- Let me know if this sounds familiar.
You're working away at your desk
dealing with your own workload and deadlines,
when someone comes by and asks you to join them
in the conference room
to brainstorm ideas for another project.
Throwing around ideas for a project that you know
little about in the middle of your own deadlines
is not what you were looking for at this moment,
but away you go regardless.
In that scenario,
how effective were you to the creative process?
How many ideas did you offer?
Were they any good?
You probably had the same answer
to all of these questions, not much.
That's because you weren't prepared for that activity,
both with your own work
and the work of generating ideas for someone else.
That's why brainstorms should never be pop quizzes.
Instead of springing brainstorms on participants,
inform them of their impending participation
at least two days ahead of time.
And when you tell them they're wanted
for a brainstorming session, give them two things,
the ability to opt out and all of the information
about the project that they'll need.
The opt-out option makes this session an elective
rather than a required course,
meaning that they get to choose to participate
and will naturally be more engaged
because it was their choice.
And when you brief them on the problem,
give them time to consciously or subconsciously solve it.
Adults are serial problem solvers.
We start solving problems subconsciously
the moment we are presented with them.
Give people the problem ahead of time,
and they'll bring some idea starters with them
to the brainstorm.
By making the time optional
and informing them of what they'll be asked to do,
you're giving your stormers the best opportunity
to generate ideas in greater quantity and quality.