Group Decision-Making Techniques

Brainstorming

Groups often make ineffective decisions because they either fail to sample an adequate domain of alternative solutions or do a poor job of evaluating and selecting among the alternatives considered. Brainstorming is a group decision-making technique designed to address the first of these two issues by increasing the range of ideas and solutions available for the group to explore. Brainstorming groups meet specifically to generate alternatives. They are instructed to produce as many ideas as possible. Brainstorming does not provide a problem solution or decision itself. Instead, it produces a list of alternatives that will later be considered, discussed, and evaluated when it is time to reach a final decision.

The ground rules include the following:

• Suspend judgment: Evaluation and criticism of ideas during brainstorming should be avoided.
• Permit freewheeling: Group members should offer any ideas they have, no matter how impractical. Wild [Page 290]ideas, even those considered too risky or impractical to implement, are expected.
• Emphasize quantity, not quality: Quantity should be stressed, not quality. All ideas should be expressed. None should be screened out. This is intended to encourage people to move beyond their favorite ideas, thereby producing a more complete range of alternatives.
• Encourage pooled creativity and synergy: Members should build on others' ideas when possible. People should feel free to make combinations from others' suggestions.
• Ignore seniority: During brainstorming, group members should behave as if everyone were the same rank. Political motivations should be set aside. Brainstorming should be characterized by a relaxed, cooperative, uninhibited, congenial, egalitarian atmosphere.
• Ensure all voices are heard: It is important to ensure that all members participate in the brainstorming session, no matter how reluctant they are to contribute.
• Record all ideas: Every idea produced during the brainstorming session should be recorded for later discussion.

The purpose of brainstorming is to prompt divergent thinking, produce many different ideas in a short period of time, and encourage full participation among all group members. It is designed to minimize stifling ideas by domineering members, interpersonal conflicts, stereotypes of others' expertise or intelligence, habitual patterns of silence, and evaluation apprehension.

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