21st Century Brainstorming

Key information:

• We use the term brainstorming to refer to a teamwork method in which team members try to generate as many solutions as possible for a given problem in a relatively short amount of time.
• For brainstorming to yield the desired effects, participants should be encouraged to come up with controversial ideas, but these ideas should not be criticized.
• A brainstorming moderator is responsible for the smooth running of the session and the active participation of team members.
• Role Storming is a brainstorming method where participants take on different roles, e.g., sales director, customer, etc.
• Reverse brainstorming is a method that involves finding answers to the opposite question, e.g., how to conduct a failed expansion into a new market?
• Beyond business benefits, brainstorming can positively impact team cohesion.
• The phenomenon of conformity can hinder the effective progression of brainstorming sessions.
• Brainstorming is one of the most popular methods for solving a given problem in project work.

Details below!

What is brainstorming?

Brainstorming, also known as brainwriting, is a problem-solving method that focuses on generating the largest possible number of solutions to a problem and new ideas through the active participation of many individuals. Brainstorming was developed by American manager Alex Osborn. This tool has found wide application in many areas of life, not only in business.

Principles of organizing a brainstorming session

The four main principles for conducting a brainstorming session effectively, as formulated by the creator of brainstorming, are:

• Uncriticalness – We should refrain from evaluating the submitted ideas until the brainstorming session is concluded.. This principle is very important as it builds a comfortable atmosphere for brainstorming participants, so they are not afraid to share more original and unconventional ideas knowing that they will not be met with immediate criticism.
• Encouraging controversial ideas – first, this approach often allows us to discover new perspectives, new ways of looking at certain problems that we might not have considered before. On the other hand, all ideas, even the most controversial ones, can contain kernels of truth that can help find the ultimate solution to a specific problem.
• Focus on the Quantity of Ideas – The goal of a brainstorming session is for the group to focus on generating as many solutions to a problem as possible, in order to understand different approaches, perspectives, and ways of thinking. The feasibility and likelihood of these ideas are not important; rather, the creation of the widest possible range of ideas that can be further analyzed is.
• Using previous ideas – participants should not only use their own ideas. All previously provided ideas should serve as inspiration. This will allow for the creation of new ideas, which in turn increases the base of potential solutions and shows new perspectives on the problem.

These are the 4 most important principles of brainstorming, but they are not sufficient for a successful brainstorming session. So, how to organize an effective brainstorming session?

How to conduct an effective brainstorming session

Conducting a productive brainstorming session can be quite a challenge. Some steps that can help with this include:

1. Choosing the right team members – It's crucial that the team consists of people with the most diverse experiences, interests, and positions., This will allow participants to gain different perspectives, which is the main goal of brainstorming, and will ensure a diversity of ideas.
2. Preparing a comfortable workspace Brainstorming should be conducted in a comfortable environment that stimulates creativity for the participants.
3. Selecting a moderator – It's helpful for brainstorming to have a dedicated facilitator., This means a person responsible for leading the discussion, monitoring time, and ensuring the smooth flow of the process, but who will also be able to motivate other participants to actively engage.
4. Goal setting It is worth defining a clear and precise goal to be achieved during the session, or clearly defining the problem to be solved.
5. Choosing the right technique There are many different methods for brainstorming, and choosing the right one can determine the effectiveness of the session.
6. Explanation of meeting rules and duration – To ensure a smooth brainstorming session, it's worth making sure all participants know its rules, and setting a specific limited time for discussion can motivate participants to concentrate more.
7. Choosing the best ideas – Idea evaluation takes place only after the brainstorming session. It is then worthwhile to collaboratively select what the participants believe to be the best ideas for solving the problem. There are many different techniques for making this selection.
8. Thank you and appreciation of participants – Finally, it's worth appreciating the commitment of all participants; it will surely motivate them to actively participate in future sessions.

Besides problem-solving, brainstorming can also be an activity that supports teamwork and builds positive team relationships.

Brainstorming variations

The variety of ways to conduct brainstorming sessions allows the process to be adapted to the situation and participants. Examples of interesting variations include:

• The „635” Method” – in concept, it is an organized version of a standard brainstorming session. The name of the “635” method comes from six participants writing down three ideas in five minutes.. Each of the 6 participants writes 3 ideas on a piece of paper. After 5 minutes, the paper is passed to the neighbor, who is tasked with developing these ideas or adding something new. The process ends when each participant has received every piece of paper. Then, there is a discussion of the collected ideas. The „635” method is a way to quickly and effectively gather many developed ideas..
• Phillips 66 – this is a method for conducting a classic brainstorming session in larger teams. One of the biggest drawbacks of larger teams is that many participants may feel intimidated or have trouble speaking up. The Phillips 66 technique is a relatively simple solution to this problem. The larger group is divided into teams of 6, with each team having a designated person responsible for writing down ideas.. For the next 6 minutes, these groups of people will discuss potential solutions to the problem. After the team discussions are complete, all conclusions will be presented to the forum.
• Rolestorming The main premise of this method is that each participant imagines themselves in a certain position (e.g., marketing director, sales department member, customer, etc.) and tries to find solutions from that person's perspective. Not only does conducting a brainstorming session according to the principles of rolestorming support creative thinking and make meeting time more enjoyable, but it also encourages the creation of original and unconventional solutions. Because each participant plays a role, they will not feel reluctant to suggest unorthodox solutions, because even if an idea isn't adopted, they were just playing their part.

As you can see, choosing the right method for a successful brainstorming session can have a huge impact on its effectiveness, but it also allows for solving potential problems, such as a larger group size.

Reverse brainstorming

Besides the ones mentioned above, there are many other interesting types of brainstorming. One of them is the so-called reverse brainstorming. The main goal of this method is to seek answers to the question of how to achieve the opposite goal.. For example, instead of looking for ways to successfully launch a new product, during an inverted brainstorming session, participants ponder how to make such an undertaking unsuccessful. It can be an interesting alternative to a classic brainstorming session.

Benefits of Team Brainstorming

Why is brainstorming such a popular approach to problem-solving and idea generation? It's because brainstorming has many advantages, not only in a business context but also in team building. These include:

• Team Development Thanks to brainstorming sessions being based on team collaboration, they are, above all, a useful tool for integrating team members and building rapport and mutual trust.
• Supporting creativity – during a brainstorming session, there are no top-down restrictions on ideas, and ideas provided by participants are not criticized, which clearly encourages creativity.
• Considering different perspectives -- the team conducting a brainstorming session rarely consists of people with similar experiences and areas of expertise, which allows the team to consider different perspectives and ways of looking at the problem
• Fast and effective generation of as many ideas as possible With the help of brainstorming, a variety of ideas can be generated very quickly, making it an indispensable tool in situations where a quick decision needs to be made.
• Flexibility – it is a solution that has many different variations, which is why such different groups of people readily use brainstorming to solve very different problems.

Thanks to this, brainstorming sessions are one of the most effective, as well as quick and efficient methods for finding solutions to problems in a company.

Disadvantages of brainstorming

Despite their many advantages, brainstorming sessions are not without their drawbacks and may not be a suitable tool in every situation. Here are some of the potential disadvantages of using this tool:

• Conformity – Probably one of the biggest drawbacks of brainstorming sessions is the phenomenon of “groupthink.” Even though one of the most important assumptions of brainstorming is to create a supportive environment that encourages “crazy” ideas and discourages criticism of others' ideas, conformity can still occur. The vast majority of people feel the need for acceptance by other members of the group, which, in a way, instinctively leads them to conform to the ideas and ideologies of the majority, thus significantly hindering the generation of new ideas..
• Participant characteristics Because the team participating in the brainstorming has very different members, their personalities do not always fit this problem-solving method. For some participants, speaking in such an environment can be overly stressful, causing them to remain silent for most of the time. On the other hand, there are also people who dominate such discussions and can limit others' ability to speak out.

The above disadvantages also show how important the role of a moderator is during a brainstorming session, as an effective moderator will be able to prevent problems arising from differences in personalities.

Utilizing brainstorming sessions in project work

Because brainstorming can be applied to a wide variety of problems and freely adapted to the needs and requirements of the team, it is one of the fundamental tools in project work. Besides handling common problems, brainstorming serves to build bonds and encourages teamwork.

A productive brainstorming session also allows for the identification of potential problems and risks, as well as the creation of Marketing or sales strategies.

However, it is worth remembering that brainstorming does not automatically solve all problems, and this method should be adapted to the needs and requirements of a given situation, as well as the available team.

How do I know if I need to brainstorm?

The benefits of brainstorming are numerous and relate to both the design aspect and team building, so it should not be surprising that it is a tool widely used by various organizations to find solutions to a given problem. It allows for the generation of a large number of ideas in a relatively short time thanks to the active involvement of team members.