Silent Brainstorming
Generate ideas individually before sharing with the group.
Explanation
Silent brainstorming addresses several problems with traditional vocal brainstorming: social loafing (letting others do the thinking), production blocking (waiting for turns), and evaluation apprehension (fear of judgment). By having everyone think individually first, you harness the full cognitive capacity of the group and generate more diverse ideas.
Real-World Example
Team of 8 brainstorming product features: 15 minutes silent individual brainstorming yields 120 ideas (15 each). Same team in vocal brainstorming generates 35 ideas total, mostly from 2-3 dominant speakers. Silent phase captures introverts' ideas and prevents anchoring on first suggestions. Follow with sharing and building phase.
How to Apply
Start every brainstorming session with silent individual time. Give clear prompt and time limit (10-20 minutes). Everyone writes ideas privately on sticky notes. Share ideas systematically—one at a time, no commentary. After all ideas shared, then discuss and build. This doubles or triples idea generation compared to starting with group discussion.