Comments on: Is Brainstorming a Waste of Time?

By: PowZot: Advertising by the Millennial Generation » Great conversation going on in comments

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:04:19 +0000

[...] used my comments, which is a first. Thank you Mark, you are a true gentleman.) You can check out the original post here, and the new post here. I highly recommend joining in, the people here really know what [...]

By: can brainstorming still provide value in business innovation | thinkinghow.com

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:54:05 +0000

[...] on the subject. A good article that discussed the Pro’s and Con’s was written by Mark McGuiness at Lateral Action. Another more recent is from Business Week – Brainstorming for Better Business – which gives some [...]

By: Являются ли мозговые штурмы пустой тратой времени?

Являются ли мозговые штурмы пустой тратой времени? — Thu, 14 May 2009 05:01:20 +0000

[...] По материалам сайта Lateral Action. [...]

By: steve

steve — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:15:20 +0000

Brainstorming can be effective it is part of a process, and not viewed as a singular isolated event.

By this I mean that there has to be some type of “focus” prior to the brainstorming to make sure it addresses the right problem. This helps keep the ideation on track. Following the brainstorming is the evaluation and the same people need to be involved. This helps train the participants to think of future ideas within the evaluation criteria – thereby improving the quality and effectiveness of future sessions.

Those that use brainstorming regularly and embed it in their working practices become effective at it, and find it valuable. Those who view it as a chore or an ineffective practice end up making it so.

By: PM Hut

PM Hut — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:44:55 +0000

I have to agree that brainstorming is not the best thing since sliced bread.

As a Project Manager, I find this process to be, most of the times, a complete waste of time: You will quite often listen to crazy ideas discussed at length during a brainstorming session. You can’t even complain, because, this is just a brainstorming session.

Sometimes, for its credit, a brainstorming session can be fruitful, if and only if the people present at the brainstorming session are logical, intelligent, and experienced.

By: Brainstorm or Braindrain? « Retrain The Brain

Brainstorm or Braindrain? « Retrain The Brain — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:13:50 +0000

[...] 1, 2009 · No Comments A post by Mark McGuinness, of Lateral Action, laying out the case for and against Brainstorming made me realize why I cringe whenever I hear the [...]

By: NTBoss

NTBoss — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:29:22 +0000

I’ve spent several years as an assistant to several bosses from industries that range from ones involved in sales and management to ones that require creativity. I’ve been to ‘brainstorming’ with the best and unfortunately the worst. Reading the article about the pro’s and con’s, I just had to put my thoughts in. “Brainstorming” so to speak should involve key people who are likely to have an idea of the subject, people who have the initiative to involve themselves in the company (like a department head whose area is affected even by the fringes with a company problem) or a those who have are capable to share their thoughts.
Brainstorming must involve expressive and not the yes-men…nothing brought to the table by 40% of the “brainstormees” make the meeting equivalent to an extended coffee break with the big bosses and free donuts.

By: Rich Rosen

Rich Rosen — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:42:01 +0000

I believe that the main obstacle to brainstorming is that there is usually too many “like-thinking” people in the group.

Increase the scope, variety, and quantity of the participants. More productive results will likely appear.
see “The Wisdom of Crowds”

By: John Earll

John Earll — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:12:22 +0000

I agree with your comments on brainstorming. Similarly, I have written a blog post on the concept of “dialogue” as presented by Edgar H. Schein that also offers a refinement – no a careful blast – on the concept of brainstorming. I find Dr. Schein to be one of my favorite authors in organizational development and organizational psychology. My firm’s practice is helped greatly by his perspectives. Yours is also quite valuable.

I agree with the statements of the linearity of brainstorming.

The following link to my blog is provided for your review. I have also provided references to articles I read regarding on the subject of effective group meetings.

http://www.managementvision.com/leading-for-better-group-meeting-outcomes/

By: Michael Plishka

Michael Plishka — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:15:17 +0000

@Francis I primarily teach this method and the results have been amazing. More quality ideas in less group time. When people build off each other’s ideas it results in exponential quantities of ideas.
The key is priming peole propperly for their “homework”. Also, people need to be disciplined enough to create the ideas on their own.