Brainstorming Sessions – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1127

Brainstorming Sessions – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1127

Dear Colleagues! This is Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1127 for Pharma Veterans. Pharma Veterans Blogs are published by Asrar Qureshi on its dedicated site https://pharmaveterans.com. Please email to pharmaveterans2017@gmail.com  for publishing your contributions here.

Credit: fauxels

Credit: Olia danilevich

Credit: R._.F Studio

Preamble

Pharma industry is also very fond of holding brainstorming sessions. Every now and then, such sessions are held enthusiastically, though fruitlessly. Pharma industry is not the only industry, other corporates are equally interested in it. Let us explore what are the issues at play and how it may be done better.

Brainstorming in Corporate Life: Why It Often Fails — And How to Fix It

Walk into any corporate office today, and you’ll likely find a whiteboard filled with colorful sticky notes and a group of people enthusiastically exchanging ideas in what’s labeled a “brainstorming session.” It’s a beloved tool — meant to unlock creativity, solve problems, and spark innovation.

But talk to employees afterward, and the enthusiasm often fades. Ideas went nowhere. A few people dominated. Nothing really changed.

In reality, brainstorming in its current corporate form is broken. Despite good intentions, many sessions are repetitive, unproductive, and poorly structured. They generate lots of noise, but little breakthrough thinking.

What Is Brainstorming -- And Why Was It Invented?

The term “brainstorming” was introduced in the 1940s by advertising executive Alex Osborn, co-founder of BBDO. His idea was to develop a group creativity technique that would allow teams to generate more and better ideas.

Osborn laid down four guiding principles for effective brainstorming:

• Defer judgment -- No criticism of ideas while they are being shared.

• Go for quantity -- The more ideas, the better the odds of a great one.

• Encourage wild ideas -- Even outrageous suggestions can lead to valuable insights.

• Build on others' ideas -- Collaboration and synergy can unlock innovation.

These principles aimed to free people from fear, stimulate lateral thinking, and break conventional molds. And when done right, brainstorming can still be powerful.

But over the years, the practice has been diluted into a box-ticking exercise in many organizations.

What’s Wrong with Brainstorming Sessions Today?

Lack of Structure or Purpose

Most sessions begin with vague invitations like:

“Let’s brainstorm some ideas to improve sales”

or

“We need thoughts on the new product launch.”

With no clear problem definition, no guiding questions, and no time boundaries, people wander into unrelated tangents, often rehashing old ideas. No one knows what a “good outcome” looks like, and so the session ends with a collection of random suggestions and no clear next step.

Dominance by a Few Loud Voices

Brainstorming is meant to be democratic. But in reality, senior leaders or extroverts often dominate the conversation; quieter, introverted, or junior team members stay silent. For this reason, valuable perspectives go unheard.

In hierarchical or conservative cultures, speaking out can feel risky, especially if your idea is unconventional or critical.

Fear of Being Judged

Although “no judgment” is a golden rule, few sessions enforce it effectively. People still feel embarrassed about sounding naïve, are 

 afraid of suggesting “bad ideas” and feel pressured to conform to the group’s opinion. This psychological pressure suppresses the very creativity the session is supposed to unlock.

Groupthink Creeps In

When teams are too aligned or too polite, they tend to agree with each other. This leads to safe ideas that feel acceptable but aren’t particularly creative or bold. Instead of truly diverse thinking, the group settles into incrementalism. There would be slight tweaks to existing processes, not big leaps forward.

No Follow-Up or Implementation

Perhaps the biggest issue is that ideas rarely move beyond the room. Notes get taken. Photos of whiteboards are clicked. And then… nothing. No ownership. No timelines. No review mechanism. This makes employees skeptical. The next time they’re invited to a brainstorming session, they show up — but only physically.

How to Make Brainstorming Effective Again

Reinventing brainstorming doesn’t require abandoning it. Instead, we need to go back to its roots, and update the method for the realities of modern, complex organizations.

Start With a Clear and Compelling Challenge

Rather than vague prompts, frame the session around a focused question, such as:

 “How might we reduce onboarding time by 50%?”

 “What new services could we offer to expand into rural markets?”

 “What’s stopping our digital transformation -- and how can we fix it?” 

Define the desired outcome, the constraints, and what kind of ideas you’re looking for. This provides direction and purpose.

Use Structured Creativity Tools

Instead of free-flow discussion, consider using:

• Brainwriting: Everyone writes 3 ideas silently before speaking. This gives introverts space and reduces bias.

• SCAMPER: A method that prompts creativity by asking: Substitute? Combine? Adapt? Modify? Put to another use? Eliminate? Reverse?

• Round-robin: Each participant contributes one idea in turn. Keeps everyone engaged and prevents monopolization.

These tools help you channel creativity, not suppress it.

Encourage Diverse, Cross-Functional Participation

Innovation thrives at intersections. Include people from:

• Different departments (marketing, operations, HR, R\&D)

• Different levels (junior to senior)

• Different demographics or regions

A pharmacist may see a solution a salesperson misses. A junior analyst might offer a fresher lens than a veteran manager.

Create Psychological Safety

Set a tone where:

• All ideas are welcome

• There’s no judgment or mocking

• Failure is considered part of exploration

You can even allow anonymous submissions using digital tools. Also, appoint a neutral facilitator to manage energy, protect airtime, and encourage silent voices to speak up.

Allow Pre-Session Preparation

Don’t expect brilliance under pressure. Share the topic 2–3 days before the meeting. Ask participants to:

• Observe trends

• Talk to customers

• Read a brief

• Reflect privately

This encourages deeper, more thoughtful ideas rather than hasty ones formed under time pressure.

Timebox the Session into Phases

Structure the session like this:

• 10 min: Briefing and ground rules

• 15 min: Silent ideation or brainwriting

• 15 min: Sharing and categorizing

• 20 min: Group discussion and clustering

• 10 min: Prioritization or voting

• 10 min: Assign next steps

Keeping a pace helps avoid fatigue and maintains energy.

Document, Decide, and Follow Up

At the end of the session:

• Identify the top 3–5 actionable ideas

• Assign owners to explore or test them

• Schedule a follow-up review in 2–4 weeks

This turns ideas into action — and builds trust in the process.

Sum Up -- From Buzzword to Breakthrough

Brainstorming was designed as a radical idea-generation technique, not a corporate ritual. But without structure, psychological safety, or follow-through, it has become symbolic and superficial. If organizations want to foster real innovation, they must respect the method, prepare participants, include everyone, and act on what emerges. At its best, brainstorming isn’t just about ideas — it’s about unlocking potential, sparking dialogue, and setting real change in motion.

Concluded.

Disclaimers: Pictures in these blogs are taken from free resources at Pexels, Pixabay, Unsplash, and Google. Credit is given where available. If a copyright claim is lodged, we shall remove the picture with appropriate regrets.

For most blogs, I research from several sources which are open to public. Their links are mentioned under references. There is no intent to infringe upon anyone’s copyrights. If, any claim is lodged, it will be acknowledged and recognized duly.