Brainstorming Methods

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Author:
Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE

Walk into the room and can’t find your keys? Or forget why you entered the room in the first place? Wondering what has happened to your short-term memory? Feel overwhelmed by information, people, to-do lists and demands on your time?

You very well could be suffering from SADD-situational attention deficit disorder, a term coined by Anderson Consulting Institute for Strategic Change. Specifically, most of us are now in situations in which we are bombarded by so many demands for our attention that our brains close down.

It’s a phenomenon of our time. Our brains, evolved over eons to respond to our environment and each other are exponentially being taxed by the growth in information and technology. Everyone and everything is vying for attention. We are hardwired to respond but when it’s deluged like that, the brain just “goes blind”. Engineers discovered this phenomenon when they installed hundreds of communication devices in cockpits, thinking it would improve the pilot’s performance. Instead, when the pilot’s performance decreased.

Information and technology will no go away. But there are ways to turn from “SAAD” to glad.

1. Determine your priorities and focus on them.

Don’t let yourself be pulled into anything from meetings, to readings, to conversations that thwart your priorities. Literally block out space on your daily to-do list for things that are important to you: from projects, to exercise, to family time. Hold these times as sacred.

2. Say “no” to answering every message.

The average American receives 201 phone, paper, and e-mail messages a day. Take care of those that are priority and let the rest drop off. Ignore the messages that are uninvited and unnecessary.

3. Let technology work for you in prioritizing.

Called ID and voice mail can allow you to screen calls. For those who depend upon business coming in via phone and need to take every call, develop a way to shorten incoming sales calls. Telemarketing calls that come in via a computer dial-up have a few seconds of silence before a voice is heard. If that’s the case, just hang up. If you are solicited, ask them to please out your name on the DO NOT call list. And then hang up.

4. Create a centering place.

Whether it is in the silence of your car, or in a shower, or closing your door, take 15 minutes per day to practice paying attention to ONE thing: your breathing, a flower, a fish tank. Like the muscle in our bodies, the brain gets strong I the places where we train it. Focus turns SADD into glad!

© 2000 by Eileen McDargh. All rights reserved. Reprints must include byline, contact information and copyright.

About the Author
Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE, is an international speaker, author and seminar leader. Her book ‘Work for A Living and Still Be Free to Live’ is also the title of one of her most popular and upbeat programs on Work/Life Balance. For more information on Eileen and her presentations, please call 949-496-8640 or visit her web site at http://www.eileenmcdargh.com.

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Brainpower... Brainstorming - Create That Million Dollar Idea There are many ways to stimulate your creative juices, and to get the ideas flowing. Most authors have their favourites which are usually tried and tested and work for them. Maybe the best known is brainstorming. Brainstorming is a powerful technique which can create new ideas and solve problems. It can be done in a group, with a partner, or alone. When used in a group setting, it motivates and develops a team spirit. It often involves group members in bigger management issues and allows the team to work together. When used as part of a team, a flip-chart, allowing all participants to see what is happening, and what is being produced, is essential. On a one to one basis, or alone, it not required. But writing everything down is essential. There are a few simple rules when brainstorming. Firstly, judgement and criticism are suspended during the session. Secondly, there are no right or wrong answers, there are no good or bad ideas. Reviewing the ideas generated comes later. Often the wilder, and stranger the idea, the better. Many times great ideas can come from what initially appears strange or irrelevant. Another concept to bear in mind when brainstorming ideas for your writing, is that quantity and not quality is the most important thing at this stage. Combining ideas is another option, see where one idea leads, then combine it with another. Key to brainstorming is writing ideas down. Don’t just call out ideas, make someone responsible for collecting every single idea mentioned. It is easy to forget what is said, and no writer wants to lose a gem of inspiration for a new book or article. Also, sometimes actually seeing ideas written down, will spur you on to other ideas. If you work alone, or are self-employed, you may wish to brainstorm alone. ...