Brainstorming, in my view, is first and foremost a copywriting concept.
Today, whenever someone wants to summon a group of people to think together, he/she invites them to a brainstorming session.
And indeed brainstorming is a great name. It seems to have the effect of charging energy and stimulating enthusiasm in most individuals.
But does it really work? Do the nice ideas of cross-fertilization among team members and suspense of judgment really deliver?
In all the brainstorming sessions that I’ve participated in, I noticed that although the brainstorming techniques were explained, most people reacted to other people’s ideas judgmentally, without displaying even a sign of being “cross-fertilized”.
Apocalyptic newspaper headlines cause panic. Panic induces paralysis. The media is overloading us with evermore information and commentaries about “the situation”: poorer quality of life, higher unemployment, pay cuts, zero real growth, etc. Most companies in the market usually react alike. Companies start operating on ‘automatic pilot,’ or, in the worst-case scenario, they act on impulse, adopting clichés which are not necessarily rational, like laying off workers, cutting wages, putting trainings on halt and such.
Inventive thought and innovation are usually seen as a prerogative reserved for markets in times of growth, while, in fact, during slowdowns and recessions, there are plenty of good reasons to be creative, to invest in innovation, develop innovative strategies and even launch new products.
