greater chance of members remaining in the background or members would not have enough time to express their ideas in a reasonable amount of time. Brainstorming helps answer specific questions such as:

• What opportunities face us this year?
• What factors is constraining performance in department X?
• What could be causing problem Y?
• What can we do to solve problem Z?

However, brainstorming cannot help you positively identify causes of problems, rank ideas in a meaningful order, select important ideas or check solutions.

2. How to Brainstorm?

The following rules are important to brainstorm successfully:

1. Make sure everyone understands and is satisfied with the central question before you open up for ideas.
2. You may want to give everyone a few seconds to jot down a few ideas before getting started.
3. Begin by going around the table or room, giving everyone a chance to voice their ideas or pass. Open the floor after a few rounds.
4. More ideas are better. Encourage radical ideas and piggybacking.
5. Suspend judgement of all ideas.
6. Record exactly what is said. Clarify only after everyone is out of ideas.
7. Don’t stop until ideas become sparse. Allow for ideas that come late.
8. Eliminate duplicates and ideas that are irrelevant to the topic.

3. Step-by-step Guide to Brainstorming

1. Define your problem. The word “problem” is not necessarily negative. The problem could be “We need a new product for the festive season” or “How can we effectively use our departmental budget surplus for this year?” Write out your 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.
2. Give yourselves a time limit. Larger groups may need more time to get everyone’s ideas out.
3. Everyone must shout out solutions to the problem while one person records them. Ideas must not be criticized. If participants begin to fear criticism of their ideas, they will stop generating ideas. Ideas that may seem silly initially may prove to be very good or may lead to ideas that are very good.
4. Select the five ideas that you like best once the time is up. Make sure everyone involved in the brainstorming session is in agreement.
5. Write down five criteria for deciding on the ideas that best solve your problem. Each cri­terion should start with the word “should.” For example, “it should be cost effective,” “it should be legal,” etc.
6. Give each idea a score between 0 and 5 points depending on how well it meets each crite­rion. Add up the scores once all the ideas have been scored for each criterion.
7. The idea with the highest score will best solve the problem. However, a record must be maintained of all the best ideas in case the idea selected does not turn out to be workable.

4. Individual Versus Group Brainstorming

Individuals, groups or both can execute brainstorming. Individual brainstorming tends to produce a wider range of ideas than group brainstorming. However, it does not develop ideas as effectively, perhaps because individuals on their own run up against problems they cannot solve. Individuals are free to explore ideas in their own time without any fear of criti­cism and without being dominated by other group members.

Group brainstorming develops ideas more deeply and effectively. This is because when difficulties in the development of an idea by one person are reached, another person’s cre­ativity and experience can be used to break them down. Group brainstorming tends to pro­duce fewer ideas (as time is spent developing ideas in depth) and can lead to the suppression of creative but quiet people by loud and uncreative ones.

Individual and group brainstorming can be mixed, perhaps by defining a problem, and then letting team members initially come up with a wide range of possibly shallow solu­tions. These solutions could then be enhanced and developed by group brainstorming.

Source: Poornima M. Charantimath (2017), Total Quality Management, Pearson; 3rd edition.