Performance Improvement Tip of the Day: Better Brainstorming

In the performance improvement world, we rely often on "brainstorming" as a proven strategy for generating ideas about how to overcome barriers, gaps in care, and general problem solving.  A thought-provoking piece in Fast Company Design about how the brainstorming process works - or doesn't work - made me think about  how we can improve our use of this technique.

The article points out the following principles which may help us brainstorm better:

• need some individual time, and some group time to generate ideas
• group dynamics tend to inhibit some creativity, but the prospect of criticism also improves the quality of ideas 
• good ideas usually come about as a solution to a readily identified problem
• the most productive groups were those with a baseline of familiarity but just enough fresh blood to make things interesting
• physical proximity of group members helps to encourage "serendipitous" conversations and discoveries

For performance improvement personnel, here are some thoughts on how to apply these principles:

• have the group brainstorm problems first, before identifying solutions
• encourage individuals to think independently about solutions before embarking on the "group discussion"
• plan ways for the performance improvement team to informally network with each other in order to stimulate the "accidental discovery of ideas", e.g., dinner, bagged lunch, social hour, etc.
• ensure that there is a healthy mix of experts and novices in the team