Coming up with good ideas is hard enough to do over a coffee and bagels, so trying to brainstorm with a virtual group over the internet can be a real challenge. The consensus is that brainstorming is far more effective when everyone's together in the same place. But it can be accomplished via webmeeting and other tools - if you know what you're doing.
Two people who definitely know what they're doing are Mitchell Rigie and Keith Harmeye, the authors of SmartStorming: The Game-Changing Process for Generating Bigger, Better Ideas. Over the next two posts, we'll take a look at how to generate quality ideas and feedback when you're only connected by the mysterious voodoo of the Web.
The most obvious advantage is the ease of access. Participants don't have to travel to the meeting site, even if it's just down the hall or on the next floor. And if the meeting isn't happening live, in real time (in other words, it's an ongoing, asynchronous exchange of information over a period of time), people can participate whenever they like, 24/7.
This situation also gives participants a chance to consider their comments, rather than having to "think on their feet." There's a mistaken notion that brainstorming happens live, in the moment, and it can actually take a while.
But there are other, somewhat more subtle advantages. Some people are simply more comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas when they aren't sitting face-to-face with co-workers, and especially supervisors or unfamiliar outsiders. So the anonymity of a virtual meeting can, in some ways, be a plus.
The most popular web platforms are very flexible and allow a great deal of customization. Meeting designers and facilitators can typically brand the meeting with company logos, colors, etc.; post a variety of different types of questions; share a wide range of information (print documents, videos, audio, etc.); and choose from numerous voting and ranking styles. Some also incorporate familiar social networking features such as blogs, status feeds, user profiles, etc., making it easy for participants to interact and collaborate.
But the most significant advantages of such systems are on the administrative side, since all of the data shared on the system can be so easily collected, stored and analyzed. This is particularly useful in large scale "crowdsourcing" initiatives.
The simplest and most basic form of asynchronous collaboration is email. We all take it for granted today (and misuse it horribly), but the ability to communicate at each individual's convenience has always been a major advantage of email over synchronous communication (like conference calls).
But email can also be used in a more structured way. We have one SmartStorming client that has established a predetermined email chain sequence among their team for sharing and developing ideas remotely.
Of course, web-based open innovation management tools (like Bright Idea, Spigit, Jive, etc.) provide the greatest power and flexibility for asynchronous collaboration.
What I like about their approach is that it starts with the same principles this embraces: if you know what you're trying to do, and create an environment where outcomes come before process, the process will follow.
Next time we'll focus on what leaders have to think about and do to facilitate great brainstorming.
