BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUE

Brainstorming technique was developed by George Prince, one of the founders of the creative thinking movement. This is a technique called developmental thinking, which is used to explore ideas which are attractive but not yet feasible. In simple terms, if two people A and B, are discussing an idea given by A, B as a discipline, should identify three elements which he likes about the idea. This encourages A. B then goes on to give an itemized response on his specific concerns about the idea. The concerns are specific and they identify problem areas for A to solve. Instead of being adversaries on opposite sides of a problem, A and B become partners in growing the idea in a peaceful, nurturing climate. There is a great deal of work done by thinkers on how to make the group climate more creative and less hostile. In developmental thinking, as the teachers at Synectics say, “All potentially positive features of the ideas are identified and the deficiencies are used to give the direction for improvement, preserving the element of novelty while the idea is modified to make it feasible.” This process is a contrast to the conventional screening of ideas into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ after a typical brainstorming session, when novel ideas are likely to be screened out because they are not feasible.