1. © ABSL Power Solutions 2007 © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited Brainstorming TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT Brainstorming

2. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited What is ‘Brainstorming’? It is a technique which encourages creative thinking and the generation of ideas. It is used to: Generate a list of problems and opportunities Generate possible solutions Develop Action Plans Enhance other techniques such as F.M.E.A.s

3. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited What can Brainstorming Do? Providing that the rules and principles are carefully followed, brainstorming should achieve the following results: Produce a lot of ideas in a short time Enable team members to contribute individually and to benefit from ideas generated by others

4. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited What Else Can Brainstorming Do? Helps to create an environment which enhances group activity or teamwork Provides a more positive environment in which to approach problem solving Encourages deeper thinking about particular problems

5. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited Thinking Most people have well developed logical thinking skills. As a result most people use logical thinking when trying to solve a problem which in most cases is appropriate. Some situations require the generation of new and different ideas. In these situations, creative or lateral thinking may be required.

6. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited Logical & Lateral Thinking Both logical & lateral thinking skills are needed in analytical problem solving. Lateral thinking is used to generate alternatives. Logical thinking is used to evaluate them.

7. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited Barriers to Lateral Thinking There are many barriers to lateral thinking which people need to overcome: Tramline thinking – people limit their thoughts to what has been done before and do not stray outside the boundaries of the situation. People also assume what is or isn’t possible – ‘we’ve always done it that way’’!

8. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited Barriers to Lateral Thinking The fear of sounding foolish – this limits the scope of peoples thoughts to what is seen as safe or acceptable. This prevents raising of radical ideas which could be useful. Ideas can be judged too early without proper consideration. As a result they are discarded for being impractical or impossible.

9. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited Remember… THERE MAY BE MORE THAN ONE RIGHT ANSWER TO A SITUATION!

10. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited 1. Build a Team Once a problem has been bought to our attention, a team must be formed to tackle the problem. Ideally, this will be a team of people with a variety of skills and knowledge relating to the problem.

11. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited 2. Introduce the Problem Explain the purpose of the brainstorming session There is no rank structure – everyone is equal Address the objectives by asking questions: What are the ways of…………? How could we……………?

12. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited 3. Make Sure Everyone Understands Ensure everyone understands the following points: No criticism of any idea, however radical Record all ideas – flipcharts are ideal Aim for a large number of ideas Keep going until all members have exhausted their ideas Build on ideas

13. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited 4. Start the Thought Process The reasoning behind brainstorming is for people to generate both logical & lateral ideas. Ways of going about this include: A free-for-all where people call out ideas; Going round in turn, collecting new ideas; Ideas are written down & passed to a scribe; Any combination of the above.

14. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited 5. Reflect on the Ideas Take time to reflect on the list of ideas New ideas may be forthcoming as a result More than one meeting may be necessary – keep the ideas fresh.

15. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited 6. Evaluate the Ideas Trying to deal with a list of ideas is not easy. Evaluation can be done in a number of ways: Plus, minus & interesting technique allocates a ‘+’ to the most promising, ‘-’ to the least promising & ‘interesting’ rating to those in- between. Rank ideas 1 to 10, higher the number, the more promising the idea. Do not discard any ideas – even at this stage.

16. © STM Quality Limited STM Quality Limited 7. Summary It is important that the brainstorming session is seen in context and that members recognise the importance of their input and involvement. An explanation of the group’s future role should be given and reinforced by identifying follow-up dates and mapping out future progress.