Brainstorming

What is it?

A technique to encourage creativity and lateral thinking by stimulating the creative right hemisphere of the brain. Focus on future possibilities, hope, ideas and opportunities are encouraged.

When to use it?

• When defining an ideal future/situation
• Defining ways to achieve a specific goal
• Defining what you want
• Generating a large number of ideas

How to use it?

• Set the scene: think about the process and the question you are trying to answer.
• Using an optimistic approach and being filled with hope, stay focused, energetic and positive.
• Put yourself in the situation and questions and using some post it notes start generating ideas.
• 1 idea per post it. Stick them on the wall as you go.
• Then cluster and keep going if you can.
• Consider/emphasise the following:
• Think of the ideal future
• Take yourself to the future and imagine you are there
• Generate as many ideas as possible as quickly as possible
• Have fun: anything goes (there is no right or wrong)

Potential Questions, ideally:

• Where are you? What have you achieved?
• What are you thinking/feeling/doing?
• What have you gotten rid of?
• What have you gained?
• What are others saying about you?
• In your wildest dreams...?

• Review: Review the ideas, identify the most important ones and formulate realistic goals. Identify the ones that can be used to formulate possible strategies to achieving the specified goal