Evaluation Phase of Brainstorming
The evaluation session occurs after brainstorming, where ideas are sifted to extract useful ones by picking directly applicable solutions, extracting functional kernels from flawed ideas, and identifying new approaches or information gaps.
THE IDEA
Evaluation
There is no attempt at evaluation during the brainstorming session itself. Any tendency to evaluate would kill spontaneity and convert the session into one of critical analysis. Evaluation is carried out later by the same group or even by another group. It is important that some sort of evaluation is carried out even if the problem is not a real one. It is the evaluation session that makes a worthwhile activity of what would otherwise be a frivolous exercise. In the evaluation session the list of ideas is sifted to extract the useful ore. The main points in the evaluation are as follows:
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To pick out ideas which are directly useful.
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To extract from ideas that are wrong or ridiculous the functional kernel of the idea which may be generalized in a useful way (e.g. in a brainstorming session considering the problem of rail transport one idea put forward was that trains should have tracks on their roofs so that when two trains met one could pass above the other. The functional idea here is fuller utilization of the same track or better use of carriage roofs.) The idea of using a magnet to pull apples from the trees would be considered as finding a means to bring apples en masse to the ground instead of picking them individually or as pretreatment of the apples in order to make them easy to pick.
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To list functional ideas, new aspects of the problem, ways of considering the problem, additional factors to be taken into consideration. None of these are actual solutions to the problem but merely approaches.
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To pick out those ideas which can be tried out with relative ease even though they may seem wrong at first sight.
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To pick out those ideas which suggest that more information could be collected in certain areas.
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To pick out those ideas which have in fact already been tried out.
When to use it
A product design team conducts a brainstorming session for new features and then uses an evaluation session to identify the most feasible and impactful ideas.
A policy development team generates a list of potential solutions to a social issue and then evaluates them to determine which approaches warrant further research.
A business strategy team brainstorms growth ideas and then holds an evaluation session to extract functional kernels from seemingly impractical suggestions.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Trains with tracks on roofs
During a brainstorming session on rail transport, an idea was proposed that trains should have tracks on their roofs so that when two trains meet, one could pass above the other. The functional kernel extracted during evaluation was fuller utilization of the same track or better use of carriage roofs.
Magnet for apple picking
Another idea suggested using a magnet to pull apples from trees. The evaluation extracted the functional kernel as finding a means to bring apples en masse to the ground instead of picking them individually, or pretreatment of apples to make them easier to pick.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How can you ensure a clear separation between idea generation and evaluation in your team's creative processes?
Think of a ridiculous idea you once had. What functional kernel could it contain that might be useful in a different context?
After a group brainstorming session, what steps would you take to systematically evaluate the ideas generated?
Often confused with
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Lateral Thinking A Textbook of Creativity (Edward de Bono)