Brainstorming Learning to brainstorm and sort ideas toward the most innovative and possible alternatives.

Brainstorming is: –The generation of ideas, possible solutions, possible options, etc. without commentary, criticism, judgment or assessment. Brainstorming can be: –Fun – A Game –Strange – allowing impossible ideas to appear –Collaborative – building, interconnecting, and leapfrogging ideas to new and unique ideas. –Effective – often there is a pattern, you get the “common ideas” – then the “strange ideas” then suddenly the “new and creative ideas. Brainstorming

Idea Skeet… IDEA As soon as you begin to get a few ideas… A whole posse comes out --- guns blazing to shoot ‘em down. As you know – it’s lots more fun to kill a great idea than to come up with one…

Exercise #1 -- Brainstorming A steel pipe (shown in cross section below) is embedded in the concrete floor of a bare room. The inside diameter of the pipe is.06" larger than the diameter of a ping-pong ball (1.50") that is resting at the bottom of the pipe. You and your group are in the room with the following objects: 100' of clothesline a carpenter’s hammer a box of Wheaties a chisel a file a wire coat hanger a monkey wrench a light bulb In 5 minutes, list as many ways as you can think of to get the ball out of the pipe without damaging the ball, pipe, or floor. Select a recorder from the group to write down group members’ suggestions. Concrete Floor Ping Pong Ball Steel Pipe

Exercise #2 – Application to Us As a Group complete the following: –Brainstorming a list of problems that could be addressed by your group, team or department. –Remember to list as many as possible –Have one team member observe the brainstorming session and note any commentary, judgments or critical statements made by the group during the process. They may also note how long before some discouraging word is spoken. –Be prepared to discuss your results with the group.

You can’t accept every idea… Hard hat & ear Protection Maps, if you get lost & check list before riding. Blue-Tail Fly Repellent Seat Belt Self Starter Knee Pads (just in case) & Quilted Pants EPA Emissions control system Non Skid Spark Suppressors 4 Wheels to keep horse upright in case he slips – thus not endangering the rider Safety Net All Around Steel-Toed Stirrups Safety Switches & “Hot Line” to Insurance company. Grab Rail Prescription Safety Goggles to Insure Horses good vision Head Lights 180 o Rear View Mirror Bird Cage Mask and Safety goggles Automatic High- Volume “Whoa” Roll Bar Flip-Down Sun Glasses Safety Rope – When other Systems Fail Dual Cinch Shoulder Harness Back up Lights Taillights & directional lights Padded-Back seat & head restraint Automatic air-filled chest protector

Sort Down Processes Popular Acclaim: –Check with the group to see if there is already a consensus choice among all the members. Chicago Election: –Vote often and for all the candidates you want. Disqualification: –Suggest dropping every item that is not supported by a majority of 60, 80 or even 100 percent of the members Weighted Primary: –Use a Weighted-vote method to rank the remaining items in priority for further analysis or elimination. Negotiated Winner: –List the items on the vertical axis, and the standards against which they'll all be considered across the horizontal axis. These standards might include factors like time, cost, data availability, and so forth.