Brainswarming better than Brainstorming

Almost every professional has had the opportunity to be part of a brainstorming session. Though these sessions were intended to generate novel ideas and solutions, how many times have we seen that except for a few, not everyone seemed to be participating as expected. Humans are peculiar and some are extroverts, are good in nabbing opportunities and can exhibit their thoughts in public. We also have introverts who might have a very innovative idea, but due to inherent inhibitions cannot always express it in public, especially while in a group. There is a high probability that such people could be left out of the dynamism which shapes out from an active exercise like brainstorming.

Many studies have pointed to the fact that ‘Brainstorming’ sessions can become futile if members do not participate as expected or when the presence of an experienced facilitator who ensures appropriate participation is absent, both of which cannot be guaranteed. So what could be the solution to this conundrum? Dr. Tony McCaffrey, leading cognitive psychologist, did publish an article in Harvard Business Review on the merits and demerits of brainstorming and introduced a refined method called ‘Brainswarming’.

Figure 1.0

As exemplified before, brainstorming sessions (quite often) are hijacked by a minority and the majority fails to voice their ideas.  As a solution,  Dr. McCaffrey suggests the example of ants. When an ant finds food, he takes a chunk of it and when travelling back to its nest leaves a trail of pheromones in its path. Other ants can track these pheromones, reach the target and collect food for the whole ant community. Basically, what Dr. McCaffrey suggests is that people need not always express ideas which has to be necessarily separate from that voiced  by someone else in the group. Ideas are like structures and when they are built upon each other, they become a chain, strong enough to crack the toughest challenges. He suggests the use of brainswarming graphs where  a goal grows downward by subdividing itself into refined sub goals. Resources on the other hand are interlaced  together and they grow upwards. When the two connects, solutions start to emerge.

Participants are encouraged to draw/put in their ideas on the graph. This can be done through direct participation using a white board or even creating a shared graph, where everyone contributes his/her ideas remotely.  Dr. McCaffrey further points out that brainswarming sessions generates 3 times more ideas than traditional brainstorming exercises. I have created a simple brain swarming graph (Figure 1.0).

- Vinod Geeachan

References:

Why You Should Stop Brainstorming - HBR. 2015. Why You Should Stop Brainstorming - HBR. [ONLINE] Available at: https://hbr.org/2014/03/why-you-should-stop-brainstorming/. [Accessed 16 May 2015].