| Karen Ryce Presents... |
| Power of Respect Mini-Course Lesson Five: Brainstorming Written Version |
| Lesson Five Brainstorming Before you start brainstorming, everyone needs to understand that during the brainstorming no one criticizes any idea. No matter how silly, horrible, impossible an idea is no one says anything about it. No comments allowed. This helps keep the ideas flowing. If comments are made, it can keep ideas from coming to mind. Negative comments can block the person whose idea got the comment, but it can also block other people who may be afraid of getting negative comments. Even positive comments can keep ideas from coming. They might keep other ideas from coming to people’s minds and only draw ideas similar to the idea that got the positive comment. Often the ideas that will be the most useful can come after the first ideas have been shared. So, no comments. All ideas are written down. If anyone has trouble with this, remind them that the idea will not be used if someone does not like it. It will be crossed off the list. For now please don’t say anything against it, no moans or groans or negative gestures. Now, it is time for brainstorming for solutions: Write down every idea word for word, no matter how strange, no matter how silly, no matter who likes it or not. Grandmother/Grandson Session Continued... “Now we start gathering our ideas. I have to write down every idea we come up with. Remember, no matter what we think of an idea, we don’t make any comments, good or bad, not even noises or gestures. We have to remember that any idea we don’t like gets crossed off. Do you want to start, Tony?” “Sure, I never have to do homework.” “Grandma, you do my homework for me.” “You do your homework every day and I don’t even have to ask you to do it.” “You tell the teacher not to give me homework.” “You have fun doing your homework.” “You do your homework as soon as you come home.” “I have all of my friends over and we do homework together.” “I make your favorite snacks and you get to have them while you do your homework.” “My friends come over and do my homework.” “You do your homework and I take you to all the baseball games at the stadium.” “I do my homework and you take me and all my friends to the stadium.” Etc. Family Session Continued... “Ok everyone. Now we start gathering our ideas. I have to write down every idea we come up with. Remember, no matter what we think of an idea, we don’t make any comments, good or bad, not even noises or gestures. We have to remember that any idea we don’t like gets crossed off. Who wants to go first?” “I get to stay home during family vacation.” “No, Gabby!” “Remember, Crystal, no comments. That means we don’t say anything about someone else’s idea. I just write it down. Later we cross off all of the ideas that someone doesn’t like. Later, not now. Just wait. Ok, who’s next?” “Gabby goes with us.” “I stay with my girlfriend, Jean.” “We all just stay home.” “We’ll shorten our vacation and all go together.” “We’ll ask Aunt Mimi to come stay with Gabby.” “We’ll stay home and do things here together.” “Gabby can invite a friend or two to come along.” “We’ll go somewhere so exciting Gabby will want to come with us.” Etc. |
