“Most inventors and engineers I’ve met are like me. They’re shy and they live in their heads. They’re almost like artists. In fact, the very best of them are artists. And artists work best alone… Not on a committee. Not on a team. Steven Wozniak
Group brainstorming is one of the most effective ways of producing creative ideas.
Or so we’ve been led to believe.
If you’re trying to generate ideas, whether in a traditional business or start up, you’ve probably participated in a group brainstorming session.
Where did the idea of group brainstorming originate?
We have Alex Osborn, the founding partner of a huge advertising agency, to thank for creating the concept of group brainstorming.
Osborn wrote several books between the 1940s and 50s. In them, he talked about problems he dealt with as head of his agency.
He thought his employees weren’t creative enough. They had good ideas but were afraid of sharing. Afraid of being judged by their colleagues.
Osborn came up with a solution. Remove the threat of criticism from group work. Create a process in which group members generate ideas in a non-judgmental atmosphere.
He believed passionately in his concept that groups…minus social judgments…create more and better ideas than employees working in solitude.
And voila! The concept of brainstorming was birthed. Pretty creative, eh?
His theory spread like wild fire. Corporate America gobbled it up. And is still using it today.
Beware: Experts Can Get It Wrong
Here’s where the story gets interesting.
“Group brainstorming doesn’t actually work”, says Susan Cain, the author of In Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can’t Stop Talking.
In 1963, in one of the first studies done on group brainstorming, Marvin Dunnette — a psychology professor at The University of Minnesota — conducted a study where groups of 4 people each were given a problem to brainstorm while an individual was given a similar problem to brainstorm on his own.
The results were shocking. The individual working solo produced more ideas of equal or higher quality than 23 out of the 24 groups.
Over the next 40 plus years, the research consistently showed the same results. Performance gets worse as group size increases.
“The evidence from science suggests that business people must be insane to use brainstorming groups”, says Adrian Furnham, an organizational psychologist.
Online Group Brainstorming Is The Exception
Online brainstorming is the one exception to this rule. The results are the opposite of face to face brainstorming.
Groups perform better than individuals online.
And the larger the group, the better it performs. This is true of professors doing research (who are thought of as introverts) as much as advertising executives coming up with a sales pitch for a client.
A major difference between on line vs. face to face brainstorming is that when you work online, it’s still a type of solitude.
Yet one has to wonder what Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Homeland, or any number of other TV shows would be like if there wasn’t a team of writers pounding out fresh material day in and day out.
Now it’s your turn. I want to hear how you do your best brainstorming. In a group? Solo? A partner?
My experience has been that as many as three people that are on a similar wavelength can do something very much like brainstorming and do it productively, especially for problem solving. But this is in large part because the ideas can be critiqued from a much deeper knowledge base. I’m having a very hard time thinking of when a creative brainstorming session consisting of more than two people has ever been fruitful…
One thing researchers don’t always take into consideration is that there are different dynamics in different sized “groups.” One example: a group of two is excellent for a marriage, but this would be much more difficult for three, or imagine the group size for a typical corporate meeting as a marriage!
So I agree that there are huge efficiency benefits to solitude, but there can be benefits to working with a partner too–that more than offset the communication penalty inherent with any group.
Mark…
You raise some great issues. I’m not sure that 2 was mentioned as being a ‘group’. I’ll check it out and let you know.
I agree that when people are coming from a similar wavelength, with some understanding of the subject matter, it could make a huge difference.
I also wonder if the individual’s commitment to the group brainstorming session has an effect on the results. If a group in an office setting is told that they need to come up with some good ideas without having an investment in it, the results of the group might be lower. What about a group where each individual has been offered a juicy reward if they produce an abundance of creative and productive ideas?
Or how about if you had 4 individuals working together on a start up where they were totally vested emotionally and financially?
Your comments about different sized groups and under what conditions are appreciated Mark…and make a lot of sense. 🙂 Fran
Like others, I was was very surprised by this information. True, I have been in brainstorming sessions that spun in circles and went nowhere. But I’ve been in others that without a doubt came up with better ideas than I would have on my own. Maybe that was just me and the others in the group would have done better solo. Who knows? I am also surprised to hear myself saying this since by and large, I like to work alone and I hate meetings!
Galen…
Any research can be tricky to analyze…and in most cases, there are so many angles from which to see it, that your response is not surprising.
What’s interesting is that the researchers found that the individuals who participated in group brainstorming sessions felt that the results were better than if they had done it solo. But again….is that indicative of 60%, 85, or 99%…and under what circumstances?….You get my drift.:) Fran
My husband, an introvert, will love this. I should get him the book. Thanks, Fran!
Debra,
So your husband is an introvert? Then this book is perfect for him. Actually, I’d recommend it for everyone. As someone who who is part extrovert but mostly introvert, Susan Cain’s book has been extremely helpful…and re-affirming. 🙂 Fran
Hi Fran,
Actually I’m not surprised. My research over the years on intuition has led me to read a lot on creative thinking. Most people have the notion that “brainstorming” leads to great ideas when in fact most great ideas are born in solitude when we not thinking about the problem but, doing something else.
Great article. I truly enjoyed it.
xoxo,
Angela
Angela…
It makes perfect sense that with your work on intuition, you would have a handle on this subject. I’d love to know which personalities walk out of a group brainstorming session thinking ‘wow, this was terrific..we generated great ideas’ or ‘this sure was a waste of my time…I could have done better on my own.’ Fran
Wow Fran,
This post really made me think. By and large, I’ve always done best on my own. When working with others, I found it most helpful to go off by ourselves and then bring the results together. That seemed to work best. So I’d tend to agree that individuals brainstorm better on their own.
But… what about truly creative stuff like jam sessions? When a bunch of musicians feed off each other and react to each other while adding their own flavor to make a whole so much better than one person could? That makes me think that in some instances, groups can create something better than the individual…
Huh.
Huge hugs and I’m going to keep pondering this!
Melody
Dear Melody..
I’m not surprised that you do ‘solo’ brainstorming. I agree with you that musicians jamming together could be considered group brainstorming at its best. BUT perhaps…to play devils advocate….researchers would call it a collaboration. It’s interesting thought. Keep on pondering and if you think of anything else, let me know (LOL)…xxoo-Fran
I’m a solopreneur and extreme introvert but…when I worked at GE Capital over 20 years ago Jack Welch promoted a great process called Qualitivity – combining quality with productivity. It was a process that involved brainstorming to discover the most effective way to implement change.
We not only worked in self directed work teams but had quarterly and monthly events that encouraged everyone to participate. No negatives. Everything was reviewed and accepted. Our teams chose what we wanted to do…you all know how successful GE is. Is it any surprise?
When I brainstorm, I look for the possibilities not the obstacles. Thank you GE.
Stephen…
Lucky you is right. So few individuals who work for corporations have the opportunity to have someone as talented and emotionally intelligent as Jack Welch at the helm. You were in the right place at the right time.
You raise an excellent issue that I’ve been thinking about. Whoever created the concept of Qualitivity understood the optimal situation in which to get creative results. The fact that you worked in self directed teams about the most effective way to implement change with accountability on a continual/long term basis are 3 elements that I guess weren’t used with the groups in the studies I mentioned in the article. In these studies, groups were thrown into a room for brainstorming sessions to come up with ideas for a pre-chosen concept. I would imagine the capabilities, investment in the process, group dynamics, and lack of control over what they were brainstorming are in large part why your group brainstorming was so successful and positive …..and the research studies’ groups were lackluster.
I worked at an NBC affiliate in Philadelphia when it was owned by Westinghouse.Those were the heydays of TV broadcasting. I loved it and to this day am grateful for the opportunity. BUT, I do remember being involved in several brainstorming sessions. Never did I experience anything close to what you described.
I appreciate your input. It offers a different slant on the research in my post. It’s good stuff. Fran
In all my years of corporate life, I’ve never walked away from a brainstorming session overly excited. Sometimes there were some good ideas but the group dynamic usually dulled down anything exciting. I’ve never had the good fortune of working in an environment like GE.
As a major introvert, I come up with my best ideas on my own. As Angela mentions, the best ideas come when I’m not looking for them – when I’m off doing something else. That’s why I keep pads of post-its and pens everywhere. I never want to lose an idea. The pen next to my bed has a light in it. 🙂
I’ve never been very excited about brainstorming sessions as I generally see them as one more meeting and meetings are generally a waste of time. Some have a purpose but most don’t, especially in the corporate environment.
This post definitely gave me more to think about, especially the idea of online collaboration. Leo Babuata of Zen Habits wrote his latest book, The Effortless Life, in a Google doc that was open to the public. He said it was the most fun project he’s undertaken and ended with the best results. Hmmmmm……
Paige,
I think if you’re a combination of introvert/self motivated…which you are….that most groups would feel inefficient. I used to sit on several boards and slowly quit over the course of years when I realized what a waste of time they were. Going through that process motivated me to develop ideas that brought communities together in a creative, powerful way. How lucky for people reading Susan Cain’s book that they have an opportunity to get a better handle on seeing themselves in a different light.
Great point about Leo’s book. Thanks for adding that reminder.:) Fran
I really enjoyed reading about this!! I truly think your personality has everything to do with whether a group brainstorming session works or not. I’ve read all about Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences. Many schools use them to help kids who learn in different ways. One way we learn depends on if we’re intrapersonal (liking to be alone) or interpersonal (gaining energy in a group). Interpersonal people need to be around others at all times. Intrapersonal do their best work alone. I definitely fit in the intrapersonal mode. And it has nothing to do with shyness at all. I just prefer to work alone.
Thanks so much for a great, thought provoking post.
Betsy,
When I first read Howard Gardner’s book on Multiple Intelligence, I felt like I had come home. He changed the way that a lot of us interpret intelligence. Your clarification about intrapersonal vs. interpersonal is an important one. You make a good point that you don’t need to be shy or even an introvert to thrive working on your own. Thanks for your thoughts. Fran
I am rather surprised by the results. But as I think about it now, I have had a number of creative ideas through just being on my own and putting the dots together lately. The best ones usually come through in the mornings just before I am fully awake. They certainly did not come as a result of some brainstorming activity.
And then after that, If I need someone to discuss the ideas with, I find my husband. I think having someone who knows you helps.
Thanks for sharing about the brainstorming studies and online brainstorming groups! Very interesting!
Dear Evelyn,
How lucky you are that your ideas come to you in the morning before you’re awake. It’s funny that you mention having someone to talk with about it. I just got off the phone with a friend of mine. We speak once a week to listen and brainstorm with each other. It works. It’s great that you have your husband to bounce ideas off of. Thanks for your comments. 🙂 Fran
Hi Fran,
I have read somewhere that group brainstorming isn’t that effective because the dynamics of the group have to be taken into consideration. Even if it was a supposedly very open group where everyone could voice their ideas freely, people tend to agree with or follow their superiors or people they like. At least, being an introvert, this is the case for me. Politics always happen in a room with more than two people.
I prefer to brainstorm on my own where I can express myself without bothering about the opinions of others. This would make sense as to why brainstorming online is better since it is a form of solitude as you say.
Thank you for sharing this lovely article!
Irving the Vizier
Irving…
You raise a good point. If you have a few moments, check out what Mark and Stephen have written about their group brainstorming experiences. both of them had positive experiences but their circumstances were not in any way similar to what is mentioned in the research I wrote about.
Over the years, I’ve also done best solo brainstorming. It’ll be interesting to see ifs Susan Cain receives criticism for writing about this subject the way she did. Fran
Hi Fran,
This is what I think…we need to have some group brainstorming! Wouldn’t that be fun, productive and profitable? Seriously!
Tess…Absolutely. I would love it. 🙂 Fran
The truth is that individual brainstorming is far better than group one. There are a lot of studies proving that. Some of the advantages of solo brainstorming are:
-No limits on when, where and how to do the brainstorming
-Escaping of social anxiety
-You could produce more
-No production blocking
-No need of heavy organisation
One of the ways to do a brainstorming alone is by using a brainstorming app for example our application called SoloBrainstorming which could be downloaded from PlayStore – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.solobrainstorming
It has simple and intuitive brainstorming process. There are tips and statistics which help users to improve their results.