Comment of Inna Tkachenko, Senior Consultant, Project Manager, EBS, was published in business newspaper “InvestGazeta” (12/09/2006): “Brainstorming”
“Brainstorming” is very much an accepted part of business lexicon and many companies’ practice. What it really represents is a free-thinking or energetic intellectual activity by a group of like-minded people searching for new ideas and optimal solutions. To obtain the desired results while using this tool, it should be planned according to certain principles and rules.… Participants: Whom and how many
The results of brainstorming mainly depend on the people who take part in this activity. According to Inna Tkachenko, it is not only a matter judiciously selecting each participant, but also to adhere to the main principles on how to form the team during the brainstorming session. It is imperative that there be a facilitator, who is responsible for setting goals, managing of the whole process and achieving those goals. Another required role on the team is that of secretary, who writes down all the ideas that are generated by the participants during the brainstorming. The desirable size of the working team is 10 members and should include specialists that have a good understanding of the issues in their context as well as participants who are not familiar with issues or its context. It is also important that the people chosen are of similar social status, otherwise it will be very difficult to create a natural and comfortable environment.
Advantages and Disadvantages
… “I think that being highly productive for a short period of time is the key benefit of this tool for those people who use it and those who are tired of long projects, long and numerous meetings”, - comments Inna Tkachenko.
At EBS, we believe that the main disadvantage is near impossible to determine be it a goal that was achieved or the ultimate solution for a problem, which was baffling to a company. The answer to this question can be found only after evaluating those ideas that were. Consequently, it may turn out that brainstorming did actually produce a desired effect.
Judging from our practical experience, we’ve developed the following principles for conducting brainstorming sessions that, in our opinion, in a best case scenario favour the achievement of goals:
While brainstorming every one is an equal
There are no copyrights on ideas
One should seek out original and extraordinary ideas
All ideas are welcomed, appreciated and must be developed further no matter how outrageous they are
Criticism of any idea is forbidden
The goal for participants is not to demonstrate how knowledgeable they are, but to seek problem resolution
We use the brainstorming technique in various projects such as: pre-investment analysis, where brainstorming assists in developing a number of investment options, where the most prospective and profitable issues are determined; projects on development of motivation system where we come up with new approaches to and forms of motivation for different staff categories; projects on business performance improvement either for a company or individual functions, for example, improvement of the procurement department functions, corporate training organization, etc.
Alternatives
“Alternatives to brainstorming for us usually centre on finding ways to solve problems such as: board meetings with in-depth discussion of the problem and decisions being made consistent with the results of those discussions; staff meetings, where existing problems and new ideas can be expressed; individual problem solving by specialists. Finally as an alternative, a company can involve other specialized companies by requesting their assistance in solving the company’s “hot” issues”, - states Inna Tkachenko.
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