Throw spaghetti at the wall: How to brainstorm without evaluation

How to brainstorm without evaluation

Reading Time: 3 minutes

When was the last time you were invited to throw food? If it sounds fun, you’re right. Brainstorming should be similar – certainly lively, perhaps a bit messy, and hopefully, stress-free. It’s an exercise in creative thinking, to consider all possibilities without limits.

I first heard the phrase throw spaghetti at the wall from my wife when I was describing the environment I wanted to cultivate. This visual may help set the tone with your team. Ultimately, the purpose of a brainstorm is to generate ideas and see if any stick. Save the evaluation for later. As a leader your role should be to facilitate dynamic conversations.

How not to brainstorm

However, when a meeting is called to brainstorm, participants can quickly go down the path of discrediting each other’s ideas as impractical, too expensive, or too risky. This sucks a sense of safety right out of the room. And, with it, motivation to engage.

These reactions, although usually unintentional, can sometimes come straight from the meeting leader. If you’ve called the brainstorm do a gut check. If you’ve already made your decision but gathered the team to create an illusion of collective buy-in, stop there. Don’t ask for their opinions while telling them how to think. Your team will recognize this and become resentful.

Build trust. Generate ideas.

If you truly want their insights, establish trust through your actions. To exhibit that everyone’s heard, write all ideas on a whiteboard or flip chart. Folks can sometimes get a bit nervous about this as if you are committing to something. Nothing is set in stone. They are only words. Encourage out-of-the-box ideas. It may just inspire something ground-breaking.

Stay focused

Should one idea that is truly off-topic start to sidetrack the purpose of your brainstorm, have a way to manage it. One method is to establish a “parking lot” at the beginning, for ideas that are off topic or need to be postponed. This concept comes from the Lean Six Sigma process improvement methodology derived mostly from Toyota’s manufacturing system. The “parking lot” validates all participant contributions while allowing the team to refocus on the agenda.

Keep it positive

Another suggestion comes from a core improv rule. Never say “no.” It’s dismissive. It breaks any momentum you’ve garnered. Instead, keep the conversation going by starting your response with the open-ended phrase “yes, and.” Then add your thoughts. It’s subtle but two words can keep attitudes positive and participation flowing. By saying “yes,” you aren’t necessarily agreeing with the idea but rather you are publically recognizing it.

Be equitable

Sometimes, there are those highly extroverted team members who can take over a brainstorm. While they deserve equal time, their dominant style can stifle others ability to share. And, you really want the opinions of those on the quiet side. Introverts tend to be strong problem-solvers, wordsmiths and are highly creative.

If a monopoly of time begins to take hold suggest that you go around the room to see if anyone else has an idea. Those waiting to contribute will feel respected and encouraged. You may hear crickets at first. Silence is a good thing. It allows previous ideas to percolate.

Case Study

My colleagues at a UCHealth impressively fostered this collaborative culture. We met to develop a new campaign to emphasize our history in the community. Ideas abound. Whiteboards overflowing. But nothing hit the mark. As involvement stagnated, out of the corner of the room, the office admin spoke up for the first time. “How about Our roots run deep?“ she suggested. The room fell silent. She captured the essence of what we needed to express. Having worked for the company for a decade and as a long time community member, she offered a perspective that was overlooked yet invaluable. This tagline became the heart of a successful multi-channel campaign. Just think if she hadn’t been invited to the meeting or disregarded because of her title.

Brainstorm to problem-solve

Sometimes brainstorming sessions are called not to create but to problem-solve. If you think participants will be apprehensive to address a challenging situation publically, consider using a polling software through which people can anonymously share feedback. Poll Everywhere is one platform that’s easy to use and free to try. I’ve used this in meetings where there was tension between departments and it got a much needed conversation started when a face-to-face would have escalated the problem. The meeting organizer, assuming they can remain neutral, can serve as the administrator of the tool.

Conclude with next steps

As the meeting organizer, don’t leave the meeting without sharing next steps. You want participants to walk away feeling that their time was well spent, they were heard and that an action will come from the meeting. This doesn’t mean you need to make a decision on the spot. It could be, something like, “I’ll email the team with all the ideas for a vote” (if you make decisions collectively). Or, you could say leadership will review all the ideas and announce the solution in a week.

The next time you have a brainstorming session set ground rules upfront so that everyone feels safe to throw spaghetti at the wall.