10 Ways To Brainstorm Effectively

Whether we consciously think about it or not, brainstorming is a tool used in many areas of life, from school to personal. We often use brainstorming to think about how to solve a problem we have. or perhaps to help someone else with one of theirs. However, brainstorming is a skill that we must learn and then can continue to improve upon over time. Effectively brainstorming can lead to better outcomes for all of our problems. Here are 10 ways to try improving your brainstorming skills: 1. Carve out time just to brainstorm and focus only on that. 2. Role play the situation. 3. Use a toolkit such as a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis 4. Challenge every assumption 5. Make a map of the topic and branch into subtopics 6. Brainstorm with another person or group of people 7. Use visual aides 8. Focus on one topic at a time 9. Reverse the situation and work your way backward 10. Try sketching out your ideas Any one of these ideas can be a great starting point to setting off on a successful brainstorming session. For simply brainstorming needs, one tool may be all that is needed. For more complex problems, several brainstorming sessions may be useful for coming to the best solution. Get creative and start brainstorming today!