Brainstorming Do's and Don'ts

We tend to put brainstorming in a box and assume that it is a no-holds barred, free form meeting with no structure or focus.  But quite the opposite is the case.  In fact there are lots of things that can derail a brainstorming meeting and put the meeting into a permanent tailspin. 

Perhaps the most important don't for brainstorming is don't be critical or judgmental of ideas presented during brainstorming.  Successful brainstorming generates massive quantities of diverse and sometimes fantastical ideas.  Fantastical ideas are good during brainstorming, not bad.  You want a high quantity of ideas during brainstorming, not quality.  There will be plenty of time later to dissect and analyze. 

Do make sure you have a clear purpose for the meeting and stick too it while brainstorming.  Tangents and off beat thoughts are great during brainstorming but your purpose should not be to solve all the problems of the universe before the meeting ends.  Sometimes a brainstorming facilitator has the almost impossible task of stimulating creativity and, at the same time, making sure ideas are relevant to the task at hand. 

Do make sure you plan for the meeting in advance.  You need a skilled facilitator to run the meeting who can stimulate and maintain a free flow of ideas.  This is a lot more difficult than it sounds.  Far too often, brainstorming facilitators put their stamp on a meeting and stifle creative ideas even before the meeting gets going.  You also need someone who can write very fast so that all the ideas get recorded.  The last thing you need is for the meeting to come to a complete stop while someone slowly writes down what was said.  You may need a chalkboard or paper to record the ideas so that everyone has a clear view of what has been said. 

Do make sure you build off other people's ideas.  Sometimes we think too divergently during brainstorming.  But just as often, 3 or 4 ideas can come together and trigger a bigger or better idea.  The key word is "build".  Brainstorming isn't all about divergent tangents. 

Don't “rear view mirror" too much during brainstorming.  Looking back at the mistakes of the past and what should have been done, will almost always put people on the defensive.  Once the blame game starts in a meeting, it is almost impossible for a facilitator to reestablish creativity. 

Do make sure that everyone is comfortable and is allowed to contribute freely to the meeting.  A brainstorming meeting is a social event with all that goes along with that.  There will be dominant and passive personalities, egos and maybe even power plays.  Sometimes only one or 2 people contribute and everyone else sits back and listens.  You don't want that to happen.  For this reason, it is generally a good idea to have someone other than the boss facilitate a brainstorming meeting. 

Don't be afraid going into a brainstorming meeting.  Fear is the great killer of creativity.  If other people have better ideas than yours, there is nothing wrong with that.  Don't be afraid that you will have to change.  You and the organization may have to outgrow old structures or ideas in order to solve modern problems.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Brainstorming