China Recruiting Blog

Better Than Brainstorming

Does Brainstorming work for you?    Research indicates it does not work as well as sending people to their cubicle to write ideas.

That rings true to me. Back a dozen years I remember having my team brainstorm and get nowhere.

See an example of the myth busting research on brainstorming here.

Teams are critical, but we get engaged when we debate. Conflict is the friend of any group. Brainstorm’s requirement to not criticize at all goes too far. Conflict can be uncomfortable, but it sharpens our thinking and the effect of any group.

We must challenge each others’ ideas. We should not personally attack, but a feisty meeting is worlds better than a debunked brainstorm.

Thoughts?