Brainstorming

Yes, I'm starting with the second step in the development/debug process. The process starts with identifying the problem. Let's assume we have the problem well in hand. Now we have to fix it.

Brainstorming has one rule - no judgement. We don't filter. We don't analyse. We don't organize. Throw out any and every idea that comes into your head. Okay, maybe one filter - only ideas relevant to the problem. Suggesting a vacation in Aruba probably doesn't qualify. And yes, you will get some crazy or stupid suggestions. Keep going anyway. Get those creative juices flowing.

As the ideas start coming, excitement sets in. At this point remember, do not explore any of the ideas. Ask questions to understand what someone said. But do not consider feasibility. We don't care if something sounds impractical. That comes later.

Eventually, ideas slow down and start getting ridiculous. It's time to stop. Next we organize the ideas. Again, don't throw out any of them. We're looking for patterns - similarities, dependencies, costs, and duplicates. How you organize the ideas depends on the problem. There is no right answer. The action matters more than the result.

Now comes the good part - what you wanted to do all along. Analyse the ideas and pick one (or how ever many you need). Weed out the bad ideas, the impractical ones, or the ones that cost too much.

Quick and Dirty

So this goes through my head every time I encounter a problem. List ideas, organize, analyse, and pick one. Except no one else can see what's in my head. In a team scenario, it pays to do this out loud, together. Business people call it buy in. We become emotionally invested in our ideas. That's the heart of creativity. Give everyone a voice. Let them choose the solution instead of feeding it to them. Let them connect with it emotionally.