November/December 1991
In many instances, the best way to solve a business dilemma is through brainstorming. Here are some tips on how to use the process to develop creative solutions to your quandaries.
Just suppose ...
... Sales are down for the quarter. Your traders gather to discuss new marketing strategies they can use to push those lagging sales back up.
... Or, the frequency of accidents in the plant has jumped in the last two months so the supervisor meets with production employees to try to come up with a solution.
... Or, an increasing quantity of your accounts receivable are more than 90 days past due. The entire office staff gets together to discuss ways to better collect.
If you can visualize your company struggling with these predicaments--or almost any common business problem--you can probably benefit from brainstorming. A time-tested series of problem-solving tools, brainstorming can unleash creativity you never even realized you had to resolve dilemmas you may wish you never heard of.
Here are some brainstorming techniques to try:
Classic Brainstorming. Using classic brainstorming, an appropriate group of your employees focus their undivided attention on a problem or need for a set period of time--probably between 30 and 90 minutes. Everyone should offer as many solutions to the problem as possible, while a leader writes them all down, preferably on a large piece of chart paper or blackboard that all can see. Quantity of ideas, not quality, counts, so all members of the group should be encouraged to propose all ideas they can think of. even if they think they won't work. Sometimes, the most unworkable concepts can inspire development of the best solution. Therefore, criticism of ideas is not allowed.
The Challenge. Here, you deliberately make your problem more difficult than it really is--forcing you to address the problem from a different perspective. Suppose, for instance, that you're trying to reduce the plant's total production time by 20 percent. To focus aggressively on the problem, you might ask your brainstorming group what the company would do if processing volume increased 1,000 percent. What new systems would you have to put in place to address the increase? By exaggerating the situation, you force yourself to think creatively about possible answers.
What If? In this technique, you'll ask every member of the group to pose at least three "what if" questions about the topic you're discussing. Suppose, for instance, you're trying to reduce employee turnover. "What if," one group member might ask, “we gave every employee a bonus at the three-year mark?" Or, "What if we instituted flex-time?" Or, "What if we surveyed employees to find out what they like and dislike about their work?" This routine forces people to consider hypothetical perspectives and solutions that aren't part of current thinking.
The Wrong Way. Instead of generating good ideas or solving problems, this technique calls for you to deliberately try to generate poor ideas or discuss ways to make your problem worse. Say you're trying to solve recurring complaints from over-the-scale suppliers. Everyone in the brainstorming group should ask himself: How could we infuriate every single retail supplier? How could we ensure that no first-time peddler would ever want to sell to us a second time? By concentrating on dramatically poor customer service, you may come to grips with the service issues that matter most to suppliers--and be better poised to solve your problem.
Role Playing. Suppose you're a financial officer trying to solve a thorny record-keeping problem with your accounting department. Ask yourself how someone in marketing or operations would handle a similar problem. Ask yourself how your colleagues in other scrap firms--or other industries--would address the issue. By viewing your predicament from a different professional perspective, you may develop the perfect approach.
Metaphors. A metaphors word or phrase that symbolizes something other than its literal meaning-can be a helpful tool for provoking new ideas. Imagine, for instance, that you're seeking ways to energize your marketing team. Using the metaphor technique, you might visualize your buyers and traders as a baseball team and try to develop thoughts on how you would improve the performance of the team. By applying metaphors to your production processes or your people, you'll gain a fresh outlook on the problems you face.
Word Associations. Instead of trying to generate concrete solutions or ideas, simply write down whatever words or phrases come to mind when your brainstorming group faces a problem. If you're discussing ways to improve the appearance of your plant perimeter, the group might offer phrases like "paint," "lawn," "texture," “art,” “wash," or "manicure." Later, you can use these key phrases to develop action plans and strategies.
Risky Options. Brainstorming group members may be hesitant to suggest unusual or risky solutions to problems; the fear of failure or group censure is often too great. Using the risky option technique, you'll openly invite wild and risky approaches to problems you face. If you want to inject levity into the process, you can offer a prize to the group member who poses the riskiest option of all. After a short silence--and more than a little mumbling--you'll probably be surprised at the ideas that come up.
The Hunter. When group members play the hunter, they'll scan through the pages of newspapers, magazines, speeches, literature, and product information in search of random ideas that might have a bearing on the problem at hand. Whether you're trying to develop a new production procedure, come up with new advertising ideas, or meet almost any other business need, you’ll ask the group to embark on an idea hunt and be Prepared to report back on what they've found. This technique can be used equally well with individuals and small groups.
Brainstorming alone won't solve any of the business problems you may face. But they can provide you with a trove of positive, powerful options that you can study and pursue.
And any one of those options--just one--might be just the solution you've been looking for.•
--Richard G. Ensman Jr., a Rochester, N.Y.-based management writer
In many instances, the best way to solve a business dilemma is through brainstorming. Here are some tips on how to use the process to develop creative solutions to your quandaries.