Brainstorming is a well-known thinking tool for coming up with fresh ideas. It was introduced to the world in 1942 by Alex Osborn who had been using it in his advertising business to generate ideas. The rules are pretty simple:
- Go for quantity
- Withhold criticism
- Welcome wild ideas
- Combine and improve ideas
The goal is to create a safe environment where no idea is too crazy and to generate as many ideas as possible. The ideas can be sorted through later, but in the moment, quality through quantity is the plan.
Rethinking can also be looked at as a thinking tool. It’s designed to challenge what you think you know and build a stronger understanding of whatever topic is rethought.
Like brainstorming, there are rules for rethinking that make it more effective:
- Be open to being wrong
- Be honest about what you really know
- Look for alternative explanations
- Integrate as many points of view as you can
Without these basic rules, you’re more likely to end up defending what you think you know instead of rethinking it.
