Brainstorming has come under fire recently as being a crummy way of coming up with new ideas. Perhaps it’s because people are doing one or more of the following?
- Inviting as many people as possible – the more, the merrier! (Of course, that means most people won’t have a chance to speak, but too bad for them, right?)
- Only the Very Important People get to contribute ideas. (Everyone who’s not Very Important is just a spectator – after all, she’s not Very Important, so how could she have good ideas anyway?)
- Start picking at any idea that’s raised immediately. (We don’t want to waste time on things that are impractical, right?)
- Please think only inside the box. (See above about wasting time on wild ideas and REALLY BIG thinking.)
- We only want GOOD ideas. (And of course we can immediately identify them, so stop offering new ones.)
Sound terrible? It is.
But you *can* do brainstorming right – and effectively. These sources can show you how:
- How to Run a Brainstorming Meeting – Scott Berkun
- Six Great Ways to Run a Brainstorm – Paul Sloan
Robert Nelson says:
Elizabeth, I liked your article on brainstorming. I have found it a very useful tool in conducting sessions throughout the world. In my opinion, brainstorming sessions work best when one follows Geoffrey Rawlinson’s six stages of brainstorming and the participants have a firm understanding of the barriers to creative thinking. If you’re interested in reading more about brainstorming, I have a couple of articles on my website: http://bit.ly/1sVHWoE and http://bit.ly/1sP96Mx