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Business brainstorming generates the options to solve problems and generate ideas for opportunities.Not everyone in business understands the value and number of times brainstorming is used or should be used. .. and how often it is used badly.Most companies do business brainstorming nearly every day. They might not call it that but all business face problems and opportunities. Both need to be thought through, and approached with 'what are the options open to us?' The business that wants to be innovative, solve problems more systematically, and prepare presentations that engage can use these brainstorming techniques for a better ROI of their time spent. A company that offers to help you brainstorm together and has an interesting newsletter is FredGleek.com "Let's brainstorm it!"Often a problem arises or a subject that you and some others need to think about and the cry goes out "Let's brainstorm it!" When you are looking for options to consider or alternative paths to ponder, brainstorming is exactly what you need.Problem solvingBusiness problems crop up every day. When we were in school we were taught that a problem has one answer and it is our job to figure out that one answer. But business life, and life in general, is not like that. Most of the time there are multiple possible answers and there could be many good answers.It is too easy, too comfortable, and usually a mistake to think that you are searching for the one right answer. Instead in business brainstorming we are looking for as many options as possible to be considered and then make a choice or choices among them. If we think there is only one right answer we will jump on the first answer that comes up that would work. Usually the first idea is one that comes up fast because it is common and over used. Even if it does turn out to be the best answer once you have considered other alternatives, you will know why. You will make your choice because it won the comparison discussion, not just because it was the first and only idea expressed. Business Brainstorming StepsStep 1. The first part of business brainstorming is making sure that everyone agrees that there is a problem and how to define it. The problem should be written in the form of a question that all participants in the discussion agree on.Step 2. Brainstorm all the questions that you need or want answered about the problem. There are probably many issues that should be questioned and addressed before looking for solutions. Step 3. Business brainstorming the problem means spending time listing as many solution options as possible before doing any analysis. During the brainstorming of options it is important to apply the usual rules of listing everything without any value judgments or comments. It doesn't help at this point to know that someone tried one of those options before and it didn't work. The larger the number of options listed the more likely that a few, or some combinations, will rise to the top to be considered further. Often a seemingly crazy idea turns out to be the one that with a bit of changes wins out in the end. Step 4. Choose some of the best options then do an analysis with a pros/cons chart
Every option will have some pros and some cons. You can use a
mind map format
mind map format like the example above or a list format as shown below. Option 1 ______Pros_______________Cons______
Link from Business Brainstorming to page listing the 1 hour seminars available.
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