god forbade...must reading

Brainstorming

    An approach to brainstorming begins with an historical look at what has taken its place.

   Many scientists wasted their careers bickering over petty nuances of opinion and promoting their own ideas at the expense of others. They mistrusted their colleagues, covered up weaknesses and were reluctant to openly share their work. Many refused to discuss their honest thoughts about physics because of the fear of being labeled controversial by their colleagues. Others were afraid of being called ignorant. The majority of scientists of the time lived in an atmosphere of fear and politics. They produced nothing of significance.

   Einstein and associates illustrate the staggering potential of collaborative thinking. The notion that open and honest collaboration can grow as a collective phenomenon is traced back to Socrates and other Greek thinkers. They so revered the concept of group dialogue they bound themselves by principles of discussion that established a sense of collegiality. These principles were known as koinonia, which means the spirit of fellowship.

ESTABLISH DIALOGUE. In Greek, the word dialogue means a talking through. The key to establishing dialogue is to exchange ideas without trying to change the other person's mind. Not the same as discussion, which means to dash to pieces. By definition of the spoken word:

   "Do not argue, do not interrupt, and listen carefully."

CLARIFY YOUR THINKING. Suspend all untested assumptions. This allows thought to flow freely. If we are unaware of our assumptions, or unaware that our thoughts and opinions are based on assumptions, our thought can be blocked.

   Say, you believe that certain people are not creative, you’re not likely to give their ideas fair consideration. Check your assumptions about everything and try to maintain an unbiased view.

BE HONEST. Say what you think, even if your thoughts are controversial.

    Koinonia allowed groups to access a larger pool of common thoughts which cannot be accessed individually. A new kind of mind begins to come into being based on the development of common thoughts. People are no longer in opposition. They become participants in a pool of common ideas, which are capable of constant development and change. 

 

    Here, I might add the similarity in the popularity of the ‘wiki’ idea. See Intellipedia

Michael Michalko in Creative Thinkering

Psychology Today