With a name that combines an intimidating organ and intimidating weather, it’s par for the course that the brainstorm is slightly intimidating also. While it’s a useful idea for coming up with ideas quickly, it can also easily become an unnerving concept.
One of the main things that can unnerve people about brainstorming is the idea it has to be mind-bending stuff. In actual fact, one of the smartest things someone can do in a brainstorm is keep it as basic as possible – for three crucial reasons.
Keeping it Simple
Although brainstorm is a pretty elaborate word, that doesn’t mean your brainstorms themselves have to be. In fact, simplicity tends to be key in pulling off an effective brainstorm. Staying solely on the topic at hand is without a doubt the most effective way to make sure your brainstorm achieves exactly what it sets out to do. While brief tangents are no crime, there’s no point going on a lengthy tangent when they don’t suit what you’ve set out to do.
Keep Your Brainstorm Focused
The one unfortunate thing about trying to get intellectual about a brainstorm is that it can get weird and wild really, really fast. Trying to elevate a conversation past the level it needs to be at can complicate topics that don’t necessarily require it. As much as it’s always a good time to flex your rad brain muscles, it’s always worth remembering that a brainstorm should ideally be about exploring all the possible routes you want to go in. So the more complex these routes become, the more difficult it will be for everyone to follow all of them. That’s not to say you can’t explain a complex concept when it’s relevant – just that practicality leads to legibility.
Keeping it Approachable
If your brainstorm ends up requiring two brain surgeons and a physicist to explain it, you’ve maybe gone off track. While unique terms aren’t a bad thing, having a brainstorm you can’t sum up quickly and easily can complicate things. This doesn’t just mean you likely won’t remember it all – it also prevents it being explained to anyone else. Having brainstorms that you can effectively keep track of it paramount to them being successful, as they’re more easily recalled.
