Does Anyone Brainstorm Anymore?

You bring up a great subject! Getting together with a friend and brainstorming is one of the most enjoyable things I do. You NEVER end anywhere close to where you start!

And when I don't have a friend near, I do what I call spiritual brainstorming...since connecting with the Higher Power, whose "thoughts are not our thoughts" is the greatest mental stimulation of all. At least for me.....

You can't innovate unless you brainstorm. And if you can't innovate, you will never be a true leader.

Great post - absolutely - but we have to recognise that often now people simply jump on the back of other people's ideas.

Brainstorming is harder in the IM world because of fear - yet in reality there is so much room to work in it really shouldn't be a problem.

Chris

I would say that there are those who still do, and you can tell who by looking at their achievements

I see brainstorming as "organized daydreaming", and mean that in the best of ways! It's a productive type of imagination and should definitely be the vehicle for any IM strategy.

I prefer to brainstorm with other people that just daydreaming.

My two favorite tools for brainstorming: a blank piece of paper and a pencil.

Yes - To this day I still brainstorm - but Its not always like I sit down for 30 minutes and get it done.
Ideas flow to me all day, and when they do, I note them down on my iPhone.

I still do MINDMAPS for my business - its great for keeping an overview of the different functions and also helps you see what tasks are minor and which are crucial.

I do sometimes brainstorm.. some days no umbrella is needed, other days a virtual torrent of ideas. But one has to differentiate between brainstorming and daydreaming as the line can become uncomfortably thin.

Brainstorming need not be as structured as most people assume. What I mean is that in the typical brainstorming session several people sit around a table and throw ideas around with the intent of creating something greater.

I use it in a quite different manner. As I have conversations with others throughout the day, I occasionally throw a curve into the conversation to see how people react, and what they respond with. This, in turn causes my thoughts to diverge from a potentially planned course of action. All the while, I make notes of anything that seems notable. Usually this is a word or two that describes a concept or idea. Later, I review these notes and often find they help to bring up other ideas.

Though it follows a somewhat disjointed process, it still provides many of the same benefits of the more conventional methods of brainstorming.

Another thing I like to do is walk, without a purpose or destination, and just let my mind wander. As new ideas pass by, I make brief notes and continue on. I keep a small supply of unlined 3x5 index cards and a pen in my shirt pocket, so always have something with me to make a quick note without significantly affecting my train of thought.

Brainstorming is an excellent way of learning about/from yourself and about/from others. We created a brainstorming section in our forum because we believe in it so strongly.

Brainstorming is the bulk of what I do before I bring a new product to the market. Collaborating with others and sharing ideas is a crucial part of the business world and we would be at a loss If no one did it anymore.

The sad part is, that most people don't know how to brainstorm effectively. While there are no definitive methods that you should use, there are some examples that are used very widely in the corporate world. Do what brings out your creativity the best.

As what has been said that two heads are better than one. Brainstorming is not only useful in identifying a wide range of ideas and solutions to problems but also in facilitating group cohesiveness and ownership of ideas. Brainstorming allows to generate many ideas in a relatively short time and requires few material resources.

Brainstorming is great. Although it may seem that many companies don't brainstorm anymore I believe the way people have brainstormed has changed.

Instead of a white board or notepad, many people use their computers and tools like google docs to brain storm via collecting and sharing pictures, articles etc.

In an age where information is constantly streaming brainstorming is more weeding out what information is important and whats not.