Brainstorming doesn’t work

When it comes to strategic workshops

When it comes to strategic workshops

More than six years ago, when I left my cozy CEO’s office to become a solopreneur and strategic consultant, I believed in the brainstorming. So, when I conducted my first strategic workshops, I tried to make teams brainstorm, but I rarely was happy with the results, and neither were the CEOs of the companies. So, I tried to analyze the reasons and have a couple of thoughts to share.

What’s the difference between a business meeting and a brainstorming session? Both are forms of group discussions, but the latter is considered to be more informal. Four rules of brainstorming are:

1. Generate as many ideas as possible

2. Criticizing ideas is not allowed

3. Wild and ambitious ideas are welcome

4. People are encouraged to build on their ideas

So, brainstorming is still a conversation that is supposed to be less formal than a regular nine o’clock meeting, and participants should feel free to say whatever they want. Dividing group meetings into two types was esse…