Some people try to use brainstorming at meetings, but the process often breaks down, and they wind up just having a general discussion of ideas. What you can do to make this process work better.

Productive brainstorming actually takes place in two phases: GO and STOP.

In the “GO” Phase” of brainstorming you need a good facilitator who knows the process and is strong enough to muzzle the first hint of ridicule, criticism, or put-down of an idea in the group. When any of these behaviors appear, it’s the end of brainstorming, because people shut down, fearing that they’ll look foolish. This “GO” Phase is designed to get people GOing and get the creative juices flowing. The emphasis is on quantity of ideas, not quality. Only when all the ideas are on the table, should the group begin the “STOP Phase: examining and prioritizing each idea to discuss its merit and consider possible follow-up actions. This is the quality stage.

When brainstorming works right, everyone throws out ideas freely, and no one evaluates them. It’s fun, and wild ideas are encouraged—the wilder the better. There’s a lot of “hitchhiking" — building on others’ ideas. Try brainstorming when you want to:

• produce a list of general problem areas

• identify potential causes of a problem

• create as many potential solutions as possible.

Try Several Ways

There’s more than just one way to brainstorm, too. Freewheeling is the most popular method: Group members call out ideas spontaneously, and someone records the ideas on a flipchart. With Round-Robin brainstorming, members take turns giving ideas, and anyone can pass on any round. The session continues until all have passed during a round. Again, someone lists the ideas on a flipchart. Using a flipchart is better than someone’s taking notes and then reading them out loud to everyone. A flipchart lets members see each idea in big letters, so they can refer to the ideas throughout the process.

Brainwriting is an excellent way to encourage ideas, and help quieter members feel more comfortable about sharing their thoughts. Members write their ideas on index cards (sometimes typed before the meeting so the handwriting won’t be recognized). The facilitator then reads the ideas from each card and members are encouraged to build on the ideas or add their own as they’re stimulated by what they hear. Some teams like to exchange the cards right there at the meeting so people can easily build on the ideas or come up with entirely new approaches. Usually, the facilitator sets a time limit and collects the cards from each member when that time limit is reached.

Brainwriting is great for providing enough time to clarify or think about an idea—and for protecting the more quiet or shy members from having to defend their ideas. It’s ideal for getting more fully developed ideas that reflect deeper, clearer thinking, which may not be easy to get in the usually fast-paced style of brainstorming. (It works especially well when previous brainstorming sessions have been monopolized by those with strong personalities.) It allows equal time for everyone to think and write down their ideas. And it eliminates the tendency of some groups to “group think” or simply take the easy way out by agreeing with the first few ideas tossed on the table. If a group tends to "socialize" too much, keeping the problem-solving out of focus, brainwriting is ideal. Finally, if there’s strong conflict within group or the topic is highly controversial or highly charged, the group leader can manage conflict more easily using this format.

Now, the “STOP” Phase

Only when everyone runs out of ideas, it’s time to check the flipcharts and focus on the quality of the ideas. While still respecting the value of the process so the person who suggested something won’t look silly, the group looks at each idea and asks some key questions:

• “Is it possible to implement this idea?”

• “Have we got the resources—what it will take to deal with this idea…

approach…solution?”

• “What’s the short- and long-term cost of this idea, and how long will it take to

recoup our investment of resources?"

• “What's the payoff? What results can we expect?”

Then, put some good controls into acting on the ideas you selected:

• Focus on actions with the most payoff.

• Avoid the activity trap--focus on results, not actions.

• Limit the number of major projects or problems you can solve.

• Assign specific accountability to someone for getting each action

accomplished.