The value of electronic brainstorming

by. Lisa Hochgraf

Great things have been produced via online collaboration. Take Linux as an example. This free, open-source (that is, owned by no one entity) operating system was developed by a large number of people who didn’t share office space–and often didn’t even live in the same country. They worked alone at their computers–but together online.

In her book, Quiet: The Power of the Introvert in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Susan Cain asserts that a third to a half of all workers are introverts–people who (among other characteristics) likely prefer to deliver their thoughts in a behind-the-scenes way (like the Linux developers did) rather than in front of a crowd.

“If you had gathered the same people who created Linux, installed them in a giant conference room for a year, and asked them to devise a new operating system, it’s doubtful that anything so revolutionary would have occurred,” Cain writes. “If it’s creativity you’re after, ask your employees to solve problems alone before sharing their ideas. If you want the wisdom of the crowd, gather it electronically, or in writing, and make sure people can’t see each other’s ideas until everyone’s had a chance to contribute.”

Leading a brainstorming session soon? Please try this out and let me know how it worked out for you.

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