Why people think Brainstorming is a bunch of B/S

If your French you are probably saying to yourself, yeah so what’s new and if you are American, you are most likely feeling slightly offended by the lack of measured restraint. So let us take a more in-depth look at why I think Bain Storming is generally seen as B/S.

Let us start by defining the term Brainstorming. What is it?

The most common definition is;

brainstorm
verb
gerund or present participle: brainstorming
hold a group discussion to produce ideas.
“a brainstorming session.”

A few basics of how they work.

It is always good to set expectations up front, and I think with something like brainstorming it is essential to fix a few ground rules.

Set a time limit. (Even if someone hates B/S they know how long they will have to suffer.)
No idea is a bad idea. Let us go for quantity over quality.
Everyone has a voice.
Defer decision making until after. In fact, it is good to make it clear that there will be an analysis session later. This will also help turn useful ideas into actionable items. After all, ideas without action are just B/S.

Some problems faced in these kinds of group sessions are the introverts vs the extroverts. Generally, it is the extroverts that take control and drown out the voices of the introverts. It happens during most brainstorming sessions that a few people will monopolise the idea sharing in a kind of survival of the loudest law of the jungle.

The chain of command is also a factor, I don’t want to look stupid in front of my boss, so I am not taking any risks. A clash of company culture can also cause employees to suffer through these sessions rather than actively participate. If everyone is focused on a quantifiable measurement of success in their routine work life. Then suddenly you are asking them to step into the world of abstract thinking, they will most likely feel like they should be back at the safety of their desk.

“OMG I have actual work to get done, and because of this B/S I am going to have to work late!!” — is often a typical reaction.

However, if you are in a company where employee well being and innovation are seen as OKR’s or KPI’s, then it will most likely go better.

Finally, make sure it is clear that there are no Bullies allowed!

So where is it useful?

While I personally think that it is not particularly useful as a productivity tool, I do think it is a great way to get people to relax their minds and let themselves wander. In the repetitive world of Animation its good to step out of the assembly line and exercise another part of your brain. I think it can be beneficial to have a short discussion up front to hear everyone’s individual definition of success. What are the participants expecting to get out of the session? That way everyone can listen to what each person has in mind, and collectively you can frame it in a way that works for the group.

I have moved away from brainstorming as such because I genuinely feel that unfacilitated creative sessions are pretty much a waste of time on a productivity level. And as most companies are measuring success on productivity alone, you see where I am going? However on a mental well being and creativity level, getting some cool people together and throwing some ideas around is a great thing. It just has to be called that from the start, so it doesn’t turn into this awkward mix of the two.

In the words of Gary Vaynerchuk — “You don’t want to be halfway pregnant.”

I think alternatives like time boxing, Lightening decision jams, creative jams or just using a simple note and vote can make the process more accessible and frankly more productive. Using an agnostic method and a little facilitation can really turn the whole thing into something much more purposeful. If you are looking to work more collectively and allow your employees to express themselves with meaning really go deeper than a brainstorming.

I have tried a lot of different ways to get groups to collaborate, from sales teams to design teams, and it hasn’t always, and my French colleges are still happy to remind me. This unfiltered feedback has taught me a lot. The most important lesson is about listening and understanding what is useful and what is not to the people you are collaborating with.

I think Brainstorming gets a bad wrap because of years of miss use and wasteful sessions; however, I also believe that the world of creativity and agile thinking has moved on and there are a lot of better methods and process to help you get where you want to go.

What do you think?

You and Eye Creative

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You and Eye Creative is a Paris based company. Developing animated content faster, with less risk and more confidence.

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