Publish at May 28 2018 Updated February 11 2026
Brainstorming needs no further introduction. In 2018, the technique reached the venerable age of 65. It has become the face of creativity for finding solutions to new approaches, solving problems and so on. After all, the motto of the "storm of ideas" is an interesting one: nothing bad, say it all and the selection will follow. Many companies have adopted this approach.
For schools, it can be a great way to stimulate students at the end of a period, or to talk about things they've already learned in class. It can even be a way, especially for younger students, of teaching them to philosophize while respecting other people's points of view. In fact, some top schools use applications like Klaxoon to energize their courses and, among other things, set up interactive brainstorming sessions from their mobile devices. But is it time for brainstorming to disappear? Because its effectiveness has frequently been called into question in recent years.
In fact, as this article in Le Figaro explains, it seems that the effectiveness of brainstorming has not been proven, except in companies more closely linked to creativity. And even there, the studies don't seem to show glowing successes.
Group brainstorming, in particular, is in the dock. It is even said to be counter-productive, producing fewer ideas than other approaches. Why is this? First, fear of judgment. Indeed, even if the principle is to launch all ideas with constructive criticism, the fact remains that some people don't want to be associated with those that won't hold up. So they censor themselves. What's more, with each turn to speak, the others may completely forget their opinion in the meantime. Finally, it often happens that the ideas given are based solely on their feasibility rather than their originality; thinking outside the box is associated with risk.
What approach to take for more creativity? Suggest that individuals work alone first. In this way, they can anonymously put different ideas on paper, which can then be read at a team meeting.
Techniques such as 6-3-5 can be used. 6 people write down three concepts. They then pass their creation to their neighbor on the right, who must improve and draw inspiration from the proposals she sees. Each individual works on the others' ideas, and then the group discusses what has emerged. In some cases, this approach is even more effective with drawings than with writing.
Of course, you need to be able to brainstorm on your own. It's an exercise that requires a bit of practice, and a few tricks for getting away from the usual frameworks that can be applied both as a team and individually. For example, imagine yourself in your favorite place. How would you solve the problem there? Or a superheroic approach in the age of the Avengers and other heroes who populate cinemas: what would I do if I had superpowers to solve the situation? Or simply put yourself in the shoes of someone from a culture other than your own: how would they see things, and what could they suggest? The use of a mindmap can also be very useful in pinpointing the problem and finding the various possible solutions.
This is not to say that group brainstorming should disappear altogether. In any case, despite the science behind it, managers are still very attached to this approach. Nevertheless, we must clearly stop seeing it as the one and only way to come up with genius ideas.
Illustration : Engineering at Cambridge Thought sharing session at Maxwell Centre led by Prof Stephan Hofmann and Dr Karishma Jain via photopin
References
"Brainstorming: Definition, Method, Techniques". JDN. Last updated April 24, 2018. https://www.journaldunet.fr/management/guide-du-management/1145930-brainstorming-definition-methode-exemple/.
Buchanan, Leigh. "Why Brainstorming Groups Kill Breakthrough Ideas (and What to Do Instead)." Inc.com. Last updated February 9, 2018. https://www.inc.com/melissa-schilling/the-science-of-why-brainstorming-in-groups-doesnt-work.html.
"Klaxoon, The Innovative Collaborative Toolkit - https://klaxoon.com/fr/
Markman, Art. "Your Team Is Brainstorming All Wrong." Harvard Business Review. Last updated May 18, 2017. https://hbr.org/2017/05/your-team-is-brainstorming-all-wrong.
Périnel, Quentin. "Why Brainstorming Has Been a Failure for 64 Years." FIGARO. Last updated: September 13, 2017. http://www.lefigaro.fr/entrepreneur/2017/09/13/09007-20170913ARTFIG00011-pourquoi-le-brainstorming-est-un-echec-depuis-64-ans.php.
Watson, Sue. "How To Brainstorm in the Classroom." ThoughtCo. Last updated May 25, 2017. https://www.thoughtco.com/brainstorm-in-the-classroom-3111340.
"What is Brainstorming, How to Brainstorm - https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/brainstorming
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