June 29, 2012
Learning
"Brainstorming sessions are one of the worst possible ways to stimulate creativity..."
Thank God, someone finally said it. To me brainstorming is like eating a raw oyster: I'm supposed to like it, I want to like it, but it just makes me gag.
Vindication, at long last, has come from Susan Cain's insightful piece for the New York Time titled, "The Rise of the New Groupthink".
In part she says, "Conversely, brainstorming sessions are one of the worst possible ways to stimulate creativity... But decades of research show that individuals almost always perform better than groups in both quality and quantity, and group performance gets worse as group size increases."
More on Susan Cain later.
The Rise of the New Groupthink...
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There is a difference between committee group think (UGH!) and creatives group think. The size matters. 3-5 people -- a good size to have. More than that? No thank you. But the mind pattern is a big part of it too. Go back and rehash in your own space? Sure. Saying something out loud, even with no response can clear up foggy thoughts. Toss the oysters, find a better smaller group to banter ideas at and have more fun with it.
Plus feel free to shoot down bad ideas!
Cheers!
~ Claudia
Posted by: Claudia | July 2, 2012 8:49 PM
I guess what I don't like is that, within a group, the solution can easily be taken in the direction of the person who best articulates their ideas.
To me, finding solutions needs to be much deeper than that. I want to emerse myself in the subject and follow ideas to their end. I find that, if you take the time, you will work your way through the logic of how others have done things and find your way into new territory.
I don't remember a time when I did that within a group. In a group, one person has a thought and you are inclined to follow their train of thought, you have to to follow the conversation. That, to me, interrupts the very essence of the creative process. Design is opinion and group opinions are tempered by consensus.
Naturally, you will bring the team together once you've solidified your thinking, but early on I think you are best off allowing the individual to dream their dream.
Posted by: chuck
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July 3, 2012 8:42 AM