Did you know people in groups tend to think alike? They do. Researchers discovered this phenomena back in the 40′s and 50′s. And it is from these studies we get the term, group think. Sam McNerney, cites a New York Times article, which explains why group think is bad. “People in groups tend to sit back and let others do the work; they instinctively mimic others’ opinions and lose sight of their own; and, often succumb to peer pressure.” And that’s the problem with brainstorming.
McNerney wrote, “The problem with brainstorming is its tendency to treat people and their ideas too kindly.”
Brainstorming seasons tend to have ground rule, such as, no idea is a dumb idea, everyone’s opinion counts, and the killer — no criticism. McNerney points out, “Criticism and error are essential in the formation of good ideas after all; brainstorming simply doesn’t facilitate this.”
UC Berkeley University researcher, Charlan Nemeth’s study found that debate and criticism actually stimulated more ideas.
Unfortunately, working around the same people eight hours a day, five days a week actually works against a the grain of idea creation. Creating great ideas comes from being in community with other people, sometimes strangers. That’s why cafes are great places to work and mingle. Recently in a community just north of Indianapolis, a bunch of tech geeks formed the Indianapolis Speak Easy. It’s a gathering place, much like a cafe, but with one purpose in mind — connecting great people with great ideas.
It was these same types of environments that fueled ideas from the Great Enlightenment, cited McNerney.
So how do you prevent brainstorming from killing your business?
- Don’t cut out brainstorming all together. But help your team build trust and confidence in each other to be candid about ideas.
- Pull a Steve Jobs. Create natural space for collaboration around things people do every day, like going to the bathroom. (See McNerney’s anecdote about Jobs and Pixar
- Institute a mobile work day and instruct your employees to find a cafe of their choosing to work from.
- Adopt R.O.W.E. That’s the new movement, results oriented work environment, which eliminates the need for clocking in and provides employees with autonomy to work when they want. (This, I believe, is essential to great idea creation.)
New ideas are at the forefront of growth and innovation in companies. It’s when people become highly creative good things happen. It’s also ballsy to let your employees free. What you’ll discover is the ones who love what they do will love it even more, and that’s good for growth. You’ll also find those who slack were deadwood from the beginning. Cutting them loose strengthens your business. At the end of the day, this is employee engagement best practice and social PR at its finest.
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