Comments on: Why do people hate brainstorm sessions? http://smartstorming-blog.com/why-do-people-hate-brainstorm-sessions/ Unleashing Innovation Through New Ideas Thu, 12 May 2011 10:40:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: admin http://smartstorming-blog.com/why-do-people-hate-brainstorm-sessions/comment-page-1/#comment-234 admin Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:11:19 +0000 http://blog.smartstorming.com/?p=98#comment-234 Great response, Ed. Thanks. And good to hear from you! You're right. The response of most people that they hate brainstorming is exactly like "do you like broccoli." Most have never tasted GOOD broccoli - or in some cases none at all. Nonetheless, this is the vegetable that is being served up in the vast majority of conference rooms and offices around the world. Your reference to Osborn is excellent. However, by the time he wrote "APPlied Imagination" in 1953 the damage had been done. The "methodology" (or lack thereof) of brainstorming had already been established. Even in his EARLIER book (which I recently gave to my business partner as a birthday gift) "Your Creative Power" (1948), it's clear the "father of brainstorming" already knew that much more was needed to ensure effective brainstorming that just "a bunch of guys in a room (sorry ladies, but it was the 40s) throwing ideas around. But his "core concept" was so fresh and revolutionary, no one waited for v2.0. By the time Osborn thought through his "Frankenstein," the monster had been unleashed. So yes, we ask people how they like the Frankenstein Monster - and offer a much more carefully thought-out alternative. Great response, Ed. Thanks. And good to hear from you! You’re right. The response of most people that they hate brainstorming is exactly like “do you like broccoli.” Most have never tasted GOOD broccoli – or in some cases none at all. Nonetheless, this is the vegetable that is being served up in the vast majority of conference rooms and offices around the world. Your reference to Osborn is excellent. However, by the time he wrote “APPlied Imagination” in 1953 the damage had been done. The “methodology” (or lack thereof) of brainstorming had already been established. Even in his EARLIER book (which I recently gave to my business partner as a birthday gift) “Your Creative Power” (1948), it’s clear the “father of brainstorming” already knew that much more was needed to ensure effective brainstorming that just “a bunch of guys in a room (sorry ladies, but it was the 40s) throwing ideas around. But his “core concept” was so fresh and revolutionary, no one waited for v2.0. By the time Osborn thought through his “Frankenstein,” the monster had been unleashed. So yes, we ask people how they like the Frankenstein Monster – and offer a much more carefully thought-out alternative.

]]> By: ed bernacki http://smartstorming-blog.com/why-do-people-hate-brainstorm-sessions/comment-page-1/#comment-229 ed bernacki Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:30:16 +0000 http://blog.smartstorming.com/?p=98#comment-229 It seems to me that asking people if they like brainstorming is much like asking my sister if she likes broccoli. She hates broccoli even though she has never tried it (she does not like green vegetables). Well, how many people have actually read Allied Imagination (1953) to understand what Alex Osborn actually said about brainstorming? His book includes 287 pages of strategies and tips to apply your imagination in more structured ways to solve problems more effectively. He then offered 12 pages of tips to help people harness their brains to storm through a problem. Implicit in his book is that people are trained in the tools and techniques of applied imagination. I too ask audiences about brainstorming and then give them the full story. It throws the onus back on the participants in these brainstorm session – do they know how to be effective “brain stormers”? My observation is often no. People need the skills that Osborn talked about in the 1950s. Otherwise most sessions will continue to end in bland results. It seems to me that asking people if they like brainstorming is much like asking my sister if she likes broccoli. She hates broccoli even though she has never tried it (she does not like green vegetables).
Well, how many people have actually read Allied Imagination (1953) to understand what Alex Osborn actually said about brainstorming? His book includes 287 pages of strategies and tips to apply your imagination in more structured ways to solve problems more effectively. He then offered 12 pages of tips to help people harness their brains to storm through a problem. Implicit in his book is that people are trained in the tools and techniques of applied imagination.

I too ask audiences about brainstorming and then give them the full story. It throws the onus back on the participants in these brainstorm session – do they know how to be effective “brain stormers”? My observation is often no. People need the skills that Osborn talked about in the 1950s.
Otherwise most sessions will continue to end in bland results.

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