What is the slowest part of any brainstorming session?

It is the person at the front of the group that is recording the ideas. The group can only move as fast as the person who is writing down the ideas.

Not only does the person capturing the ideas dictate the pace of the session but also the content. Have you ever contributed an idea only to find that it is not recorded or the meaning has been changed?

There is a better way. In a Speed Brainstorming Session everyone has a pen and ideally a space on a large white board. This means that everyone can create and capture their own ideas, their own way at their own pace. The advantage of this is that there is no loafing or relying on others and the sheer number of ideas increases in a dramatic fashion. If you have ten people working in  speed thinking way then in the first few minutes you have 90 starting thoughts rather than say nine.

The other advantage of this approach is that extroverts or the senior people cannot dominate. Everyone has an equal voice or space to play and contribute their ideas. This in turn means that the divergence of thoughts expands within the group which can lead to breakthrough ideas and a lowering of the chance of ‘group-think’

Old habits die hard but the next time you run an ideas or strategy session ensure that everyone has their own pen. The session will be more productive, enjoyable and quicker.

Ken Hudson