Revolutionizing Brainstorming: Overcoming the Traditional Barriers

There's no denying the popularity of brainstorming as a tool for generating fresh perspectives and ideas. Developed by Alex Osborn, traditional brainstorming is fundamentally designed to emphasize free thought, plenty of ideas, and a build upon others' suggestions. It favors the wild, innovative, and off-the-wall proposals.

However, have you ever left a brainstorming session feeling as if something held back the flow of ideas? If this resonates with you, you're not alone. It seems the well-meaning principles of traditional brainstorming often fall short.

In her insightful book 'Quiet', Susan Cain explores why traditional brainstorming may not always deliver as expected. She pinpoints three inherent human traits that inhibit the process:

  1. The Inescapability of Judgment: As humans, our brains are hardwired to judge. Judgment is essential for decision-making and functioning in everyday life. Asking people to “withhold judgment” as a ground rule in brainstorming doesn’t necessarily overcome this ingrained trait.

  2. Production Blocking: When one person talks, others listen. This seemingly simple observation has profound implications for brainstorming sessions. As some individuals fill the conversation air time, others are effectively silenced. The ideas that get more air time often carry more weight, thus shutting down other potential ideas.

  3. Social Loafing: This phenomenon occurs when certain individuals in a group reduce their effort due to perceived lack of contribution. This can be due to different reasons, ranging from needing time to process information to self-consciousness.

So how do we overcome these challenges? The answer lies in combining traditional brainstorming with a practice known as visual facilitation. This innovative approach allows ideas to be separated from their source (avoiding personal bias), enables simultaneous suggestion of ideas (parallel processing), and avoids the 'anchoring bias' which can steer the conversation towards the initial few ideas.

At Lizard Brain, we specialize in visual facilitation. Based in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area, we offer teams across the country an evolved approach to brainstorming, helping them to unlock their full creative potential and achieve breakthrough results.

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