1 Brainstorming rules

Brainstorming can be a great way for teams to generate ideas, but it can also be ineffective or counterproductive if not done properly. To make brainstorming more productive, evidence-based rules should be followed, such as defining the problem clearly and focusing on one question at a time, encouraging quantity over quality and deferring judgment until later, building upon each other's ideas and avoiding criticism or evaluation, using a facilitator to guide the process and record the ideas, and setting a time limit and a target number of ideas. Following these rules can help to reduce social loafing, evaluation apprehension, and production blocking, which are common pitfalls of brainstorming.

2 SCAMPER method

SCAMPER is an acronym for seven creative thinking techniques that can help teams to modify, improve, or generate new ideas. These techniques involve substituting one element with another, combining two or more elements, adapting an element to suit a new context or purpose, modifying the shape, size, color, or other attributes of an element, putting an element to another use, eliminating an element or simplifying the idea, and reversing the order or direction of an element. As a facilitator, SCAMPER can prompt your team to explore different perspectives and possibilities for their ideas. It can also be used as a checklist to evaluate and refine the ideas.

3 Six Thinking Hats

Six Thinking Hats is a framework for parallel thinking that can help teams to avoid groupthink, conflicts, and confusion. This framework assigns six different modes of thinking to six different colored hats, each representing a different aspect of the problem or idea. For example, the white hat focuses on facts and data, while the red hat focuses on emotions and feelings. The black hat looks at risks and drawbacks, the yellow hat looks at benefits and opportunities, the green hat encourages creativity and innovation, and the blue hat oversees the process. You can use Six Thinking Hats as a facilitator to structure the discussion and decision making process for your team by asking them to focus on one mode of thinking at a time. The blue hat can also be used to manage the sequence and duration of the hats.

4 Feedback loops

Feedback loops are essential for team creativity, as they provide information, guidance, and motivation for improving the ideas. Feedback loops can be internal or external, depending on the source and direction of the feedback. Internal feedback loops involve self-evaluation and peer review within the team. External feedback loops involve seeking input and validation from customers, stakeholders, or experts outside the team.

You can use feedback loops as a facilitator to help your team to test and refine their ideas. You can also use feedback loops to foster a culture of learning and experimentation in your team. You should encourage your team to seek feedback early and often, and to use feedback as a source of inspiration and improvement, not as a judgment or criticism.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?