🟢 Brainstorming never worked (and it's OK)
Brainstorming is the get-go ideation tool promoted in large part by US companies since the nineties or rock-star design companies like IDEO. Mostly? It doesn't work. Don't fret, let's see what you can do about it.
There are many innovation tools that, when I started being serious about consulting circa 2007, were non-negotiable. They were just what was needed in some circumstances. Need to spark creativity with your team? Start brainstorming.
And the rules for proper brainstorming would make sense: Clearly state a challenge to focus the session. Above everything else, encourage free thinking; all ideas are welcomed without criticism. Share ideas out loud, aiming for quantity over quality. Encourage combinatory thinking and expansion of suggestions. Lastly, capture all contributions for later evaluation and refinement.
The shorter version? Tap into your group's unconscious mind and make sure everyone can voice anything.
Very sexy.
Yet, doesn’t work.
Matthew Ström’s article “Stop Brainstorming” offers a timely takedown of the practice, and I think it’s a conversation worth amplifying—because if innovation is a contact sport, brainstorming is the equivalent of a team huddle that never makes it to the field.
Here’s why it’s time to stop brainstorming, and what to do instead.
