5 Effective Brainstorming Exercises

Brainstorming is executed when you're in search for ideas to solve and improve problems. The most common brainstorming exercise is to simply write down your ideas on a sheet of paper. Though this can be an effective way, everyone don't work in the same way and we need to find certain exercises that fits our way.

For these exercises, limit your time, for instance ten minutes. This will speed your mind to be active. After the short "deadline", look through your ideas and see if any good can be find in them. Then when you're ready, repeat the exercises.

The Association Game

This can be both an individual and a team exercise. You first define the problem. Then if you're alone, write down the first solution you come up with. Following that you then associate what that solution would lead to and how you can develop common ideas based on the first.

If you're in a group, one can, for instance, say one solution and so challenge the other to associate with that, then the game continues in this path.

Erase

We have a tendency to repeat ourselves and therefore get stuck with the same ideas. For this reason it's good to quickly implement your ideas as you get them so that you never need to pounder about them again, but instead instantly see if they work or not.

This activity is based on not repeating your solution twice. First write down the problem and as you come up with an idea, don't repeat it again, just pretend that you're not allowed to use it anymore. Come up with completely new activities to build your strategy on. Erase (mentally) those activities you're offering currently, so that you begin on scratch!

Don't Do it!

Instead of thinking about what you should do, think of what would most definitely ruin you if you attended it. This is a creative way to see the problem from a different perspective.

Face your Fears

Write down the craziest and weirdest ideas you can come up with. Even though this is an exercise, many can feel fear doing this as one might feel that it won't help or that you'll might consider trying these ideas. But by doing, and not taking the brainstorm session too seriously, you can completely relax and allow your brain to play with ideas as much as it likes. Don't restrict yourself, see what happens.

Break Rules

This can be slightly associated with the previous exercise (the one above), as it is about letting go of your principles in life for a second and really allow your creativity to flow. Deliberately break rules. For example, if you're making a strategy for a particular market, then reflect on all the rules and principles that the market consist of. Now, break them all, have them on their heads, shake the systems and then make entirely new rules with own principles.

Ask Weird Questions

Weird questions can lead to innovative solutions. The questions don't need to be in relevance to your topic, but it can help you understand people's curiosity and emotions.

What if people didn't need to eat, how would they stay healthy?
How would a white apple taste?
Which bug is the most loved one? Why?