The Next Casualty Of AI: The Lost Art Of Brainstorming
AI will not only kill jobs. It will kill critical functions, too.
In 2024, I wrote about the first unintended consequence of AI: fundamental communication skills, the ones, when developed, become part of the foundation of great companies. In essence, AI is now doing what our new employees should be doing. Once the window for that has passed, it doesn't return. This, by the way, holds true for entry-level jobs in computer science like programming and coding; legal services like paralegals and assistants; and graphic arts like animation, preproduction, and post-production.
Where has all the brainstorming gone?
Serious enough, but so far, it's been about skills. Now, though, AI has shown it also kills - or at least has the power to kill – critical functions in the process. For instance, when was the last time you were part of a brainstorming session or long-term program? That question is rhetorical. We already know the answer.
The reason for this is simple and obvious. Brainstorming is hard work (at least in the beginning) and AI is more than easy; brainstorming requires patience and AI is instant gratification; in brainstorming, the truth that there could always be more than one good answer is evident and in AI we tend to accept what shows up. There's an old saying – Never let a conclusion be where you got tired of thinking – and that just about sums it up.
Bring back brainstorming – And Make It Succeed
As it's been a while since you've brainstormed (don't BS me; yes, it has), here's a guide – and a most basic one – to help bring it all back home. Let this be where we start .
The Five Commandments of Brainstorming
1. Make it cultural.
It's not an event; it's an ingrained process to be done in frequent intervals. Sometimes a surprise brainstorming get together is highly productive. No one is a spectator – young and old, senior and junior, new or long-term, admin and executive. All in the same meeting. Diversity is a strength. Jack Welch used to say, 'Listen to the new guy.'
2. Brainstorming shoud be short.
Short time spans – no more than 45 minutes – and small groups of people – 6-8, optimally. Let it get personal when necessary. Pizza lunches or bagel breakfasts are brainstorming hot houses.
3. No judgment. Ever.
Encourage everyone's contribution. You never know where the next great idea will come from. There's no such thing as a bad idea, just ideas that may not work right now. Allow no negative reactions as ideas are generated. This is a time for dimension building.
4. Build on the ideas of others.
This is a real source of power. Creativity doesn't exist in a vacuum. Whenever the word 'but' is used, replace it with 'and.' Watch the enormous effect of that change.
5. Do not discard any ideas. Ever.
Record and post all ideas as they're offered. Reduce list to a small number of key ideas.
This is where you find the diamonds. Refer to your archives from time to time. More diamonds.
Brainstorming Sum and Substance
We must not let brainstorming recede into the dust of history. If we do, then we're next.
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