One of the first words that comes to mind when discussing collaboration is brainstorming.
Brainstorming — or, the practice of sharing ideas while withholding judgment — began back in the 1950s, popularized with the development of consumerism and merchandising post World War II.
Brainstorming promised the production of more ideas.
But according to Dr. Tony McCaffrey, an innovative researcher in psychology and AI, brainstorming actually never worked.
In Harvard Business Review’s video, “Brainswarming: Because Brainstorming Doesn’t Work,” Dr McCaffrey explains that no study has ever shown that brainstorming produces more ideas than if people simply work alone, and come back to a group to share their ideas later.
Brainstorming and sharing one idea at a time in conversation can be inefficient — as extroverted people usually overpower introverts, some ideas are easily tossed aside, and time is often wasted in long brainstorming sessions, especially if too many people are participating.
Brainswarming, on the other hand, asks — why do we need to talk in the first place?
What is brainswarming?
Dr. McCaffrey uses the example of insects to explain brainswarming. For instance, ants solve problems in nature by leaving signals in their environment that influence the behavior of the other ants - like leaving pheromones on a path when searching for food.
This is the same with human behavior — as a basic problem solving graph can provide a canvas for people to leave ideas that can be further developed by teammates.
Brainswarming graphs
In a brainswarming graph, the goal starts at the top of the canvas and grows downward, into more refined subgoals.
Resources are placed at the bottom of the visual and grow upward.
When goals and resources connect through interactions, solutions start to emerge.
Here’s an example of a brainswarming graph:
How to brainswarm:
- Place the goal at the top of the graph
- Add a few known resources at the bottom
- Don’t talk — instead, add digital sticky notes with subgoals and ideas and connect them with lines on the graph
Some people brainswarm by starting at the top and refining the goal. Others analyze how the resources can be used — or even add their own. Once connected, the resources are used to solve the problem.
It’s surprising how efficient switching from talking (brainstorming) to writing (brainswarming) on a structured graph is for groups, especially asynchronous teams. Plus, with today’s return-to-office shift ensuring that hybrid work is here to stay, utilizing brainswarming could be an easy way to boost productivity among employees.
Visual collaboration technology, like ThinkHub, could be the tool your hybrid teams need. Teams can easily collaborate on a vast interactive ThinkHub Canvas from any location or device, allowing for seamless brainswarming among colleagues in-room and remote. Plus, ThinkHub supports all types of content, which means team members can even include photos, videos, multipage PDFs, web pages, and more — whatever helps to convey their ideas or a possible solution.
For more information on how to use ThinkHub for brainswarming, schedule a demo today. To see how others are using ThinkHub to support their hybrid teams and spaces, check out our case studies.
Q: How does brainswarming address the potential issue of group dynamics that can arise during brainstorming sessions, such as extroverts overpowering introverts or some ideas being easily dismissed?
A: Brainswarming addresses group dynamic challenges by shifting focus from verbal communication to written collaboration on a structured graph. By allowing individuals to contribute ideas asynchronously through digital sticky notes, it mitigates the dominance of extroverts and ensures all team members have equal opportunity to share thoughts and suggestions. This approach fosters a more inclusive environment where diverse perspectives can be heard and considered without the pressure of immediate verbal exchange.
Q: Are there any specific examples or case studies mentioned in the article that demonstrate the effectiveness of brainswarming in real-world scenarios? How do these examples illustrate the advantages of brainswarming over traditional brainstorming?
A: The article emphasizes the theoretical underpinnings of brainswarming and its potential benefits, such as improved productivity and problem-solving efficiency. While lacking concrete examples, the article encourages readers to explore further by scheduling a demo of ThinkHub or reviewing case studies to see how others have leveraged visual collaboration technology for hybrid team collaboration.
Q: While the article mentions the benefits of using visual collaboration technology like ThinkHub for brainswarming, what are some potential challenges or limitations that teams might encounter when implementing this approach, especially in hybrid work environments?
A: While visual collaboration technology like ThinkHub offers promising benefits for brainswarming, there may be challenges or limitations to consider in its implementation, particularly in hybrid work environments. These could include issues related to technology access and proficiency among team members, ensuring equal participation and engagement across remote and in-person participants, and effectively managing the collaborative process to avoid information overload or disorganization. An additional challenge is potential privacy or security concerns associated with using digital platforms for collaborative work, which could be important considerations for some organizations.