I dispute the idea that "Brainstorming Doesn't Work"

The Washington Post recently published an article titled "Why Brainstorming Doesn't Work." It feels like they describe a really drab approach with simply "boardrooms with flip charts at the front of the room and candy on the table." It is true that many brainstorming session can lead to nowhere. But I believe, properly planned and structured, they can be both fun and useful.

There are many different techniques to try in a brainstorm, but my favorite has become 'brain-writing' exercises. This is where everyone must work individually for several minutes and then pass their ideas to the right or left, where everyone must then spark or build off each others ideas. This tends to get those who are normally quiet to express themselves, generates a much larger volume of ideas and really encourages building off one another.

Other techniques that can stimulate the competitiveness of agency people or marketers, like pitting small teams against one another, working against the clock, etc, can also produce better results. A big part of it is making the exercises fun - versus a real chore. I strongly believe that good ideas can come from play and fun - letting go of our often rigid ways of thinking. If nothing else, brainstorm sessions, if run properly, can open some minds up to possibilities.

In the end, if all we end up with is a long list of ideas, the exercise is likely to end up in a big "so what." I like to take an additional step of not only agreeing to the ideas with the most potential, but breaking into teams again and listing the barriers to execution, then brainstorming against these, to develop a small number of 'better packaged' ideas. This does not guarantee success, but certainly improves the chances of someone actually using an idea.

Ultimately, I believe that creativity comes from friction - or bringing together different thoughts or ideas to build something new. Some people can do this by themselves, but under the right conditions (especially in small groups) magic happens. I like to thing of this from the metaphor of a jazz band.