| At last the deadline is met. The brainstorm session is | | | | is a steam-shovel one. Then the group can |
| over. Its members pile out of the room; the | | | | reconvene after having fifty-eight vague ideas on |
| secretaries stretch their fingers before picking up the | | | | how to increase sales of dog food, and attack |
| long list of ideas. But the brainstorm process is far | | | | specific proposals for contacting veterinarians, setting |
| from finished. Ideas, even the best ideas in the | | | | up supermarket displays, reaching children through TV |
| world, are useless unless they are put to work. | | | | shows. Then the sessions will not come up with |
| To make sure they have collected every possible | | | | fifty-eight ideas. The total is more likely to be 158. |
| idea, some companies have a panel member call the | | | | Now that the ideas have been produced, judgment |
| others twenty-four hours after a meeting, to ask for | | | | must be applied to the ideas in a vigorous, cold-water |
| all ideas they have had on the way home, while | | | | session. This may be done by the entire group in a |
| sleeping or shaving. Rarely has their subconscious | | | | technique worked out by Professor Paul Pigors at |
| stopped working. | | | | M.I.T. |
| After all the ideas have been collected, a secretary | | | | He has found that a brainstorm panel can immediately |
| types a triple-spaced list exactly as the ideas came in | | | | sort their own ideas into three categories: (1) hot |
| the session. Then the chairman reads that list, | | | | ideas that can be tried out almost immediately; (2) |
| expanding the ideas which need it, and adding other | | | | those which need long range or involved study, |
| ideas which occur to him. He then organizes the list | | | | co-ordination, or vast appropriations; (3) those which |
| into categories. For example, he might organize a list | | | | are obviously unusable. General Electric's Royce plant |
| putting together all the ideas about retail sales, | | | | in Toronto arranges their ideas into those which can |
| wholesale promotion, advertising, etc. The categories | | | | be put to work: (1) in one week; (2) one month; (3) |
| should correspond to the logical ones for your | | | | six months, and so on. |
| business and your problems. | | | | To have the whole group do the judging, of course, |
| That organized list is typed and duplicated. It is sent | | | | takes a great deal more time than the session itself, |
| to every member of the brainstorm session. This list | | | | and it completely wastes the time of those |
| is important. It makes everyone aware of what has | | | | nonexperts who just don't know enough about the |
| been done in what may seem to critics a rather | | | | subject to say if an idea is practical or not. |
| ephemeral operation. It gets ideas down on paper. | | | | It is best to have a committee of about three panel |
| This makes them a positive force within the | | | | members, usually the ones most concerned with the |
| organization. They have to be acted upon, rejected | | | | problem, meet and apply judgment. They should be |
| perhaps, but only with a reason. And each member | | | | the folks who know what has been tried, what is |
| of the panel is likely to feel some proprietorship over | | | | too expensive, what's against policy. To save time in |
| their results. | | | | this session each committee member should read |
| This does not mean that any of the ideas have to | | | | over the list beforehand and come in with the top |
| be utilized. It does mean that there is a pressure to | | | | ten ideas. Usually the committee will find it quickly |
| try new ideas, or at least consider them, which | | | | agrees on a majority. |
| counterbalances the natural inertia in any organization | | | | If the above methods are put into practice, none of |
| which resists change. | | | | the valuable ideas of a brainstorm will go to waste. |
| Often the list will produce an idea or ideas that can | | | | They will be gathered and utilized, making the |
| be brainstormed profitably themselves. This is | | | | brainstorm a valuable source of ideas. |
| especially true when the question in the first session | | | | |