yay! the death of "brainstorming"

[iris lily]

Imagine: how Creativity Works by Jonathan Leher

This book is at the top of the NYT list. I heard an interview with the author on NPR that confirmed what I always thought of those brainstorming sessions, you know, the office exercises in “creative solutions,” the ones where we are all forced to toss out options, where “all ideas are considered there are no wrong answers” and we are supposed to make welcoming noises about silly, useless, or unpractical ideas tossed out by others.

Leher says these exercises are not productive.

Leher said that data shows these situations are not the most effective way to define workable solutions. He said that active debate is one thing that engages imagination and creativity in our minds, and that having colleagues debate and defend their ideas in a group leads to useful solutions.

One study asked people who had been in a debate situation if, after leaving the group, they’d thought of other alternatives to the problem. Many people had continued to think about the problem and come up with solutions.


Alternately, people who had been in a traditional “brainstorming” session where all ideas were “accepted” by the group with no pushback, did no further thinking about the issue.

Now we just have to get the memo to the thousands of advocates of Brainstorming. This trend has passed.

[puglogic]

Ordered from my library. Brainstorming, properly used on an individual level, or small-group level, will never be a trend that passes. It's a way to get around our left brain to dredge the maximum number of possible solutions to problems. Where people screw up is when they don't take the next step from brainstorming, which is processing, filtering, vetting, and yes, championing ideas that are brought up in the process. It was never meant to be an end to itself, and companies who utilize it in that way are just plain stupid.

Should be a good read, as long as it's not just another author scrounging up enough facts to support his own personal preference for getting things done in dysfunctional corporate environments.

[Florence]

I recently read Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain and she says much the same thing about brainstorming.

[iris lily]

I recently read Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain and she says much the same thing about brainstorming.

It's possible that both books are citing the same research.

The Leher book is about far more than Brainstorming, I just picked up on that bit in the interview because I HATE those frickin' sessions. Maybe I just need to step out of the initial "Idea toss" and jump into the frey when the 2nd phase--examination and analysis of the ideas--is on. Sometimes I have found that a useless "solution" has an element that is great that can be tacked onto one of the practical solutions to enrich it.

[mtnlaurel]

I saw the tail end of Charlie Rose's interview with him (Jonah Leher) last night.... totally fascinating!

http://www.charlierose.com/schedule/ (They don't seem to have last night's show loaded yet)

The little bit I saw of the interview, Leher was discussing studies that show how Jazz musicians' ability to improvise is related to a certain part of the brain that controls inhibitions.
-- The Neuroscience of Jazz Improvisation = So Cool Daddio!
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Brainstorming in an Office Politics-charged room.... where are the forks so I can start stabbing my eyes now!

Most of the Business Book Self Help driven meetings about the meeting about the meeting = very infuriating.
'I've got real work to do folks, clients to call and numbers to meet, can we wrap this feel-good crap up now so some poor soul can write up the report that will sit at the bottom of the boss' paper pile and not get mentioned again since the 'Innovator' will soon be hired away for a higher salary & stock options by our competitor?'

Brainstorming on smaller scale, personal scale = Good

[puglogic]

Maybe I just need to step out of the initial "Idea toss" and jump into the frey when the 2nd phase--examination and analysis of the ideas--is on. Sometimes I have found that a useless "solution" has an element that is great that can be tacked onto one of the practical solutions to enrich it.

Sounds like a perfect fit for you. Roger Von Oech named these roles called explorer, artist, judge, warrior -- seems like the first two would love brainstorming, the latter two more interested in coming up with the solution that works best, then defending it fiercely. Agree with mtnlaurel - corporate "brainstorming" (everybody bringing their own pet ideas to the table then palming them off as fresh thoughts) often made me want to stick a fork in my neck. Love to see that interview...

[JaneV2.0]

All of all the great ideas from gravity to Post-it Notes (tm) came from one person's fertile mind. Group creativity is an oxymoron, IMO.

[ApatheticNoMore]

About the only meetings I've been to that were like that were general "how do we improve the company for the employees" meetings. And yes company wide and department level meetings were generally useless. All actual truly work oriented problem solving meetings NEVER involved just brainstorming, they always involved active defense of ideas. So what Leher is suggesting is simply the way things have ALWAYS been done in my experience (at least in the IT field).

[Lainey]

What's interesting is that I've always heard the scientific work world is that way also. There are scientists who are fantastic at coming up with creative ideas; others can take those ideas and outline a way to test them; and still others can take those results and finalize them into something useful or even marketable. But none of these 3 types are good at the other two aspects.

Takes all kinds in this world of ours.

[razz]

I sort of hate to comment without having read the books mentioned but I like brainstorming. When I encountered a number of new volunteer board members (often new and very inexperienced in organizational operations) who were learning the ropes, their roles and responsibilities, brainstorming was one way that each could contribute to their comfort level and learn to know one another. It did require a skilled facilitator but he could get them all talking with excitement and building on one another's ideas. They then had confidence that if they had some original ideas on how to make the organization better, it would be welcome.

Sometimes, one has to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water.