Brainstormer!
by Laraine Gordon, President of Weathervane Strategies
You’ve been stressed out about a problem lately.
You’ve been thinking about it for days, weeks, maybe even months, wondering how to solve it.
One day, you’re talking casually to a friend or colleague and you mention your trouble offhand. This insignificant moment somehow leads you to one of those House, M.D. moments, the moment in the episode when everything suddenly becomes clear and you feel like the answer has been right under your nose the whole time. You feel just like Hugh Laurie, minus the bum leg and poor disposition, who always seems to discover his most meaningful breakthroughs in the middle of a flip remark.
A Brainstormer’s Fountain of Youth
What if you could create those moments for yourself whenever you wanted? Let’s say you gather enough unique perspectives, experiences, and random interactions into one room, maybe you can actually generate the spontaneity that leads to great ideas. This is the brainstormer’s equivalent of the Fountain of Youth. The reality is very different from the fantasy, because you can’t instantaneously synthesize great ideas. But brainstorming is an easy way to grasp the edge of a million great ideas.
I actively seek out opportunities for brainstorming because it helps:
- Develop creative and critical thinking skills
- Connect people who might not otherwise have connected
- Increase awareness of issues
- Participants understand diverse perspectives
- Promote excitement for the future
This is what drew me to 100State, a new type of nonprofit with a big mission: to use collaboration, inspire innovation, and build community. Primarily a co-working space in Madison, Wisconsin, 100State offers an especially unique service through their Brainstorm! program. Individuals, startups and organizations from throughout the community can schedule a session with 100state’s members to help them solve new challenges.
Laraine’s in Love
It was love at first sight. Facilitation and problem solving are the two skills I’m best known for in our small company, and I couldn’t wait to dive in at 100State. Like Weathervane Strategies, 100State works with a wide range of programs and individuals who share one purpose: serving the greater good. Last week, I attended my first official Brainstorm! The experience reminded me that as much as I enjoy my artistic freedom, certain rules still have to be followed for an effective brainstorming session.
My colleague Beth forwarded me an article on this very subject, “Brainstorming doesn’t work; try this technique instead” and author Rebecca Greenfield had some important points to share.
Groupthink
The article references the sociological concept of “groupthink,” wherein the cohesiveness that is required in many social situations interferes with the need for critical observation. Examples of groupthink can be found in a number of errors, some fatal, such as United Airlines Flight 173, where a flight malfunction and the pilot’s consequent misjudgment resulted in a crash landing and the death of 10 passengers. Analysis of the crash led to the realization that multiple crew members had doubts about the pilot’s proposed solution, but the clearly defined power structure of the crew made them question their concerns.
The same can be true for brainstorming sessions. If participants feel their feedback may undermine authority or group cohesiveness, or that their performance in the session may impact perception of their overall job performance, they’re less likely to share ideas.
Greenfield’s answer to this problem is having participants record their ideas in advance and submit them anonymously. The facilitator would then be responsible for grouping those ideas together for an organized discussion. I definitely agree that for groups with an established hierarchy, this is a great short-term solution.
But it doesn’t get down to the heart of the problem: People are afraid to express their ideas because they think their ideas might be bad and/or might offend someone. Planning ideas in advance of a conversation removes the expectation that a brilliant idea could just pop up in the midst of discussing a different idea. While I know that a good brainstorming session does have to have some structure, I think this is a little too far in the other direction.
Which leads me to:
Tip #1: Don’t Be Afraid to Go A Little Crazy/Leave Fear and Judgment At the Conference Door
For Brainstormers:
Don’t critique your initial ideas to death. Just throw your best ones out there and see what happens. Also, there’s a difference between judgment and critique. When you have a critique, direct it at an idea, not the person, and this includes yourself. An idea might not work out, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not adding value to the conversation. (Feel like your ideas could be better? We all do. See Tip #2: Prepare and Tip #3: Go On a Vision Quest.)
For the Brainstormed:
Create an environment without threat. If a group isn’t coming up with a lot of different ideas, ask thought-provoking questions. Change up the seating arrangement in the room. Shake things up a bit with one strangely awesome but problematic idea to get creative and critical thoughts flowing. Invite a few “outsiders” into the session (like us!) to disrupt cohesiveness and bring in new perspective. Show that you’re not afraid to rock the boat, and your brainstormers will follow suit. (Still not getting good ideas? See Tip #2: Prepare and Tip #3: Go On a Vision Quest.)
So now we’re ready to be open and free, but there’s another problem that Greenfield also points out: when you’re listening to another person’s ideas, you’re not thinking of your own, and brainstorming “favors the first ideas.”
Also, have you ever had that experience where a group is having a great time discussing ideas, but they just aren’t relevant to what you want to discuss? Or you’ve been discussing the same idea forever, because you don’t really have any other good ideas to discuss? Bad ideas can lead to an unproductive conversation. Sometimes a person might feel like everyone else has a good handle on the conversation, and they mentally check out.
Which leads us to:
Tip #2: Preparation!
For the Brainstormer:
Don’t go into a brainstorming session empty-handed. For example, even for an impromptu brainstorming session at 100State, I know the name of the organization. A quick Google search can lead me to a website, some articles, at least a Facebook page. Do this, and write down a few simple notes, but don’t research to the point where you won’t be open to other possibilities and ideas. Establish the expectation now that you will contribute something great to the conversation.
For the Brainstormed:
Think about where your goals fall on the spectrum of brainstorming. Are you simply exploring infinite possibilities? Is there a particular aspect to your program you need help with? The more specific your need, the more information you need to provide in advance. Offer your brainstormers an agenda or a list of questions to gently guide the conversation.
So you have your research, you have your practical list of ideas, and you’re ready to go into that judgment-free zone and speak your mind. Someone else goes first, and they basically announce your list of ideas word for word. Maybe the problem you’re trying to address really is basic enough for some straightforward solutions? But it probably isn’t. You probably didn’t prepare enough - in the right way.
Tip #3: Go On a Vision Quest
For the Brainstormer and the Brainstormed:
Sometimes the best ideas come when you’re exploring the wilderness. You’re going on a quest to find the place where your good ideas are born. Looking for new ideas? The answer is simple: Look for new ideas! Go somewhere new. Practice a new skill. Seek out unfamiliar experiences. You can even participate in a brainstorm that is unrelated to your career or your background. Learn as much as you can and take it as far as you need to go.
I hope this has inspired you to improve your own approach to brainstorming and to participate in more community collaborations!