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... Improve Your Brainstorming Skills Here are some tips to help you become better at brainstorming. It’s easier to brainstorm earlier in the day because your energy levels are usually higher. You should also make sure that you are in a comfortable place with lots of natural light. A good place is a coffee shop with large windows. DONT sit in a room with florescent lights. These will suck the life out of you and you’ll fell less alive than in a room full of sunlight. There are a number of implements that you can use for brainstorming - a white board, pencil and paper or even an audio recorder - but my favorite tool is a software program called FreeMind, which allows you to create tree charts from your thoughts. It’s also free and open source. You can download it at freemind.sourceforge.net A good brainstorming session should last around one hour. After that, your mind will probably start to slow down. If you find yourself needing more time, extend the hour, or get some rest. Let your subconscious do some thinking for you and then continue the next day. During a brainstorming session don’t discount any ideas, either of yours or of a coworker’s. Accept every suggestion, even if it sounds silly. When you acknowledge everyone’s thoughts they’ll be more motivated to think creatively, which in turn, could solve the goal you are trying to achieve. Everyone thinks that they can brainstorm. But you can always improve your skills and effectiveness. The more you practice, the easier it gets to be creative. And one last tip - have fun. If you’re less formal and enjoy yourself, you’ll have more success at brainstorming. About the Author Noam A. is the founder of Tivon www.tivonsoftware.com , a company which creates software for you to easily track your work...