Brainstorming could use an overhaul.
The idea of brainstorming was invented by an advertising exec in the 1950s.
“It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” – Alex Osborn
Any participant of a brainstorming session typically falls into one of two camps: This is amazing, this is awful. We have all done brainstorming with teams and groups and I believe most of us fall into the latter category.
What tends to happen: one or two voices take over the session and the “loudest” ideas are often determined the “best” ones. Rarely the case. Some people love to hear themselves talk and the rest of us need time to prepare for the “spontaneity” of a brainstorm because the first ideas, the loudest ideas, are rarely ever the best – or even good – ideas.
A proposal for updated brainstorming in our connected, digital age:
- Prior to the session, the leader will articulate the problem.
- Needed: a guide for how to outline a problem to get interesting solutions.
This problem is distributed to the participants – likely in a digital format – to digest and think about for a few days (at least two, probably not more than four).
2. Participants will submit their “ideas.”
- the idea does not need to be finished or complete
- the idea has no budgetary or time considerations
- the idea does not need to come from the participants area of expertise
- seriously, it’s just an idea. This is what you’re asking for.
Ideas are submitted anonymously. The level of anonymity is up to the facilitator. For example, the facilitator may know which idea belongs to whom, but the group can never know who submitted which idea or if numerous ideas came from the same participant.
3. A day prior to the brainstorming session, the ideas are distributed to the participants. The catch: a participant receives all of the group’s ideas EXCEPT for the ones they submitted.
Participants should review every idea and consider how to build on it. Imagine every idea is THE MAIN IDEA that will need to be carried to completion – how would you build on it? What could you contribute?
4. THEN you can have the brainstorming session. Everyone goes into the session with a set of ideas that the team can build from. Ideally, the session results in entirely new ideas that were not previously submitted.
The best ideation comes from healthy preparation.
Giving this process time allows for a handful of sleep/relax cycles for the real work to happen. Quite literally, sleep on it.