When I first entered the advertising business, one of the best parts was the “brainstorming” session. Since then I’ve seen the technique either drying up or being used in increasingly disjointed ways during my travels through ad agency lands. Too often, a brainstorm is done under the duress of an impending storm, where the client needs a solution the next day. Or, the brainstorm doesn’t include a key player.
However, brainstorming best practices are starting to make a come back. “North Carolina State University researchers have found that steps taken to make brainstorming sessions more productive can actually lead to success in real-world business environments.” says a recent story in the Washington Post, “The researchers also found one variable that can negate any potential benefits of high quality brainstorming: managerial bias. If a team leader comes into the brainstorming process with well-known preconceived notions, that effectively short-circuits the brainstorming effort — and using best practices will not help.”