How to run a brainstorm for introverts (and extroverts too) | TED Blog

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How to run a brainstorm for introverts

(and extroverts too)
Posted by: Laura McClure

October 27, 2014 at 3:30 pm EDT

Cocktail party trivia: Brainstorming was invented in the 1930s as a practical

idea-generation technique for regular use by creatives within the ad agency
BBDO. That all changed in 1942, when Alex Osborn the O in BBDO
released a book called How to Think Up and excited the imaginations of his fellow
Mad Men.
Since 1942, the idea-generation technique that began life in a New York creative

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firm has grown into the happy kudzu of Silicon Valley startups. Somewhere near
Stanford, an introvert cringes every time the idea comes up of sitting in a roomful
of colleagues, drawing half-baked ideas on Post-it notes, and then pasting them to
the wall for all to see. (If this is you, watch David Kelleys TED Talk on creative
confidence, followed by Susan Cains on the power of introverts.)
Ive run a lot of brainstorms over the years: with designers at IDEO, with Tom and
David Kelley (I co-authored the book Creative Confidence with them), and with
TEDs editorial team. And Ive noticed that not everyone is down with the whole
brainstorm thing. In fact, Ive come to believe that theres no one right way to run a
brainstorm. You have to be willing to modify the format, length and parameters of
each session to match the mix of introverts, extroverts and creative confidence
levels in the room.
Below, 12 tips on how to run a killer brainstorm for (mostly) introverts:
1. Circulate the question or topic before you start. For introverts who
generate ideas best without the looming presence of others, knowing the
topic in advance is key. This allows them to come prepared with several
creative options and not feel stampeded by extroverts who prefer to riff.
.
2. Seat the group at a round table. It worked for King Arthur and the Knights
of the Round Table.
.
3. Keep each session short. 10 minutes at the end of a regular meeting is
fine, as some people might get a case of the woozies if they see a 60-minute
session pop up on their calendar.
.
4. Number the group list of ideas as its generated. Skip the Post-its and just
use big pieces of paper on the table, or a whiteboard if there happens to be
one. The numbering part helps people feel especially accomplished as they
go. A mental pat-on-the-back.
.
5. Aim for a specific quantity of ideas. 25 ideas, say. Let people know the
goal at the start, and dont stop till you get there. Keep going after you reach
the goal if you want, but thats just gravy.
.
6. Start at your left and go around the circle. Each person gives one idea at
a time. No one gets skipped over. This will help you hear from all members of
the groupand not just the ones with the loudest voices.
.

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7. The default mode for a successful brainstorm is Yes, and. As in

comedy improv, good brainstormers dont waste time tearing down sillysounding ideas. Instead, they either improve on the idea by adding
something awesome to it, or generate a new idea quickly. Another way to
phrase this is build on the ideas of others. This is one guideline I always
mention at the beginning of every brainstorm, and reinforce throughout, since
its the exact opposite of how large, traditional corporations tend to work with
new ideas. The goal at this stage is to remix and add to others ideas not
filter or critique.
.
8. Write down every single idea thats mentioned, and take a neutral,
respectful stance toward each idea. Consciously or subconsciously, others
will cue off your lead. You want everyone in the room to feel heard, to have
permission to speak their piece, and to defer judgment during the brainstorm.
Pro tip: Dont attach peoples names to ideas.
.
9. Share back the unfiltered ideas list after the brainstorm ends. You can
share this in an email, as a Google Doc whatevers best for your team.
You never know which stub of an idea might spark the next great thing for
someone else on your team.
.
10. If the word brainstorm doesnt work for you or your group, dont use it.
Call it design improv, call it a pitch jam, call it a 5-minute think whatever.
The name is way less important than the goal, which is to get people together
in a manner that allows them to generate ideas worth spreading or solutions
to problems worth fixing.
.
11. Modification #1: Passive brainstorm, 5-day version. One successful
alternative to an in-person group brainstorm, if youre all physically in the
same office, is to tape a large piece of paper to an office wall near the kitchen
or bathroom, with your question at the top and a pen for writing in answers
(at IDEO, blackboard paint on the bathroom wall worked well). Leave it up for
5 days, then take a picture and transcribe it.
.
12. Modification #2: Passive brainstorm, 5-minute version. A second
alternative to a meeting-room brainstorm is to throw a 5-minute inspiration
break around 3 in the afternoon, when people tend to need a boost anyway.
To kick it off, send a group email (or whatever works for your company
culture) with the subject line: 5-minute inspiration break: [your question
here] and ask them to discuss. One caveat: This method works best
when you start the email string with a few options youre already considering,
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and keep it time-boxed to 5 minutes.

Like other idea-generation tools, brainstorming was invented to make creative
success easier, not more stressful which is why creators are still using this
technique 75 years after its invention. But coming up with lots of great ideas is just
one step. The crucial next phase, often in a smaller group: filter the ideas list and
start picking the best ideas to move forward on.

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Comments (20)
Log in to add comments or Join (It's free and fast!)

Ben Crause commented on May 18 2015

This is a very good and helpful list. Highly recommendable. Tips #1 and #8 are the
most important because they allow preparation and offer everyone the possibility to
join without needing to worry about the reception.

Rakshit Monga commented on May 18 2015

Reblogged this on Three Digital Birds and commented:

I was just think about how unleash the potential of introverts as well along with
introverts in a creative workplace and here i got this article

jenikaray commented on Nov 16 2014

Reblogged this on Jeni's Journey.

jonathanchamp commented on Nov 9 2014

Reblogged this on Meaning Business and commented:

Ideas are only valuable if they are shared in a way that can be turned into action.
Creating environments where contributions come from all participants can be a
challenge. In this great piece from Laura McClure there are twelve useful ways to be
inclusive when at the ideation stage. While this was originally written about introverts,
the same approaches can be used in other situations:
cultural diversity
power differential
environments where conflict has impeded communication.

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Lia commented on Oct 29 2014

Reblogged this on sosiaLIA.

ebouw commented on Oct 29 2014

Reblogged this on Creatieve Industrie and commented:

Handige tips voor creatievelingen!

V du Preez commented on Oct 29 2014

Reblogged this on SIx design hats.

darrellhaines2014 commented on Oct 29 2014

Reblogged this on HPE&things and commented:
great idea

Chauntel Thomas-Vinson commented on Oct 29 2014

Another way to document a brainstorming session is to create multiple mind maps
within the group. Make small teams, allow time for brainstorming and finally bring the
entire group back together for review and sharing. This will give way to even more
ideas/thoughts across teams. CV

sunnydayz6146 commented on Oct 29 2014

Reblogged this on Good to Know and commented:
interesting article for thought.

dakenhowlett commented on Oct 28 2014

Reblogged this on Daken from Vault 101.

cmcorley commented on Oct 28 2014

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Reblogged this on Caroline Corley and commented:

Interesting ideas. Introverts can be difficult to get information and ideas from, but
often they are very good when they do emerge.

Inner Wings commented on Oct 28 2014

Reblogged this on Inner Wings by Sandra Lace.

Created by RCW commented on Oct 28 2014

Spreading this gospel far and wide!

For me, tip #7 is the key. Ive been in way too many sessions where it isnt Yes,
and, its Yeah, butand that, my friend, is the creativity killer.
That is the maintainer of status quo.
That is the but weve always done it this way.
As a facilitator of brainstorm sessions, I always felt my job was to get people
comfortable enough to share and then simply police the interactions, shutting down
(nicely) those who would qualify the comments of others.
Brainstorming isnt about coming out with an action planit is about opening the
conversation to a universe of ideas.

soudaz commented on Oct 28 2014

Reblogged this on Il Blog di Tino Soudaz 2.0 ( un pochino).

norismo commented on Oct 27 2014

Reblogged this on norismo and commented:

Interesante por esto de tener introvertidos y extrovertidos en las instituciones

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allmediawriter commented on Oct 27 2014

Reblogged this on allmediawriter.

www.twitter.com/hlmelsaid commented on Oct 27 2014

Brainstorm,ideas.

John Smith commented on Oct 27 2014

Reblogged this on THE STRATEGIC LEARNER.

Hong Nhi commented on Oct 27 2014

Reblogged this on Ti Ch Ny Ni Nhm.

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