I/We have difficulty getting past the brainstorming stage (B3).
From the third step onwards in the brainstorming process – so in the selection and decision-making phase - conflicts can arise within the team. People who push their own interests too much in this phase, decrease the willingness of the other group members to contribute to the joint group project. Take sufficient time in this phase to discuss and specify group aims which are shared or at least accepted by all group members. Take in this stage in particular the basic negotiation and feedback rules into account (G10, G13, G14). Applying these rules helps avoid conflict in a team. Other problems derive from the relatively chaotic process that brainstorming entails. There are two temporary roles that need to be taken in order to make sure that the brainstorm does not end up in chaos: the ‘chair’ and the ‘secretary’ role.
• The chair - Brainstorming without a (temporary) chair ends up in chaos. The chair manages the brainstorm session, in particular by making sure that nobody interrupts one another, that no comments are giving on the proposed ideas before everybody is given the same opportunity to share their ideas with the group. Furthermore, the chair has to make sure that the brainstorm remains focused on the main subject. Finally, the chair takes the responsibility that something has to come out of the brainstorm. So the chair acts as ‘primus inter pares’ (first among equals), as the falicitator of the process, not as the decision-maker. The chair can summarize all pros and cons and propose a decision-making procedure (G5).
• The rapporteur - The role of the secretary or rapporteur of a brainstorm session depends on the strategy chosen. In particular for collective verbal brainstorming, the role is vital and requires a high degree of integrity. Because many possibilities are mentioned during a brainstorm, nobody except the secretary will be able to remember; so the reporting could be biased (and therefore not accepted in later phases by some of the participants). The secretary therefore does not participate in the brainstorming either, but has the sole task to register. A good technique is to write all remarks down on the blackboard. The group members then can see whether their remarks are taken seriously. While writing down, the secretary can pose clarification questions, but not participate in the discussion.
