Rethink Brainstorming and Unlock Creative Process in Business
- Janet S
- Sep 28
- 10 min read
by Dr. Tanya Knudsen and Janet K. Stormes
I had the opportunity to co-facilitate, with Dr. Tanya Knudsen, a brainstorming session for a business owner and we have written an article about our lessons learned. Here is an edited version of the original article.
Creativity isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the competitive edge.
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s the #1 skill that sets professionals and businesses apart. The research for creativity in business is clear. Companies that are deliberately creative increase their survivability by 80% and profit by 30% (Mumford, 2024). Here’s the challenge: knowing how to meaningfully bring creativity into your business.
Take brainstorming. You’ve heard it a thousand times: “Let’s brainstorm this.” It’s a go-to phrase in meetings, workshops, and team huddles. But how often does it actually spark breakthrough ideas and action? Spoiler: rarely.
In a revealing conversation, creativity experts Dr. Tanya Knudsen and Janet K. Stormes discuss ways to effectively use brainstorming, and how to adapt it to a virtual setting. They break down the myths we’ve bought into, the mindsets that hold us back, and the simple shifts that unlock real innovation.
If you think you know how to brainstorm, think again.
This is your wake-up call to rethink brainstorming and reignite a fundamental creative tool for innovation.
Discover the power of classic brainstorming. Spark creativity at work. Ignite your competitive edge.
Back to the Roots: The Original AI—Applied Imagination
To understand where creativity tools come from, it helps to go back in time, specifically to the first “AI.” Not artificial intelligence, but Applied Imagination.
In 1958, advertising executive Alex Osborn coined the term brainstorming in his now-seminal book Applied Imagination. While it may only be “famous in certain circles,” its impact on how we think about creativity in business has been foundational. When brainstorming hit the corporate scene in the 1950s it lit up board rooms. By introducing “the brain to storm a problem,” Osborn coined the name of the ideation tool, brainstorming (Osborn, 1979, p. 151).
As a pioneer in the business of ideas, Alex Osborn knew just how powerful bold, original thinking could be, and how difficult it was to tap into under pressure. As the “O” in BBDO, now one of the world’s largest advertising agencies, Osborn didn’t just shape the industry. He gave us one of creativity’s most essential tools: brainstorming.
Osborn's core insight was deceptively simple but deeply powerful: in order to arrive at the best ideas, you must diverge before you converge. That is, explore widely before narrowing in. This principle, now a cornerstone of Creative Problem Solving, was introduced to help teams generate ideas more freely, without judgment or premature filtering.
Brainstorming, then, was designed not as a chaotic free-for-all or an end to the creative process, but as the first step in a structured and disciplined creative process for generating a high volume of ideas. Quantity first, refinement later. And while the format has evolved over time, the essence remains the same: create space for ideas to emerge before trying to decide which ones are "right."
Ideas beget ideas, and in a social environment, one person’s idea sets off a chain reaction of ideas within a group. Group brainstorming can be highly productive, Osborn explains, because the “power of association is a two-way current”. Another reason brainstorming works is the effect of rivalry; mental competition increases by 50% or more.
As we revisit and redesign creativity tools for today's hybrid and digital environments, it’s worth remembering the original intent. In a nutshell (and let’s be honest, nutshells often hold the seeds of something much bigger), Osborn offered more than a technique. He offered a mindset shift: that creativity thrives when exploration occurs before evaluation.
Jumpstart Competitive Edge by Brainstorming Effectively
Just as the meanings of words shift over time, so too has the concept of brainstorming. Consider the word silly, once it meant “happy” or “blessed”; today, it implies foolishness. Language evolves, and so do the ideas embedded within it. In the same way, as brainstorming grew in popularity, full understanding of effectively using this tool was lost, and this we believe has diluted its original power.
Today, the true meaning and method of brainstorming has largely been forgotten. Even the divergent phase, where ideas are meant to flow freely, has been reduced to shallow idea-spouting sessions with little structure or purpose. The equally important second phase, convergence, is often skipped entirely.
To gain a competitive edge in business, start with understanding that creativity is a deliberate exploration followed by focused decision-making, and brainstorming is a central creative tool. Brainstorming is a disciplined, two-step creative process: divergence followed by convergence. First, generate a wide range of ideas. Think quantity over quality. Then, critically evaluate those ideas to select the most promising ones to develop further. If you’re not diverging and then converging, you’re not really brainstorming.
In Business, Creativity comes down to Divergent and Convergent Thinking
Creative problem solving includes two distinct phases, each requiring a different mindset: divergent thinking when you’re generating ideas, and convergent thinking when you’re narrowing them down. The strength of the creative problem solving process—and the key to successful brainstorming—is in keeping these phases separate and balanced.
Think of it like breathing: you can’t inhale and exhale at the same time. Likewise, you can’t explore ideas and evaluate them simultaneously. Jumping too quickly into judgment stifles possibilities, limits discoveries, and lowers creative output.
Divergent Thinking: Generating Ideas
Divergent thinking is about exploring as many ideas as possible without judging them. Research shows the first third of your ideas are often predictable, the middle third a bit more interesting, and the final third the most original. To push through to that creative edge, the four principles of converging thinking are helpful:
Defer Judgment – Resist the urge to critique; simply capture ideas.
Strive for Quantity – Aim for volume. In group brainstorming, shoot for 30–35 ideas in a short timeframe.
Seek Novelty and Wild Ideas – Let unconventional, even outrageous ideas surface.
Build on the Ideas of Others – Listen, respond, and expand on what others contribute.
While there are several useful tools available to help with divergent thinking, the best known is brainstorming.
Convergent Thinking: Evaluating and Focusing Ideas
Convergent thinking is where you shift gears—prioritizing, organizing, and selecting the best ideas to develop. This can be challenging because it demands choices and tolerance for ambiguity, but several principles guide the process:
Apply Affirmative Judgment – Look first for strengths and merits before critiquing. Ask: “What’s good about this idea?”
Keep Novelty Alive – Don’t dismiss unusual ideas outright; refine and reshape them.
Stay Focused – Concentrate on developing the best ideas, even if it means letting go of personal favorites.
Check Objectives – Ensure decisions align with your goals. Use objectives as your compass when choices feel overwhelming.
There are a variety of tools that can help with converging. We used Highlighting in our brainstorming session. The steps for this tool are: identify promising “hits”; cluster related “hits”; and restate into clear powerful concepts.
Why Both Matter
Diverging without converging leaves you with a mountain of ideas but no action. Converging without diverging traps you in the familiar. The creative problem-solving process thrives on the dynamic balance between opening up and narrowing down—that rhythm is what turns possibilities into breakthrough solutions.
The Role of the Facilitator - Facilitation is a skill, not a fallback
The Creative Problem Solving (CPS) process can be applied to almost any challenge, but it is not intended to provide the answers. CPS offers the structure, not the content. Brainstorming and Highlighting are two tools that are frequently used in the CPS process. Striking the right balance between process and content is the responsibility of the facilitator. The facilitator ensures the group can explore content fully, meet session objectives, and work in a trusting supportive environment.
Roles in CPS
The facilitator’s role is to guide the resource group through the CPS process, including the diverging and converging phases, making process decisions that help align the group’s work with the client’s goals.
The client is the owner of the content, including the challenge that the group is working on. Brainstorming and Highlighting are tools that can be used to develop ideas to address the challenge. The client can be an individual or a group. The client is responsible for sharing pertinent information with the facilitator and the group, as well as generating ideas and selecting the ideas to address the challenge. The client makes the decisions.
The resource group supports the client by providing ideas, energy, and different perspectives. The resource group is interested in the client’s challenge and supports the client’s goals.
Techniques for Guiding Groups through the Creative Problem Solving Process
In order to be effective, the facilitator must know the CPS process thoroughly and understand the roles of both the client and the resource group. The facilitator’s role can shift depending on the setting: in groups, the facilitator focuses exclusively on the process, while with individual clients, they may occasionally offer ideas if the client gets “stuck”—without imposing their own solutions.
As Facilitation: A Door to Creative Leadership explains, “A strong facilitator creates safety, balances structure with spontaneity, and manages discipline with freedom—like walking a high wire. (p. F-13). To successfully “walk the high wire”, a facilitator should:
Stay out of the content—use the group’s words; do not make content decisions
Keep the process moving forward and adjust the plan as needed
Pay close attention to client and group needs; be clear about the CPS roles throughout
Deliver for the client and celebrate progress
Remain neutral – never manipulate the outcome
Additional responsibilities include knowing when to explain or teach the process, being sensitive to non-verbal cues, setting clear targets and timeframes for each idea-generating exercise. The facilitator should also manage time effectively, ensuring that there is adequate time for converging and developing solutions.
The great facilitator is always thinking, always prepared, and always balancing structure with flexibility.
Online Brainstorming: Opportunities and Challenges
Our virtual brainstorming session taught us that successful online collaboration requires special preparation. Before diving into those lessons, here are some of the key advantages and disadvantages we observed.
Advantages of Virtual Brainstorming
Global participation: Anyone can join, regardless of location (we included participants from Europe, South Asia, the Caribbean, and across the U.S.).
Digital recordkeeping: Sessions are easily saved and revisited for deeper analysis (we used Zoom’s whiteboard).
Efficiency: Sessions can be shorter and more focused. Our two-hour workshop produced a tangible solution that the problem owner found valuable.
Challenges of Virtual Brainstorming
Technology gaps: Weak connections or unfamiliarity with collaboration tools can slow progress.
Reduced nonverbal cues: Facilitators may struggle to read body language or energy, making it harder to sustain momentum and manage dominant voices.
Screen fatigue: Long online sessions drain attention and creativity.
Tool limitations: Some methods, like “forced connections,” don’t translate easily to virtual formats.
How We Addressed These Challenges
Choosing the right tools: “Quiet” brainstorming is especially effective.
Rehearsing with the collaboration platform: Allowing adequate time to prepare and rehearse with the collaboration tool (we used Zoom whiteboard) ensures clarity and ease during the brainstorming and highlighting sessions.
Adapting tools: To more easily use forced connections, create a place in the virtual space where these visual aids are simply laid out and participants can go there on their own, and look at them as they need inspiration.
Maintaining energy: Break out of passive screen-based learning with kinesthetic techniques. Boost energy, sharpen focus, and help participants process information more deeply and meaningfully by incorporating movement into virtual meetings.
Pause to reflect: Transform routine check-ins into moments of true insight. Allow teams to pause, absorb, and unlock clarity that drives meaningful action.
Online Brainstorming: Adapting to Virtual Spaces
Traditional “stick’em up” brainstorming relies on Post-It notes and group energy, but in virtual settings, this fast-paced, vocal style can feel chaotic or exclude quieter voices.
To adapt, we created a digital version: a Zoom whiteboard with virtual flip charts and sticky notes. Participants posted their ideas silently, read each other’s contributions, and built on them in real time. This approach avoided the confusion of overlapping voices while fostering organic idea-building.
In virtual spaces, “quiet” brainstorming often outperforms the traditional method. Instead of speaking, participants write their ideas, creating space for reflection and inclusivity. It slows the pace just enough for deeper engagement while ensuring all voices are captured.
Far from being limited, “quiet” brainstorming can be expansive. As written ideas accumulate, they spark new connections, like watching a field of ideas bloom across the digital whiteboard. The focus shifts from chasing one “big idea” to nurturing a full ecosystem of possibilities.
Honoring the Ideas Left Behind
One often-overlooked benefit of “quiet” brainstorming, especially compared to traditional brainstorming, is what happens to the ideas that don’t move forward.
In a typical stick’em up brainstorm session, great ideas can get lost in the noise or dismissed too early. “Quiet” brainstorming, by contrast, captures everything. Even ideas that don’t make it into the final solution remain visible, creating a rich vocabulary of thinking that supports and informs whatever does advance. This broader archive can be revisited, repurposed, or serve as inspiration down the line.
It’s a subtle but powerful shift: from extracting ideas to cultivating them.
Conclusion - Key Takeaways
A well-facilitated brainstorming session that includes time and space for diverging and converging drives innovation, solves real problems, and connects creativity to the business’ work.
Resources are fixed. Imagination is unlimited. Creativity is your ultimate competitive advantage in business.
Classic brainstorming remains the proven gateway to unlocking breakthrough ideas.
True creative thinking means mastering the balance between expanding possibilities and honing in on the best solutions.
Skilled facilitators are the secret weapon. They steer the process and empower the team to shine.
Online meetings demand intentional design to fuel collaboration and drive effective problem-solving.
For Further Reading
Miller, B., Vehar, J., Firestien, R., Thurber, S., & Nielsen, D. (2011b). Facilitation: a door to creative leadership 4th ed. Evanston: Illinois: FourSight, LLC.
Osborn, A. F. (1963). Applied imagination: Principles and procedures of creative thinking (3rd ed.). Charles Scribner's Sons.
Trends in Creativity Research, Dr Michael Mumford, GCI Podcast Interview 2024
World Economic Forum (2025): The Future of Jobs Report 2025.
About the Authors
Tanya and Janet are facilitators from the School of Applied Imagination at SUNY Buffalo State in upstate New York. They’ve worked together to facilitate brainstorming. Contact either Tanya or Janet separately or as a team to foster and incorporate creativity in your business for developing skills linked to improving the bottom line. Regardless of where you might be in the problem, the creative process may be the powerful tool you’ve been looking for.
Janet K. Stormes contact info:
Tanya Knudsen PhD Creative Leadership
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