Why brainstorming doesn't work

So did that last brainstorming session you were in that was meant to generate a hundred ideas deliver? If not, here's why:

The reasons brainstorming fails are instructive for other forms of group work, too. 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. The Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns found that when we take a stance different from the group’s, we activate the amygdala, a small organ in the brain associated with the fear of rejection. Professor Berns calls this “the pain of independence.” 
This article talks more widely about open plan offices and the private environment that many need to be productive and creative http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&. It's well researched and worth a read.

Oh, and don't think I am 100% against brainstorms either. Their success or failure is entirely dependent on how the workshop is designed. Follow the tags on brainstorming below to find more on this. 


The case for privacy at work

If you find yourself unable to think in your open plan office you may be interested in reading this New York Times article The Rise of the New Group Think that argues the case for private space to be productive and creative. 

Our offices should encourage casual, cafe-style interactions, but allow people to disappear into personalized, private spaces when they want to be alone. 

Research backs it up:

Studies show that open-plan offices make workers hostile, insecure and distracted. They’re also more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, stress, the flu and exhaustion. And people whose work is interrupted make 50 percent more mistakes and take twice as long to finish it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&



Top 10 traits of the perfect boss

Sylvia Pennington reports on the characteristics of the perfect boss. How does your boss stack up? Or if you're the boss how do you stack up? The cheat sheet list is:

  1. Provides purpose
  2. Demonstrates vision
  3. Collaborates
  4. Sets clear expectations
  5. Provides a positive work environment
  6. Is even tempered and resilient
  7. Treats everyone fairly
  8. Provides recognition
  9. Are always learning
  10. Helps and mentors others

Read the full detail of the top 10 traits of the perfect boss here: http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/management/top-10-traits-of-the-perfect-boss-20120815-248md.html

Telecommuting - the future ain't what it used to be

via smh.com.au

Productivity versus collaboration. Isolation versus distraction. The pros and cons of working from home and "telecommuting" were making the rounds last week with articles about Google and Yahoo policies. Google, despite enabling its users to collaborate remotely doesn't favour the practise itself. The positions of these companies on the matter are summarised by Asher Moses and Ben Grubb with some additional research facts, stats and links. Here's a sample:

Dr Blount said telecommuting was not a one-size-fits-all solution and in each case a business case needed to be made.
Her research has found that in some instances team members and managers felt reluctant to “bother” teleworkers at home which could hinder collaboration, while at the same time the teleworkers themselves reported being far more productive and satisfied. Some however experienced “social and professional isolation”.

If this is an issue in your workplace read on for more links and references to a Deloitte study "Telecommuting - the future ain't what it used to be" http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/business-it/telecommuting--the-future-aint-what-...

Designing The One-Week Team Sabbatical That Will Transform Your Company

The image FAST COMPANY chose to lead this article isn't quite representative of the ideas discussed. They should have chosen something more like this ...

  

This article is about getting away from it all in order to work together and plan ahead. It outlines how to organise off-site sabbaticals, how to prepare for them and even gives you the debating points to counter the nay sayers who say you can't afford the time or the people.

Key points:
- Give everyone 3 months notice.
- Allow everyone to contribute the project ideas to be work-shopped in this lead time.
- Define project vision and scope in the lead time. Allocate team leaders to be responsible for this.
- Scope projects rigorously.
- The projects should provide value for your team and clients.
- Get away from it all, the hum drum, the distractions and the routine and go off-site.
- Make sure people get to have some fun.

Cohesive teams should expect productive efforts and innovation roadmaps for the years ahead. Troubled teams should expect some catharsis.

For the full details and case studies check out: Fast Company

Innovation Is about arguing, not brainstorming.

the idea behind brainstorming is right. To innovate, we need environments that support imaginative thinking, where we can go through many crazy, tangential, and even bad ideas to come up with good ones. We need to work both collaboratively and individually. We also need a healthy amount of heated discussion, even arguing. We need places where someone can throw out a thought, have it critiqued, and not feel so judged that they become defensive and shut down. Yet this creative process is not necessarily supported by the traditional tenets of brainstorming: group collaboration, all ideas held equal, nothing judged.

So if not from brainstorming, where do good ideas come from?

via fastcodesign.com

I heartily agree with this article. Read on for the protocols of workplace discourse and critique: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669329/dont-brainstorm-argue

Firms Push Visual Note Taking to Spark Creativity, Sharpen Focus - WSJ.com

Firms are holding training sessions to teach employees the basics of what's known as visual note taking. Others, like vacation-rental company HomeAway Inc. and retailer Zappos, are hiring graphic recorders, consultants who sketch what is discussed at meetings and conferences, cartoon-style, to keep employees engaged.

Doodling proponents say it can help generate ideas, fuel collaboration and simplify communication. It can be especially helpful among global colleagues who don't share a common first language. Putting pen to paper also is seen as an antidote to the pervasiveness of digital culture, getting workers to look up from their devices. And studies show it can help workers retain more information.

via online.wsj.com

LinkedIn is pretty good at finding relevant content ... which is how I came across this article from the Wall Street Journal on sketching. I have seen and posted a few images of Facebook HQ where there are blackboards and whiteboards everywhere. Seems like the trend is being encouraged elsewhere, helping concentration, collaboration and idea generation. Not only that, companies are employing graphic facilitators (also referred to as sketch artists, or graphic recorders) to annotate conferences and meetings so people don't "zone out". The UX/CX world employs this kind of technique when "envisioning" but I wonder if it will take off as a mainstream trend here in Australia for company meetings. Hope so.