Why You Should Look for Questions, Not Answers
The purpose of brainstorming is to find possible solutions to a problem, but the process often becomes a platform for the outspoken ones who offer the same point of view over and over again. Instead: ask everyone to ask more questions about the problem so that you better understand what it really is . This counterintuitive method from Hal Gregersen, executive director of MIT’s Leadership Center, gets everyone thinking and involved and can turn boring brainstorming into something far more effective.
Brainstorming for answers can manifest destructive group dynamics that kills creativity and inhibits participation, Gregersen says. After all, coming up with answers is hard and no one wants to sound stupid, so people end up keeping their ideas to themselves. But when, instead, you brainstorm by asking questions, you can take a deeper look at the problem and allow your peers to comment on the issue. Here’s how Gergersen does it:
1. Prepare the ground : choose a problem, invite a small group to help you look at it from different angles, and describe it broadly so as not to limit groupthink.
2. Form questions only about the problem : Refer anyone who proposes solutions and explain not to use long preambles or excuses. Ask questions about quantity and speed. This will open up new avenues for understanding or solving a problem.
3. Take at least one of these paths : Develop a short-term plan of action to maintain momentum.
Asking questions is much easier than trying to find answers, so more people will be involved. As the session progresses, people’s questions can awaken someone’s genius and provide answers that were not there before. In a typical brainstorming session, you expect a lightning strike. Why not create more thunderclouds and therefore more opportunities for this lightning? Try it at the next meeting and see where it leads, or if you want to know more about the process, check out the link below.
Best Brainstorming | Harvard Business Review