Top Ten Brainstorming Techniques for Business Success

We experience creativity every time a fresh idea pops into our minds. We recognize creative imagination in everything from a pastel painting to a business plan. By trying these ten tips, you will discover some amazing creative abilities that may surprise you.

1. Substitute someone else's perspective for yours. How would a teacher, lawyer, actor, artist, explorer, journalist, psychologist, engineer, homemaker, child, or accountant approach your idea or subject? Don't know? Ask them!

2. Look at your idea through the eyes of a critic. For each idea, make a list of all criticisms that may arise. Try to develop as many solutions as possible for overcoming obstacles or repairing weaknesses in your idea.

3. Connect your idea to other worlds or fields. Look at the worlds of Politics, Art, Science & Medicine, Hollywood, The Ice Age, Astronomy, Astrology, Ballet, Animation, The Army, Asia, Teaching, Music, Europe, and the like. Can you make an analogy, and what ideas can you draw upon from these fields and worlds?

4. Magnify your idea. What can you do to enlarge, expedite, extend, strengthen, exaggerate, dramatize, or improve your idea?

5. Simplify your idea. Can you condense, trim down, compact, minimize, or narrow your idea?

6. Change your idea. Modify the name, color, sound, shape, form, function, smell, taste, and properties of your idea.

7. Make your idea meet the needs and wants of the masses. Does your idea meet the basic needs and wants of more comfort, money, food, shelter, time, space, convenience, attractiveness, health, and beauty? If not, alter your idea to meet one if not all of these needs and wants.

8. Add more value. What will add more value? Add extra features, durability, safety, thickness, accuracy, guarantees, uses, and freebies.

9. Examine what others have done. Emulate professionals and experts who have had great success with a similar idea or product. Are you facing a problem that has already been solved? Use the past as a tool for experimentation and learning.

10. Flip a coin. When you cannot make a decision, flip a coin. Once the coin falls, use your intuition and gut to make a decision. If you feel comfortable with the result, go with it. If you feel uncomfortable with the coin toss, make the opposite decision.

About The Author

Bea Fields, Southern Pines, NC, USA; bea@fivestarleader.com

http://www.fivestarleader.com

Bea Fields is an Executive Coach and a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach. She is also a Consultant, Trainer, Public Speaker and author of the Five Star Leader e-course. Her area of expertise is that of Leadership Development and Marketing for Executives, Managers, Small Business Owners, and Political Leaders.

---

Five Steps to Higher Creativity: Engaging the Human Spirit

Unleash Your Creativity! Creativity has often been the misunderstood... Read More

Computer In The Shop? What Do You Do Now?

Have you ever had one of those days when you... Read More

9 Steps to Supercharge Your Productivity with Creativity

Time is the great equalizer. Everybody has the exact same... Read More

Creativity Management ? Sustainability through Passion

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

How to Generate Ideas for Info-products?

Dear friends the current study shows that there are more... Read More

Revenge of the Sith ? Creativity and Structure

The common belief is that lack of structure and randomness... Read More

How To Increase Creativity... Set Deadlines!

Deadlines are something all of us face from time to... Read More

Mindfulness and Independence: Observing Fireworks

"It's a free country," they say. "Celebrate our independence," I... Read More

A Book About Faith and Love

With news about Iraq and London and even our own... Read More

What Open Stage is Teaching Me About Life

After many years of performing as a vocalist, I switched... Read More

Break An Egg For Creativity

In 1420, the dignitaries of Florence held a competition.They offered... Read More

Sing & Be Well

When people find out that I'm a music therapist, the... Read More

Creativity Management ? Finding Your Voice

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management : Why Products Fail!

There is no sure fire route to commercial success but... Read More

The Healing Powers of Journaling

For the past several years, I have found joy working... Read More

Three Ways Journaling Can Boost Your Creativity and Your Business

I have a friend who has struggled with her creativity... Read More

How A Creation Box Can Work For You

Bring to mind a time when you decided that you... Read More

Internet Business: 10 Important Creative Ways To Get New Product Ideas

Creativity is one of the most important keys to success... Read More

Art, Artists and Vocation

"If you really want to upset your parents?go into the... Read More

Find the Artist Within

Can anyone be an artist? People admiring my work... Read More

Breathing Out Stage Fright

You're stepping onto the stage, amidst opening night flurry and... Read More

The Elements of Creativity: Attributes Listing Method

Attribute listing is one of the best ways to generate... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Think Creatively

You may have heard of Roger von Oech's book, A... Read More

How To Get In The Zone And Blast Your Marketing To A Higher Level

This may come as a surprise... but many marketers are... Read More

Why Teach Thinking? Why Not ?

The word 'creativity' has so many diverse meanings and interpretations.... Read More

Think & Grow Rich

All wealth is a product of mind. Some economists will... Read More

Magic In Your Spice Rack

Variety is the spice of life, but spices, historically are... Read More

A Quick Course in Creativity

This quick course in creativity is designed to give you... Read More

I Want To Create...

What would you like to create? A peaceful life, a... Read More

20 Ways to Keep Your Writing Inspiration and Creativity High

When stressed or blocked it is wise to make a... Read More

Innovation: Wake Up Your People?s Creative Genius

Successful companies have innovation in their blood. The single most... Read More

Are You A Creative Meathead?

Remember Archie Bunker's description of what a Meathead was on... Read More

Analysis of The Monkeys Paw by W. W. Jacobs: A Study in Lateral Thinking

I first read The Monkey's Paw as a youngster in... Read More