The Myth of Brainstorming

“Let’s bring team members together from throughout our organization to brainstorm solutions to our customer service problems. No doubt this diverse team will generate some brilliant thoughts.”

Great idea, right?

Wrong!

While diverse teams appear to generate more creative solutions, neuroscience research has begun to suggest ways to create a culture of innovation. This isn’t it.

While this technique may work for methodological problem-solving involving a step-by-step practice, it inhibits the “aha!” moments where creative solutions come to mind spontaneously. It appears the “aha!” moments may even generate better solutions we like more. How does a leader create a climate where “aha” moments can arise?

First, individuals are rarely creative in situations of low trust. While we know oxytocin causes us to bond with others, it appears that we only bond with individuals we already trust. It may cause us to be warier of those we don’t know or trust. The remedy for this situation is for leaders to create opportunities for team members to bond before assigning difficult or unique projects. While “team building” exercises such as ropes courses (the culmination of which is to walk across a tightrope suspended in mid-air) were touted 20 years ago, we now recommend activities that are both culturally sensitive and do not create unnecessary anxiety. For example, while in Vevey Switzerland while working for Nestle’, I had an opportunity to engage in an interesting and entertaining “team building” exercise: Our host, the head of HR, arranged for us to create a giant work of art prior to the actual work sessions. A very calm and patient guest artist guided us through several activities, allowing even those with no artistic talent to contribute. We each selected a specific portion of the giant work and received it the next day, framed. The leftover section was placed in the headquarters hallway: an excellent bonding opportunity. Those of us less talented were able to laugh at our feeble attempts while admiring the work of those members who were more artistically gifted. We learned to trust the process and each other and thus were prepared to address the tasks ahead.

After a group has established Trust, the next step is introducing the area of concern or challenge. It’s helpful to have information regarding the challenge; however, more is not necessarily better. It appears “experts” in any particular area are not likely to generate “aha” solutions. While the reasons are still unclear, perhaps their extensive knowledge limits creativity.

Next, members should be offered ways to relax and engage in routine activities. “Sleeping on it,” is a powerful recommendation since the human brain is quite busy during sleep, often accessing networks and information not utilized during waking hours. The members should be encouraged to think about the challenge before falling asleep. Asking group members to keep a pen and pad of paper beside their beds in the event they wake up with a solution is good practice.

With rested brains and the challenges front and center, group members are more likely to generate solutions that are novel and more effective and can share these ideas when they convene. This provides a win on many levels: more and better ideas, group members who are challenged but not overly stressed, and employees who have had opportunities to bond and develop trusting relationships, beneficial in future endeavors.

The only downside: those naysayers who will find ways to under-mind creative solutions. Research has indicated that these people are part of your organization and may even be your team members. They will never admit to not appreciating creativity (even to themselves) and will find other ways to negate the ideas. However, regardless of their need for certainty, leaders need to recognize this problem, or it can be a death toll for innovation.

To reiterate, the steps we believe help facilitate “aha” moments that generate creative solutions are as follows (the irony that we are offering “steps” for this idea does not escape us):

(1) Create a diverse team of knowledgeable individuals.

(2) Provide opportunities to bond while developing trust.

(3) Offer information regarding the challenge (an expert can do this but shouldn’t dominate the team interaction).

(4) Allow team members time to “mull it over” (perhaps overnight). Ask them to think about the challenge before they go to sleep and place a pen and paper near the bed.

(5) Bring the team together to share any ideas that have been generated. This is the time when a methodological approach can be applied as the group works through the solutions.

(6) Watch for naysayers.

Suzette Plaisance Bryan, PhD, SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP
Director OBCC Leadership Center