Definition of Brainstorming as defined by online dictionary (www.dictionary.com) is “a conference technique of solving specific problems, amassing information, stimulating creative thinking, developing new ideas, etc., by unrestrained and spontaneous participation in discussion”.
As per the definition, there are some basic essentials for brainstorming . Fist and the foremost is that there has to be a collection of brains in action. Secondly, it is done through participation in discussion.
Now, let us think of Daniel Defoe’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’ stranded all alone in an alien tropical Island in Venezuela, not knowing where he is and more importantly, what his future is. He tries his best to make way out of the island to civilization, but does not succeed. Imagine, he had a large bunch of friends, with different experiences, intelligence levels and perceptions in the island. He would have called them up for a meeting and brainstormed for ideas to get away into civilization. In the absence of this luxury, he spent 28 long years in the remote island struggling for existence, before finally being rescued.
Imagine, had he been able to understand his brain and the thinking process. Crusoe would have compartmentalized his brain into silos. A first person that Robinson Crusoe is, a second person who is an expert with islands and water and a third person who has been thorough similar anxious moments. He could have come up with distinct set of ideas from all these characters that he has turned into, debated with ‘himself’, and found out a set of possible escape ideas. All this would have happened in only couple of hours of “independent individual brainstorming”.
How is this idea? Now the question is;
- Will someone ever be able to get into 3 different characters (or will (s)he be perceived to have mental disorder characterized by symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations, that indicate impaired contact with reality)?
- Can one ever play a ‘role-play’ where you are enacting 3 distinct yet complementary characters?
- Can one ever forget himself and be objective?
If the answer to these questions is positive, yes, we could see a difference in the way decisions come out of individuals. Creativity will hit new heights; as the number of brains involved in a decision will be a multiple of number of people involved in that decision.
Awaiting your thoughts on this ‘lateral concept’ J
10 comments:
There is a catch in individual brainstorming... for e.g. in the case you highlighted, one part of the brain needs to be expert on water and one part should know how it feels to be deserted like this ...for that the brain need prior experience otherwise you wont be able to get into 3 roles! If your prior experience does not over ride, in that case we can brainstorm individually!
Btw dont you think we already do that? We think and counter and then again counter?
http://abhiinventedblogging.blogspot.com/2009/08/brainstorming-conundrum.html#links
Please follow the link to see my views on this
Charu, I had predicted this to come out as a comment. I could have set some assumptions that is Crusoe could have landed himslef in that Island, he must have had enough knowledge of water and would have been in 'situations'.
Moreover, I let the blog go without setting the assumptions clear because, I have felt that we, at many times, think think as a first person and at occasions as a second person. To be able to contradict our (1st person and 2nd person) thoughts as a third person... has to be special!!!
nice post..
collaboration somehow seems a better idea than isolation!
we usually have 2 persons brainstorming in us, to have a 3rd brain operating, it can only happen (from my belief) after learning the view of a 3rd person an external i mean. but this would destroy the idea of individual brainstorming.
Contradicting to our own thought as a 3-4 th person-If possible a great idea...But technically , when a deliberate effort is given, I got something like this" Initially you start as 1st and second person, 3rd person comes between and 4th later. 3rd joining to the first/second and the same with the last person. Eventually you are only 2". I mean only 2 opinions. We are trying to think digitally, only two possibilities, either a "1" or a "0". I think we need to have a complete blank brain set to move towards this.But then the objectives and directives...Prior experiences, I feel will makes us more of a sort of prejudiced...The "blue wire...." system is another school of thought....
Crusoe's act- I feel we cannot say he failed. His primary aim was to escape and go back and since there were no options he tried the second one, to create a new civilization there. He could have done or at least tried for the second one, but he prioritized. A normal character he was.....
a similar blog featured on HBR
http://blogs.hbr.org/research/2010/02/when-its-better-to-brainstorm.html
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