Meeting Support Institute

Every one can shout what’s on their mind and no one is to criticize any idea. That is the brainstorm in a nutshell a well accepted method to generate creative ideas. The results of a brainstorm however usually are disappointing according to Organisational Psychologist Eric Rietzschel. Why? ‘mainly because participants are to much focussed on the practical application of the collected ideas. After generating ideas, the group is asked to select the best ones and this is when the most original ideas drop out.' It seems that people see originality as unpractical. Despite the brainstorm’s goal to take down barriers for the unknown, is it the selection phase when participants will choose the more familiar, thus realistic ideas. Exit brainstorm?