Why I Love Brainstorming: Making Space to Think

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I love brainstorming. It makes my mind race. Time passes, and I barely think about what is happening outside the room.

It is a big part of what I do in my advisory work, but it was also one of my favourite parts of my work at Morgan Stanley. And whilst I don’t make as much time for it as I would like at the charity, I do relish a good out-of-the-box thinking exercise.

Over time, I have found that effective brainstorming needs time, trust and enough structure to turn ideas into action.

What is brainstorming?

The pragmatic might argue that it is nothing but a wishy-washy mental exercise. The overwhelmed may argue that it is just a waste of time. For me, it is the way in which people and businesses advance and grow. Now, one needs to be willing to do just that. To be willing to change their ways, to be open to challenge, to admit the status quo might not always be the way.

Brainstorming can probably be best explained by the literal meaning of the word. A storm in the mind. A shake of assumptions and beliefs, a feeling of discomfort and uncertainty, a moment of confusion and even loss of senses. And a multitude of ideas and winds pulling in different directions. And yes, as with any good storm, the calm after the storm. The sudden clarity and light, the sudden firmness towards a path, the relief to see the world with a different colour.

What’s not to like about making time to reflect and being brave enough to weather a little uncertainty?

That does not mean I think brainstorming is simply throwing ideas around and turning the business upside down. I am quite structured about it and, actually, it is often best when it starts with a narrow focus to allow us to go deeper. I have been reflecting on the key things to consider when wanting to take this step, be it on a regular basis or as part of an annual reflection.

The Who Matters

I believe the best conversations happen one-to-one or in small groups. Ideally with an advisor or a circle of trust that has aligned objectives but different perspectives. The ill-famed diversity.

Trust is the key, because when the storm hits, you need to know that others have your back. You also need to know that when faced with strong winds, they are people trying to help you find your north through challenge, rather than threatening to take away your job.

And yes, you can do it with AI, but it would require discipline and training to make sure the model is not so agreeable and really helps you challenge your assumptions. But AI is not at the center of the conversation today, for a change.

Location. Location.

I would suggest these conversations take place away from your usual place of work and your usual routine. I know that it’s hard, but that ends up being an important part of the puzzle. At the very least, outside your desk or office and in someone else’s office. Staying at the usual place of work, like your desk, is rarely the best recipe for achieving the best outcome. If you are in your office, you remember the usual things you need to deal with, and you have easy access to your email and your papers. And you are easily accessible to anyone.

For the hardest type of brainstorming, when you are going deeper into strategic reviews or not-so-pleasant restructurings, then there is even more motive to stay away. It helps keep distance from the people and the problems and get a perspective that truly only distance can give.

Finally, I would favour in-person gatherings. An online meeting can work, and I do advisory online, but it does take more commitment from everyone to stay present and avoid distractions. By the way, you don’t need to go to a special hotel or conference. In reality, all you need is some distance and space to think.

Stepping away allows your mind to also step away

What makes brainstorming effective?

This would not be me if I were not talking about structure and process.

1. It is helpful to start with an overarching goal. To say “let’s talk about the business” or, in the personal sphere “, let’s talk about life” can leave us with too little direction. Pain points are actually a great place to start. Whenever I do a deep dive mentoring call with a company, I do always ask that people consider what they want to focus on for the duration. Admittedly, it may deviate and go in a totally different direction. But it is a key first step as it forces intention and reveals what is on your mind.
2. It is helpful to have an independent party take part. Sometimes that means an external advisor, sometimes a trusted friend. Ok, perhaps now I am being self-serving, as I am often that independent advisor, but hey, it is still my opinion. I like to help people navigate tough questions, get lost in the discussion and bring them back again. If you don’t want an independent party, you can assemble your own brainstorming team. In teams, it can work to appoint a “devil’s advocate”. This is a great way to ensure someone is always able to keep perspective, not go with the first answer and take the role of challenging your thoughts. If for some reason you end up doing this exercise alone, open up your favourite AI and have it ask you a few difficult questions or give you the counter-argument to your solution. It is not perfect, but it is far better than trusting you can think of all the angles.
3. Give it time. Whilst you start with a question and focus in mind, it can often happen that the deeper causes of your pain points emerge. Rushing to conclusions will not make it a real brainstorming session, only a short meeting. For the deeper strategic conversations I facilitate, an hour is often only the starting point. Because by the time you are just warming up and touching the real deep points, you are already looking at your watch and rushing into the next meeting. I know you are going to say that time is a valuable asset and you don’t get much of it. But more often than not, taking time to reflect can be a real time gain.
4. Choose to have structure. Often, people need to start by letting out what worries them, and only later does it emerge what they really need to go deeper into. In group meetings, it is best to give it a moment of focus, of individual check-in, so that each person can be brought into the meeting and aligned with its themes. I find having a specific agenda or questions is the most helpful. Whether you do it alone, with an advisor, a management team or a combination of all. I found myself facilitating 2 different management offsites this month, and in both cases, structure helped the team work through all the items we had in mind for the day.
5. Make it physical. Pen and paper, that is what I mean. Don’t roll your eyes just yet, all those of you who have chosen to go digital-only. Forcing people to write thoughts on paper, drafting structures, messages, or stories makes you process differently. I like to use whiteboards and lots of paper, even if it makes my life harder when I have to spend a good amount of time debriefing. When you write something down, it feels more definitive, so there is a greater tendency to think it through. I even tried this with the Vision Board session. For me, an online digital Vision Board does not compare to a physical one you can put on the wall.
6. Leverage smart tools. When appropriate, you can use your favourite recording app for keeping a record of the meeting and use AI to give you an extra hand with debriefing. It does not conflict with my pen and paper argument, as it is a great way to allow everyone to stay focused rather than just worrying about taking notes. Am I being contradictory? No! My point on making it physical is not about taking notes; it is instead about putting ideas on paper. Taking notes is just reporting and can easily be replaced by AI.
7. And finally, take some action. It is easy to say, “I don’t have time to brainstorm. I need to get things done.” Well, who says a brainstorming moment does not lead to action? Indeed, it often leads to more and clearer action than before. With the right amount of time, the end of the meeting is spent translating the storm: what did we learn, what was decided, what happens next, what remains unsolved. Yes, there will be unresolved questions. I don’t imagine that one conversation is the mother of all solutions. It opens up answers and even more questions usually. I have always been a practical strategist, so I particularly value ending with a decision record or action plan.

Follow Up

The fortune is in the follow-up, I once heard. It’s not only in sales, but in fact in any business decision and in effective brainstorming. Take the time to go back through the ideas, the notes, the scribbles (the recording if you can). I prefer starting with my own notes before adding the AI and then circling back with it all together. As I read through different notes, I start to remember what it felt like to be in the meeting and even notice connections I had not seen before. A question we touched on but did not explore, or something we completely forgot to mention. Those reflections can shape what happens next. Make sure you take action on what is agreed with a team or colleague. The worst that can happen with a brainstorming offsite (and I admit to having done some of these before at the charity) is that nothing happens after it. That is when people stop seeing the value and (for some reason) become reluctant to dedicate that time away from their day jobs.

Maybe I am a bit of a geek, but brainstorming gives me energy. It engages all my senses. Focusing on one subject, fully and without the usual interruptions, seems to protect my energy. I am simply there, in the conversation. I come out with a full bucket and ready for the next one.

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