Smarter Brainstorming

 

Smarter Brainstorming for Academic Teams

Creativity in academia isn’t a bonus—it’s a tool for survival. Rigid norms, outdated syllabi, and disengaged learners demand fresh thinking. But instead of waiting for inspiration, smart teams engineer it.

Here’s a seven-step method to structure better brainstorming, based on neuroscience, organizational psychology, and real-world practice:

1. Frame It Right

Start with a precise, actionable question.

Bad: "How can we improve learning?"

Better: "How might we redesign our syllabus to engage first-year students with minimal tech?"

Clarity unlocks quality.

2. Break the Mold

Challenge invisible assumptions.

Why must lectures last 50 minutes?

What if we dropped textbooks entirely?

Questioning orthodoxy triggers uncharted solutions.

3. Steal Smartly (Use Analogies)

Borrow mental models from other fields.

What would Spotify’s “playlist logic” look like in curriculum design?

How would Airbnb build student housing?

Cross-domain analogies shake up stale thinking.

4. Diverge, Then Converge

Separate idea generation from idea evaluation.

First: Go wide, weird, wild.

Later: Filter by feasibility, novelty, and impact.

Judgment too early = death of originality.

5. Add Constraints

Limits unlock breakthroughs.

Teach a course only via WhatsApp.

Redesign assessment with zero written exams.

Constraints force invention by removing easy paths.

6. Include Outsiders

Diverse minds = diverse ideas.

Invite admin staff, junior students, even non-academics.

Their “obvious” questions often spark game-changing insights.

7. Build Before You Debate

Skip the endless discussion. Make a rough version.

Sketch a syllabus.

Pilot one session.

Mock up a tool.

Prototypes reveal value faster than opinions.

Insight

Innovation isn't luck—it's architecture.

Structure your brainstorming with sharp framing, outsider input, and creative friction. You’ll move from incremental tweaks to paradigm shifts.

Stop talking. Start making.

That’s how real academic innovation begins.

Adapted with gratitude from

“Sparking Creativity in Teams: An Executive’s Guide”

By Marla M. Capozzi, Renée Dye, and Amy Howe

McKinsey Quarterly, April 1, 2011

🔗 Read the original article