In the 1940s – shortly after Slinky made its retail debut – advertising guru Alex Osborn invented collaborative brainstorming to determine what on Earth you’re supposed to do with that springy, metal coil. His findings were inconclusive^*, but his brainstorming strategies revolutionized boardroom and classroom culture, and continue to shape discussions today.

• No criticizing
• No self-censorship
• Build on others' ideas
• Quantity before quality

Before Osborn, "brainstorming" meant yelling "WHY!?" into a thunderstorm, traditionally from atop a cliff or tall building, while shaking both fists in the air. After Osborn, brainstorming became a safer, more productive method of generating ideas, one which researchers continue improving upon today. Here are their top findings.

Note * _{All we know for sure is that it can go down stairs.}

Five brainstorming strategies

		1. Criticism is your friend When colleagues wrap their minds around an opposing view, they suddenly see their own ideas in a new light. Charlan Nemeth, who published a much-quoted study on the efficacy of Osborne’s four rules, found that groups who were encouraged to debate and question one another produced better ideas more frequently. She theorized this is because participants were forced to challenge their own assumptions, and open up to the perspectives of others. Breakthroughs happen when you expand your thinking.
		2. Make suggestions, not rules In 2008, Nemeth, together with Matthew Feinberg, revisited her research on Osborne's four rules. They found that groups who were ordered to follow Osborne's rules to the letter were remarkably less effective than groups that were given the same rules as soft suggestions. Guidelines and suggestions can help guide discourse, but don't force your participants to adhere to a certain style at all times. In other words, don't be a jerk.
		3. Write down everything Publish ideas in real time, on paper or on a screen. Feinberg writes, "These approaches allow one to generate ideas at any time without having to wait one's turn in the discussion process." Writing things out gives group members time and space to think independently, while the brainstorming session keeps moving.
		4. Keep it short and sweet Wordy explanations and anecdotes distract everyone, and detract from the point of the exercise. Nemeth's colleague – Vicky Putnam – found that output increased substantially when the facilitator asked groups to stay away from storytelling. A brief, to-the-point idea leaves everyone's imagination open to new possibilities.
		5. Pause for Solitaire All it takes is five minutes of silence for everyone to process their notes and form new conclusions. Psychologists have proven time and again that individuals often outthink the group during brainstorming sessions. But some problems – such as multi-disciplinary questions faced by scientists and business analysts – require a group solution. You make the most of your time, and your group, by doing nothing every now and again.

(This article is quoted from Poll Everywhere)