Finally, someone I can really agree with. Counter productive to my argument, but still.  Jonah Lehrer just published a book called Imagine, How Creativity Works, and I was lucky enough to attend his reading at the Hill Ballroom last night. Not only was some of the research mind boggling and content inspiring, during the Q and A section, Jonah was challenged on what he claims are the evils of brainstorming.

Now as an advertising professional, I know that this industry in fact fathered the brainstorming concept. It is attributed to Alex Osborn, the guy who put the O in BBDO. While it was renegade thinking at the time, brainstorming is an abject failure when it comes to an ideation technique. This is not my opinion, it’s a fact that in more recent research has been proven over and over again. Lehrer discusses theses studies in his book. The brain just doesn’t work that way.  Like an animal in a zoo, it won’t move or do a trick because you point at and scream, “dance monkey, dance”. No disrespect to dancing monkeys.

After sitting in brainstorming sessions for almost 6 years of my life and doing my own research, I know this to be true.  Brainstorming just doesn’t work. While there are benefits to collaborating with people, piggy backing ideas and working in teams the idea of sitting in a room where we:

1) Withhold criticism, because there is no such thing as a dumb question or idea.

and

2) Focus on quantity, because quality can come later.

usually results in a lot of ideas that are at best mediocre. It isn’t until people leave the room, get in a different head space, are taking a shower or can’t sleep that the real true creativity happens?  Why?  Because it is not something that is completely under our own control.  We can’t will our way to creativity.  If we could everyone would be innovating out of their ears.

But I digress.

The one thing that got me all hot and bothered about his lecture, was what research has discovered to be a much more effective way of creative problem solving.  My mouth was watering when Jonah answered the “evils of brainstorming” question with two words that are truly music to my ears.  You ready for it? 

1) Debate

and

2) Dissent

More creativity is produced from good old fashioned discourse, arguments and differing points of view. Not only did a group of people who were given the opportunity to debate come up with more creative ideas, based on a evaluation by an independent panel. The next day they had 7 times the amount of new ideas about the problem than a group of people that used the brainstorming technique.

This information seriously made me so happy.  Like nerd happy.

It may come as a shock to some of you, but heated discussion, debate and objections are like my fat kid’s cake. I love a good verbal row. To learn that these types of interactions have a positive impact on creativity, well heck, that just made my day. The ground for creativity is in fact a battleground. You must, of course, create a construct for debate and dissent so that it remain respectful and productive.  You don’t really want to work with someone who calls you a fat cow because you don’t agree with them. Colleagues still need to be able to collaborate despite sitting on two different sides of a fence. But the concept overall makes sense when you think about it. Tension and asking questions are a huge part of any thought process paradigm shift. 

“Disagreements are fertile ground!”, is what I really want to shout out loud when I walked into the office today. Loud enough for everyone to hear.  The problem is, brainstorming is so ingrained in how ad agencies work. You will see meetings pop up for brainstorming sessions, you will get asked to join a quick one or you will find yourself even asking to have one. It is a such a large part of the culture that trying to convince any agency otherwise would be quite a challenge. However, at a Minneapolis agency that kind of prides itself in the Minnesota Nice mentality makes it a compound problem.  How do you infuse debate and dissent into an creative industry and workplace that tends to shy away from both.

I have decided I am going to try and figure it out.  Whether I will be victorious or not, well that is up for debate.

I have come to accept the fact that there is a mean girl inside of me. I am not sure if she has been growing there all along or suddenly sprouted as a defense mechanism of some sort. But she is there glaring at me,reflecting the worst parts of what I think is a female’s nature. Its been studied, written about and proven true. Women are vicious and awful to thier own sex and my little Regina King has her own burn book burning inside of me.

I may not be handing out fake dietary bars or trying to steal someone’s boyfriend, but I do have an internal monologue that is unsettling to the rest of my being. Commenting about what someone is wearing, I mean don’t they have friends who tell them they shouldn’t go out like that? Or as Mindy Kaling puts it, a friend who says, “I am not loving that on you”.  Learn how to drive! I can’t believe she just said that. Get a bra that fits. Must you play with your hair every second of the day?  I could have done that better. I wish I had the confidence to walk around in that, NOT. Everyone gets 100% and obviously her looks is why she has no personality. Where does he find these girls? 

See, she just took over.

I wish I could say that these comments always stay tucked inside of this little monster’s mouth, but I have gotten very good at disguising them in a sarcastic humor and a cynicism that my friends have come to enjoy.  Pure derision and discontent have given her enough food for thought and plenty of sustenance. I don’t know, maybe working in a male dominated industry has helped her grow. I am not proud of her. In all honestly I wish I could take her out Hunger Games style.

But then wouldn’t I be missing a tool that other women use against me, and others?  Wouldn’t I be left out of the conversations and sadly friendships that often begin because of similarities in loathing? The one side of your mouth, under your breath comments that make women feel like they are part of a secret club. You know, the kind of exchanges that keep people watching and relating to Real Housewives of Anywhere. Perhaps this is just a cynical point of view, and my little monster’s attitude has slowly leaked into the cavities of my actual body.

It is strange because I can feel that I am just as afraid of her as I am of trying to silence her. How horrible is that?

I guess like all mean girls, mine rules with fear and insecurity. The forces behind bullies, dictators and female competition. So, that leaves me in a constant battle with myself, me versus my little mean. I know who I want to win but with total transparency I am not really sure who will.