This post was inspired by this toy I saw on the web. Apparently, some old people were buying it for their grandkids 🤣 But it suddenly got me thinking about brainstorms and here we are.
Brainstorms Aren't Always a Storm of Ideas
Brainstorms are often named among the best idea-generation tools, but the thing is they don’t always work, and they can even be reasonably scary for some team members. Especially in hybrid environments, where half the team is online and the other half is in a room, the dynamic can be off. I felt it strongly when I moved to Cyprus and became one of those remote team members. So let’s dive into the issue and how to fix it.
I believe the classic “yo everyone throw out ideas!” approach often creates more anxiety than solutions. People fear judgment, especially in mixed remote and in-person settings, and often it's a couple of people contributing and everyone else following the lead.
There is this great article that summarizes several studies and books just to prove that in hybrid or virtual settings, many employees are hesitant to contribute due to the fear of being ignored or misunderstood (or judged, but you know what to do with fears now). The loudest voices tend to dominate, leaving quieter (or remote) members feeling left out.
In hybrid environments, this imbalance is clear, because of both technical limitations and differences in dynamics. Those dialing in remotely may feel less connected and less likely to jump into a spontaneous flow of ideas, either due to technical delays, lack of eye contact, or simply feeling awkward.
Reverse Brainstorming
Have you ever tried flipping it? Reverse brainstorming is a technique that focuses on identifying problems rather than solutions. Instead of asking, “How can we make our product better?”, ask “How can we make this product worse?”.
“Murad, this sounds ridiculous, why anyone would do that?”
It's like changing the format of a retrospective for one meeting: it might not bring crazy good insights but rather challenge the mindset to start generating ideas. This exercise turns the pressure into a bit of fun and once you have a list of ways to make something terrible, it’s surprisingly easy to reverse-engineer solutions from there into something valuable.
This method reduces the "fear of looking stupid" factor because everyone is looking stupid there, we all know we are intentionally coming up with bad ideas. It's like those threads with "Wrong answers only":
It also works well in hybrid setups since it lowers the bar to participation. It turns out, people are less shy when they’re suggesting purposely bad ideas!
The Balance
If you’re stuck running brainstorms in a hybrid environment, here are a few tips on how to maintain balance:
- Anonymous Ideas: While I'm personally not a fan, it works for some teams really well. You can use project management tools like Monday and Jira or simply Google Forms to allow everyone to submit ideas anonymously before discussing them. This can help more reserved team members feel comfortable contributing. In the end, in most of the cases they say "Yeah, that's mine, here are my thoughts..."
- Timebox It: Aim for shorter bursts of idea-sharing so that everyone has a set window to chip in.
- Reverse Brainstorming: Get the team comfortable by starting with the reverse approach. It creates a sense of fun and breaks the ice before tackling the real solutions.
- Facilitate Proactively: As a facilitator, it’s your job to conduct the conversation actively. Make sure to engage participants equally by asking remote workers for their take directly.
Brainstorms can lead to innovation if done right but don’t underestimate the challenges of hybrid environments. Make sure everyone’s ideas are heard, no matter where they’re sitting.
