Two Keys to Make Brainstorming Work

Once you have a clear idea of your brand, one of the hardest things to do is to keep things fresh.

To find ways to keep innovating. But staying consistent so you can stay on brand.

And if you’re like most businesspeople, when you enter problem-solving meetings, you’re excited to create something new. But leave feeling like you wasted valuable time.

Often, the solution is similar to something already in place.

Or it was an idea brought up early in the meeting. And you spent the time evaluating it instead of trying to come up with something truly unique.

And when you leave the meeting, it feels like you could have gotten the same results from an email that didn’t take you away from your desk.

With results like these, it’s easy to question the value of brainstorming. And it’s understandable why most businesses don’t devote time to regular brainstorming sessions.

But the problem isn’t with brainstorming.

The problem is that what most businesses call brainstorming isn’t really brainstorming.

What is Brainstorming Really?

Most “brainstorming” meetings look something like this:

• A bunch of people get in a room and suggest solutions to a problem.

• People comment on the ideas as they come up.

• Eventually, one mediocre idea triumphs.

But, this isn’t brainstorming.

Brainstorming, as conceived by advertising executive Alex Osborn, consists of coming up with as many ideas as possible—wild or tame—without passing any judgment.¹

Brainstorming is about producing ideas, not picking a solution.

Most problem-solving meetings produce poor solutions because they fail to set aside time to focus solely on generating ideas.

Instead, they alternate between ideation and evaluation.

Ideation + Evaluation = Less Ideas

By not focusing solely on idea generation, what ends up happening is that the meetings become a free-for-all with anyone being able to say what they want, whenever they want.

It may seem like this is the best way to encourage people to think freely and create a steady flow of ideas. But it does the opposite: it causes people to fixate on ideas and have their thoughts drift toward existing solutions.

As creativity researcher Patricia D. Stokes observes, “Free to do anything, most of us do what’s worked best, what succeeded the most often in the past.”²

Additionally, allowing people to say anything they want combines the processes of ideation and evaluation.

Ideation activates a different part of the brain than evaluation. And, by switching back and forth between these two modes of thinking, you impede the ability of either function to work at its maximum level.

In short, switching between ideation and evaluation hinders the generation of ideas.

Evaluating solutions should come after the brainstorm has ended, not as part of the brainstorming session.

Because when these sessions end up becoming a battle over a narrow range of ideas, it isn’t brainstorming.

And it results in behaviors that impede idea generation, like conversation being controlled by a limited number of individuals and shared data being disproportionately represented.

However, when small groups of individuals attempt to arrive at a solution collectively through discussion, you can produce great results.

If the right processes are in place.

Creating an Environment of Openness

The brainstorm leader must ensure that communication isn’t forced in one direction. They should help keep everyone on track and set an open, nonjudgmental tone for the session.

The leader must make it clear that there will be no criticism of ideas.

The goal is to get as much information and ideation out of the group as possible — not to discuss a specific solution.

The goal is not to come into the meeting with an idea and try to win people over to your way of thinking.

Brainstorming isn’t an essay contest or a debate. Evaluating and deciding on a solution comes later.

The leader must make this distinction clear.

Focus exclusively on generating ideas without judgment.

This makes people more open and receptive, creating optimal conditions for idea generation.

Facilitating the Art of Listening

The most critical factor in producing ideas in a group brainstorm is listening to other people’s ideas.

Hearing is a passive act of sensing sound. Listening is a conscious, active process that requires you to give your full attention to the person speaking.

And it requires not constantly focusing your attention on the solution you want to champion.

Creating an attitude of openness by not allowing evaluation in the brainstorm makes it easier for people to listen. It’s harder to fixate on a solution when there’s no chance a decision will be made. And the natural impulse to prove a solution becomes minimized.

At its heart, the creative process is the result of linking ideas to existing memories or ideas and creating new combinations.

And by listening to others during a meeting, you can receive new ideas that can combine with your own ideas and memories to create more new ideas.

Ideas propagate ideas.

Generating as many ideas as possible is essential.

Contrary to common sense, research has shown a direct correlation between the quantity and quality of ideas: the more ideas generated, the greater the quality.

This is because when you have more ideas in front of you, it can trigger ideas deeper in your memory that provide novel solutions.

And when you only write down a few ideas, you’re less likely to trigger those associations.

As Ray Dolby, creator of the Dolby NR noise reduction system, advised, “You have to have the will not to jump at the first solution, because a really elegant solution might be right around the corner.”³

Two Keys to Making Your Brainstorming Sessions Work

Establishing an environment of openness and listening to others creates the best conditions for brainstorming.

Remember:

• Create an environment of openness. Only produce ideas. Don’t evaluate them.

• Actively listen. Pay attention to what others say. Ideas propagate ideas.

To help you keep these two keys in mind, I created this free, ungated brainstorming infographic you can share with your team.

Focusing on openness and listening will vastly improve your ability to generate original and valuable ideas.

Everyone I’ve taught these keys to — whether in my creativity workshop or when I introduce them before leading meetings — has found them valuable in their work.

I hope you do, too.

P.S. Ready to transform your team's brainstorming process? I've helped companies unlock their creative potential with research-backed principles. Just reply to this email and I’ll set up a quick call to discuss how you can apply them to your business.

Notes

1. Alex Osborn, Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Problem-Solving, 3rd revised edition, 2001.

2. Patricia D. Stokes, Creativity from Constraints: The Psychology of Breakthrough, 2005.

3. Roger von Oech, A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative, revised edition, 1990.