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Why brainstorming is bad for, well, creating new ideas: https://hbr.org/2015/03/why-group-brainstorming-is-a-waste-of-time https://hbr.org/2015/03/why-group-bra

by thesz 5y ago

Why brainstorming is bad for, well, creating new ideas: https://hbr.org/2015/03/why-group-brainstorming-is-a-waste-of-time https://hbr.org/2015/03/why-group-brainstorming-is-a-waste-o... I think if I need ideas, I need to ask people to think them through independently. The "video conference brainstorming" or "in-person brainstorming" is there just to make people "participate" - to create a theatre of "work" instead of doing actual creative work.

madlabuk 5y ago
Very much agree with this. But, I recently came across brainwriting (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/12/using-brainwriting-for-rapid-idea-generation/ https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/12/using-brainwriting-...) and have been using the technique successfully for leading remote workshops. One of the things I really like is that it creates a space where lots of different personality types can contribute, rather than just ceding direction to the most confident and/or loudest voices in the room. (SCAMPER is another nice technique, although it typically requires a bit more of an explainer.)
- thesz 5y ago
  Very cool! This is what I would prefer doing instead of brainstorming. This technique is also can be done offline, which is great.
johnnyanmac 5y ago
"I think if I need ideas, I need to ask people to think them through independently" depends on the idea and the nature of the work. For highly technical solutions with a non-trvial problem, you don't brainstorm answers. You brainstorm approaches*. If you're trying to answer the question on the spot you won't get a chance to hit the subteties and edge cases. Figure out some entry points and then send people out into the weeds. But for higher level concepts like an artwork idea or what to eat tonight, brainstorming works fine. Or at least, as fine as social dynamics will allow in the situation. The problems highlighted are absolutely correct, but they aren't unique to brainstorming and will affect any other forms of communication or productivity in general. *I think in general this is why people grow weary of brainstorming. In grade school they treat it like you are finding an answer to a question that you could probably figure out alone. And in later work life, the worst brainstorming sessions are just the ceremonial ones where you know seniority is going to rule anyways.

by thesz 5y ago

madlabuk 5y ago

Very much agree with this. But, I recently came across brainwriting (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/12/using-brainwriting-for-rapid-idea-generation/ https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/12/using-brainwriting-...) and have been using the technique successfully for leading remote workshops. One of the things I really like is that it creates a space where lots of different personality types can contribute, rather than just ceding direction to the most confident and/or loudest voices in the room. (SCAMPER is another nice technique, although it typically requires a bit more of an explainer.)

thesz 5y ago
Very cool! This is what I would prefer doing instead of brainstorming. This technique is also can be done offline, which is great.

johnnyanmac 5y ago

"I think if I need ideas, I need to ask people to think them through independently" depends on the idea and the nature of the work. For highly technical solutions with a non-trvial problem, you don't brainstorm answers. You brainstorm approaches*. If you're trying to answer the question on the spot you won't get a chance to hit the subteties and edge cases. Figure out some entry points and then send people out into the weeds. But for higher level concepts like an artwork idea or what to eat tonight, brainstorming works fine. Or at least, as fine as social dynamics will allow in the situation. The problems highlighted are absolutely correct, but they aren't unique to brainstorming and will affect any other forms of communication or productivity in general. *I think in general this is why people grow weary of brainstorming. In grade school they treat it like you are finding an answer to a question that you could probably figure out alone. And in later work life, the worst brainstorming sessions are just the ceremonial ones where you know seniority is going to rule anyways.