How to combine brainstorming and creativity?

Often useful for generating new ideas, brainstorming can be a valuable tool that also empowers individuals and teams. But despite its informal appearance, brainstorming requires preparation. And spontaneity takes work!

Very fashionable a few years ago, when companies brainstormed for any reason whatsoever, brainstorming has been the subject of much criticism: time-wasting, unrealistic proposals, disorganized idea collection… As Julia de Funès, author of the witty Socrates in the Land of Processes (Flammarion, 2017), points out: “If, by brainstorming, you mean that rare and precious thing which is the confrontation of ideas, then brainstorming is essential for innovation and progress. If brainstorming is more like (as it usually is) a playground where the goal is to put sticky notes on a board with generalities written on them without risking upsetting your colleagues, then, yes, brainstorming is unlikely to lead to eureka moments!” It’s true that finding ideas is difficult, and brilliant ideas rarely emerge from accumulating coloured sticky notes!

The facilitator: a key figure
Because brainstorming is not just about gathering around a table with a more or less clear brief. As with certain role-playing games, you need a master of ceremonies who coordinates the whole thing. Their role is fundamental because they set the topic, channel ideas and prevent the meeting from turning into endless chatter.

The MC is responsible for the three phases of brainstorming: the initial divergence of viewpoints, the emergence of new ideas, and their convergence towards feasible perspectives. And above all, the MC must constantly remind participants of the subject’s limits. Because contrary to what one might think, we are more creative when constrained than when given total freedom. And as we know, art thrives on constraints and dies from freedom.

Mix and limit
When putting together the group, it is strongly recommended to mix departments (sales, marketing, communications, etc.) and personalities, and to invite people known for their creativity to ensure that the meeting is effective. Ideally, the group should consist of fewer than 10 people to create a good dynamic. Before the meeting, it is essential to ask participants, who have been informed of the purpose of the discussions, to come with ideas in mind.

While it is a good idea to limit the number of participants, it is also a good idea to limit the duration of the meeting: 1.5 hours is the maximum if you want to avoid energy levels dropping and ideas going round in circles. Certain time slots are more popular than others, such as 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., for example. But for the less conventional, there is nothing to stop you from organising a brainstorming session on Thursday afternoon over drinks!

Encouragement and criticism
Finally, when the discussions begin, and contrary to popular belief, the aim of the group is not to simply record all the proposals made without criticism. According to an experiment conducted in 2003 by the American psychologist Charlan Nemeth, a professor at Berkeley, on three groups of people set up to brainstorm, the teams that were allowed to evaluate each other’s ideas ended up being more fruitful and more original than those that avoided any criticism. When practised objectively, criticism is healthy and productive, enabling ideas to be filtered, refined and ultimately improved!

Try reverse thinking
To generate ideas or refresh participants’ perspectives on the subject, the facilitator can use several techniques: one where participants put themselves in the shoes of a famous person or someone outside their usual context to understand the issue, one where they are given combinations of words to work with, etc. Paradoxically, one of the most effective techniques is reverse thinking, where the problem is approached from the opposite angle: how can we be less close to our customers? How can we produce an ugly and unreadable annual report? How can we organise an event where the guests will be bored stiff? Believe it or not, it works!

Ensure follow-up on ideas
Finally, at the end of the meeting, it will be up to the facilitator to summarise, classify the ideas into key themes and identify the main trends – and to set the next stage for information and follow-up. Indeed, nothing is more frustrating for participants than being invited to a brainstorming session where they feel they have spoken for nothing. To be effective, the results must not go unheeded. It is therefore essential to follow up, if only to explain why none of the ideas will be implemented. Similarly, it is important to acknowledge the work that has been done and, of course, under no circumstances should a line manager take sole credit for the results of the collective effort.