Driven by Difference: How Great Companies Fuel Innovation Through Diversity by David Livermore

Author:David Livermore
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780814436547
Publisher: AMACOM
Published: 2016-02-16T14:00:00+00:00

The Brainstorming Challenge

Brainstorming is the primary way most leaders try to generate ideas from a group. The dominant brainstorming approach is guided by rules that emphasize the quantity of ideas rather than the quality. The criticism and evaluation of anyone’s idea is highly discouraged. Groups are told, “No matter how ridiculous your idea might seem, share it because it might spark another idea for someone else.”

Even homogenous teams experience some barriers to using brainstorming successfully. Some research indicates that brainstorming can actually lead to a smaller number of ideas for solving a problem than if everyone just worked on the problem independently. One reason brainstorming doesn’t always work is because of something called “production blocking.” This is what happens when you have a breakthrough idea but you have to wait to express it because someone else is talking. By the time you have a chance to share it, you might decide it’s no longer relevant, the facilitator may have moved on, or you may have lost the idea altogether because you were asked to discuss something else.3

In addition, brainstorming sessions create “evaluation apprehension.” This is the fear of what others will think about your idea. Those who are not part of the dominant culture are all the more likely to hold back on offering their input for fear of negative implications from speaking up.4 Despite all the ground rules about not criticizing any idea, no one wants to look dumb. Brainstorming is a social situation and inevitably, some participants are self-conscious about how others will perceive them if they say what they’re really thinking. Conformity, confidence, and power all play a role in who says what. Evaluation apprehension is particularly relevant when an influential person with power is present. German psychologists Andreas Mojzisch and Stefan Schulz-Hardt found that more often than not, the first idea presented in a brainstorming session ends up being the idea most likely to be accepted. And usually, the first idea comes from the most assertive and often the most powerful participant in the group. So conformity quickly crowds out the benefit of learning from the diverse perspectives around the table.5 In addition, most groups tend to focus on the common knowledge shared as a team rather than highlighting the knowledge differences that exist. Yet the unique knowledge possessed by various members offers the greatest benefit for innovation.6

Finally, most brainstorming sessions include “social loafers.” These are participants who don’t engage because they know other people will speak up and do all the talking. The social loafers sit back and let others do the work. In addition, some participants, either because of an introverted personality or as a result of their cultural values, prefer an approach that allows them to independently consider the issue and work through the problem in their heads first.

BRAINSTORMING ROADBLOCKS

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