"Brainstorming” is an over-used term. It’s become to idea-generation what Kleenex is to tissue. When we say “let’s brainstorm,” people jump into their idea of what brainstorming is, and, as a result, good and even great ideas get trampled, and sometimes relationships as well.
Let’s first look at what brainstorming really is, then where we often go wrong, and finish with how you can apply this to your own life and get some real traction with your own potentially wonderful ideas.
Rules of Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a creativity technique designed to enable a group of people to generate ideas to solve a problem. And when it's done as it was designed, it has rules. Really good rules—designed to yield great results. When you’re brainstorming with a group of people, here are the rules, listed chronologically:
- Brainstorming begins once the topic, problem or question is clearly stated.
- Brainstorming is conducted in round-robin fashion—one person states one idea/solution, and the person designated as scribe, whose role it is to take notes on a whiteboard or flipchart, writes the idea, verbatim, for all to see. There is no discussion, no evaluation of the idea.
- The person seated next to the first “speaker” volunteers one idea next, which the note-taker writes.
- And so it goes in a circle, and keeps going.
- If a person doesn’t have an idea, that person says “pass” and the next person goes.
- This continues until all people in the circle say “pass” (probably a sign that people are ready to pass out…).
- Next, questions are asked and any ideas that are unclear are clarified by the person who volunteered the idea.
- Next, ideas are combined or grouped, with the permission of the person whose idea will possibly be combined.
- Next, ideas are evaluated—pros and cons, etc.
- Finally, a vote—using any one of a number of voting techniques.
Where We Go Wrong
Can you already see where we get into trouble?
- Sometimes we’re not even clear on what it is we’re trying to figure out. Be clear as you define the issue. (1)
- People famously jump in and evaluate and judge ideas before ever giving them a chance to unfold and breathe. I’ve no doubt that some truly great ideas have never graced the world with their wonderful reality because someone who thought they knew what they were talking about* shot them down before they ever had a chance. And, as the ideas are judged, people feel judged as well. Evaluation is reserved for #9, and by that time, enough time has gone by so that if an idea is judged unfavorably, the person who came up with the idea doesn’t lose face the way they do when judgment happens in #2. Also—note how important it is that the scribe write the idea verbatim—that they don’t write their own idea of what the person says. (2)
- If you don’t go in a circle, the introverts and the “processors”—people who need a chance to really think things through—never get their best stuff heard. These people often say “pass” on the first two or even three rounds, while they process and really get warmed up. If we just do a quick brainstorming where people throw their ideas into the mix indiscriminately, rest assured the ideas of these people will never have their day. (3, 4 & 5)
- How many times have we seen extroverts explain things for introverts? Often incorrectly. Let the person speak for themselves. (7 & 8)
How You Can Apply This in Your Own Life
Your own personal brainstorming, if it’s like most people’s, is subject to “rule-breaking.” In our own lives, we tend to come up with an idea, and before we’ve given it room to breathe, we’ve moved right into evaluation mode. We become the scribe, who writes the idea down not in its pure form, but with judgments. We become the other team members, who judge the idea before it’s even written down at all. We snuff out our own brilliance before it even has a chance.
The short version is this: idea generation comes first, evaluation comes last. Don’t mix them up. If you do, you’ll undoubtedly short yourself.
This week, in your own personal brainstorming, give yourself a chance. In the face of a question or a problem, let yourself brainstorm. Stay in brainstorm mode.** Think about your ideas. Roll them around. Explore them and let them breathe. Not until then is it appropriate to evaluate, vote, and decide.
* About people who think they know what they’re talking about: They may mean well. It’s just that they may be wrong. Similarly, the judge in your head means well—it wants to save you from going down roads that won’t be worth it. And again, that judge may be wrong. If your judge steps in, you’re free to thank it and let it know that it’s not needed just yet.
** Creative tools for brainstorming include free writing and mind-mapping—look for these in future blog entries.
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