Napoleon Hill, Think And Grow Rich, stated, "No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened a third mind."
He was referring of course, to the power of the mastermind.
When more than two minds unite with the intention to create a specific outcome, magic occurs. That third invisible mind draws on unseen forces and brings forth ideas one may not create alone.
One of the most powerful activities within a mastermind group is "brainstorming."
What is brainstorming you ask?
It's is a method of shared problem solving in which all members of a group spontaneously contribute ideas. The goal is to let ideas fly without judgment with the goal of finding a solution that sticks.
The main goal during a brainstorming session is to allow anything that comes to mind on the subject at hand to be expressed regardless of its perceived worth.
Sifting and sorting through the ideas and insights are reserved until the end of the "brain dump."
Brainstorming is a high-energy exercise. Once ideas start flying, it's like releasing a wild stallion from a barn. You don't know where the hooves will fly!
To give you an example of how brainstorming can help you in your business, here's an example from my mastermind session this week...
Two of our members had challenges requiring brainstorming. One wanted to find an appropriate name for her latest product and one wanted a sexier, more memorable name for one of her businesses.
We started with the product.
We reviewed the benefits it provided and physical properties, then started rhyming off ideas that came to mind.
As the ideas began to fly, many more followed, faster and in greater abundance.
Thesaurus pages were flipping, web sites and domain names were being queried and tag lines were forming instantaneously.
Once we had everything on paper, we started to look at the smorgasbord of possibilities. The next stage would be research and verification. Great gains were made.
Before calling it a wrap at the 40-minute mark, one of our members had the idea to beat all ideas -- a conference was taking place in two days. What if our colleague who was attending the conference created a "name that product" contest and asked fellow attendees to participate?
She could offer a variety of her products as a reward for the winning idea.
It was brilliant. Even more brilliant was the fact our second mastermind member looking for a new business name was also attending the conference. It came to be that two contests would be run -- Name that product" and "Name that business."
The day following our brainstorming session, my colleagues had rounded up additional prizes for their contests including a three-day mini vacation donated by a travel agency.
Two major challenges solved within 45 minutes of brainstorming.
My colleague has a superb list of product name ideas from our group to start with and will add to it this upcoming weekend at the conference.
Belonging to a mastermind group isn't mandatory to brainstorm (although I highly recommend it), but another option is to gather together friends, family members and colleagues to help you, following the same process.
There is only one rule everyone must follow during a brainstorming session - this is no place for judgment. As soon as judgment rears its ugly head, the process loses momentum and power.
Sometimes the most seemingly stupid ideas are the ones that are built upon to create the perfect solution. Keep an open mind and a closed mouth when others share their thoughts. Keep the ideas flowing until you've exhausted your ideas or arrived at a solution.
If you're stuck on something, round up the troops and give brainstorming a go.
Remember, more minds are always better than one. Build that invisible third mind and let it deliver the answer to you on a gleaming silver platter.
2007 © Laurie Hayes - The HBB Source Laurie Hayes, founder of The HBB Source, and creator of The Complete 12-Step Guide To Starting A Home-Based Business and The HBB Survival Guide, helps freedom seekers fast track their journey from employee to home-based entrepreneur. Get her free ezine packed with helpful resources at www.thehbbsource.com
Brainstorm Your Way To Home Business Success - To learn more about this author, visit Laurie Hayes's Website.
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