Questions below refer to this passage.   In the hopes of helping employees arrive at brilliant, innovative ideas, many companies have embraced the technique of brainstorming. “Say anything!” is the mantra in these meetings, in which everyone from the CEO to the intern gathers to blurt out ideas for the next innovation. Surely, the thinking goes, if we throw enough spaghetti at the wall, something will stick? Well, no, as it turns out. Research shows that such measures may not work—regularly, or at all. Instead, scientists are increasingly convinced that what does work is a clear... Show more

Questions below refer to this passage.

 

In the hopes of helping employees arrive at brilliant, innovative ideas, many companies have embraced the technique of brainstorming. “Say anything!” is the mantra in these meetings, in which everyone from the CEO to the intern gathers to blurt out ideas for the next innovation. Surely, the thinking goes, if we throw enough spaghetti at the wall, something will stick?<br>Well, no, as it turns out. Research shows that such measures may not work—regularly, or at all. Instead, scientists are increasingly convinced that what does work is a clear understanding of how thoughts link up. Knowing that A leads to B leads to C may seem rather simple, sure, but it’s a better reflection of how our brains work than the brainstorming model. Creativity is a series of small steps: one thought leads to another, linked thought. Little by little, this inching forward might eventually lead to an innovative idea.<br>Thus, instead of starting a meeting by asking everyone to throw out any idea that comes to mind, it’s probably more beneficial to give people a starting point. Where’s the next logical step from there? Or, work backwards: if this is where you want to end up, what would be the step before, and the step before that? The process may be less exciting, but there will be less spaghetti on the floor when you’re done!

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