10 Deadly BrainStorming Ruts That Kill Innovation

By John Storm, BrainStorm Network

Are you stuck in a “brainstorming” rut?

Most people think they know how to brainstorm. Yet, few realize there is more to brainstorming than the one traditional method that Alex Osborn created in the 1950’s (yes, LAST century). A multitude of new methods, tools, and techniques have been developed in recent years. Here are 10 of the most deadly brainstorming ruts that kill innovation.

1. “KIA” – It’s the military acronym for “Killed In Action”. Yet, KIA is also my term for the surest way to “kill” innovation… Know It Alls. These are the folks that act as if there’s no room to grow or learn. Arrogance in all forms (a lack of openness to new ideas, current reality, or outside input) is a “killer”. Being a lifelong learner is essential to staying innovative. Don’t get KIA by being a Know It All.

2. “Been There, Done That” - Almost everyone puts brainstorming in a “box”. They don’t realize there are over 25 different brainstorming tools and techniques. Some work better with certain groups, projects or topics. Often the best tools are the ones YOU create for your needs. S-T-R-E-T-C-H!

3. “MIA” - Most people have participated in brainstorming sessions where a TON of ideas were generated. Then, everybody got up, walked out and… NOTHING HAPPENED! This is what I call “Missing In Action”. It’s critical to quickly move to key Evaluation and Implementation techniques that capitalize on team ownership, yet assign individual action steps. Don’t forget the Action!

4. “Failure Freeze” – Much of the traditional management and educational environment is geared toward the ‘one right answer’ philosophy. People are scared to make a mistake, yet the ability to “engage” risk that includes the possibility of failure is a vital component to innovation. Failure is an essential element of success! If you want more success, increase your failure rate!

5. “Blabbermouths Rule!” - Without a trained facilitator, brainstorming sessions tend to be dominated by the loudest or most outgoing participants. Quieter team members can get run over, thus stifling some really great ideas. Due to social inhibitions, it’s usually not the best idea to let the boss facilitate. This is why new methods of brainstorming can be more effective.

6. “We Got Lost!” - A clear direction, purpose, or goal for the session is ESSENTIAL! Tangents are the norm and it takes critical pre-session planning and a skilled facilitator to guide the discussion back to the goal without squelching genuinely useful ideas. Knowing what’s a rabbit trail and when to chase it is an important skill.

7. “Rear-View Living” – Spending too much time focusing on the past in “Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda- Thinking” is dangerous. Hindsight can offer great insight into problems, failure, crisis, and disasters. Yet, “rear view living”, especially if it turns into a blame game, is unproductive. Focus on the Future!

8. “Meeting Nausea” – ‘We’re SICK of meetings’ is often the unspoken attitude… and justifiably so. A GREAT brainstorming session is totally different than a normal ‘meeting’. Make it an “experience” with amazing results by thorough preparation including: a clear purpose, strategic pre-planning, a spirit of experimentation, a ‘grace-filled’ environment, and yes, even a good bit of fun and laughter.

9. “Bad Experience” – If you’ve ever had food poisoning, you usually avoid the culprit food for quite some time. Yet, you don’t give up on food altogether! If you’ve experienced a toxic brainstorming session in the past (perhaps led by an untrained facilitator or inhibiting boss), take some mental Pepto, get over it and try a new approach.

10. “The Fear Factor” – “I’m scared… What if we can’t solve the problem? What if someone else comes up with a better idea than mine? What if someone suggests an idea that means I might have to change?” Fear is still a driving force in stifling innovation, whether it means personal or organizational growth. Acknowledge your fear and then face it with renewed confidence.

Brainstorming, in multiple forms, is one of the quickest ways to help you create an Invironment of Innovation™ in your organization. Differently Think!

© 2003 John Storm

John Storm is The Idea Expert™ whose mission is to bring Your ideas to LIFE!™ His expertise focuses on helping people discover, evaluate and implement their ideas. You can find other resources at www.brainstormnetwork.org

THE BIG SECRET - Finding the Underlying Principle

by Mitchell Ditkoff

Sometimes the best part of a poem is the silence it evokes. Sometimes the best part of school is lunch. And sometimes the best part of a brainstorming session is the stuff we ignore – the seemingly trivial, laughable or absurd. Sad to say, many aspiring problem solvers – obsessed with the bottom line – miss out on tons of potential solutions because they're unwilling to explore what they think is "beside the point.” Too bad. Because the "point,” for many people, is simply the spot they’ve created that marks the end of their search.
Indeed, breakthrough ideas are frequently beside the point – or at least preceded by what appears to be a distraction from the work at hand.

Spontaneous laughter, for example – whether "appropriate" or "inappropriate" – is often a clue that a friendly AHA! is lurking nearby. Exaggeration, too, can herald a quantum leap in the making – not to mention kidding around, wisecracks, sidetalk and a healthy dose of the surreal. Each has a role to play in the creative process. Each can serve as a valuable clue to re-focus your ideation efforts. That is, if you know what to do with them.

If you really want to be a breakthrough thinker, you must be willing to invite these moments of seeming distraction – not just for comic relief, but for building a bridge to deeper levels of intuitive knowing – the realm where your subconscious mind already has the answers. At this stage of the game your challenge is not to invent, but to translate. Why? Because your subconscious mind has a language of its own, often using humor, illogic and the surreal to get your attention. Like an undercover agent, it speaks in code. Your mission is to decipher its code and use it as a catalyst to make sense out of the seeming unknown. HOW? By searching for the UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE hidden within ideas that don’t seem to make much sense at first blush. The concept. The gist. The essence.

For example, if you say the only way to get closer to your customers is to "marry them,” you may be on to something. The literal idea sounds silly, but the underlying principle implies a direction worth exploring – that is, spending more time with your customers ...or getting closer to them in various ways.

If one of your co-workers suggests that "becoming the CEO" is the only way "things are going to change around here,” don't just blow them off. Dig deeper. Find out what the underlying principle is of this seemingly far-fetched idea. Maybe it's as simple as your co-worker making the effort to become more empowered. Maybe it's a "role exchange day.” Or maybe it’s coming up with a new way of gaining access to the movers and shakers inside your organization.

In either case, the initial idea – however off-the-wall it sounded when first pitched – has hidden within it the power to trigger an entirely new line of thinking – one that may just be the key to your company's future success.
What oddball idea, recently shared with you by a friend or co-worker, may have – hidden within it – an underlying principle worth considering?

This article is excerpted from BANKING ON INNOVATION, a 172-page workbook that
accompanies Idea Champions’ 2-day creative thinking training.
Log onto www.ideachampions.com/banking_on_innovation.shtml for more info.
Copyright 2006 Idea Champions, Inc.
800-755-IDEA, www.ideachampions.com