Brainstorming requires both space to think deeply and deadlines to focus us.
Creativity is not having a bunch of people in a room numbly nodding as one person tells them what will work and what won’t. Nor do we expect very creative results from a purely democratic process.
Innovation is not the act of silently strangling new ideas with the bureaucracy built to manage the old ideas. Nor is innovation something that succeeds without any structure.
Brainstorming, creativity, and innovation can happen quickly with the right environment (a compelling clarity of purpose, respectful relationships, a sense of possibility, and smart, iterative, and relaxed processes) and can die a horrible, long death in the wrong environment (an unclear or boring purpose, fake civility or open hostility, a sense of dread, and strict, unthinking, or pressured processes).
We succeed at brainstorming, creativity, and innovation when we strike some healthy balances.
In your corner,
Mike
Today’s photo credit: James Jordan via photopin cc