Why is Brainstorming so difficult.

Success a Scientific Art

I would wager that nothing, nothing at all is insurmountable, everything can be done, you just need to explore ways in which to do it.  Before you scream at my blog and start to quote biblical terms at me like well you can not walk on water.  I will caution you to refer to a recent magician who did exactly that as he traversed part way across the Thames. So in all sincerity anything can be achieved, it just needs thought creativity and ingenuity.

Often a problem can be significant and a solution can only be found if there is a collective desire to unlock potential routes in which to fix the issue.

To do this you need to unleash all the creative juices you can muster.  There is no better way to do that than in a closed room where the collective Ramblings of many are allowed without reprisal to unleash the infectious, often irrelevant ways in which to resolve an issue, a process more commonly known as: "Brainstorming".

• Brainstorming is simple you literally spout the 1st thing that comes into your mind, you make a note and you move on.
• Brainstorming can be done by freewheeling in a room of several, or by passing from one to the next.  Personally, I believe in freewheeling with a facilitator who brings in the less active members of the group

No matter how you dress it up issues are best solved in this way.

So; Why is this so difficult:

1) Look to my 1st point "you make a note and you move on"  This has always been difficult to achieve as there is always one who wants to question the ramblings of another thus stymieing the creativity of the group.

2) Sure egos are ever present as is peer pressure.  You may have 99% of all suggestions that are worthy of a comedy sketch.  But 1% will not be and that 1% will not have emerged without the unbridled creativity of the other 99%.

In today's environment I wonder just how issues ever get resolved, I have all too often witnessed egos that just want to harness others and only prove their individual worth at the expense of others.  These are not useful traits in the true team environment.  They make good TV but are not conducive to an innovative cohesive progressive company. 

So in short the next time you take this approach always contain critical discussion, at least until the end.  Remove criteria and allow the creative juices to flow unhindered.  Nominate an individual as a scribe, and assign a facilitator to foster the creative spirit of these powerful interactions.

I will leave you with another thought; you may have a superstar amongst your employees, but if that person is a drag on the others then he or she has no place in any company.

Perhaps for future discussion, we should look at such tools as Paratos analysis as a problem may require several solutions; in which case it is necessary to prioritize along the 80 - 20 rule. Food for thought.

Again much can be seen from the pages of: statura.co.uk