TIMELESS INSIGHTS–AND WHY THEY’RE AS RELEVANT AS EVER

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July 2025

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Seven steps to better brainstorming

Across industries, companies are hurrying to capitalize on the proliferation of new technologies that promise to revolutionize productivity. They’re right to do so; innovation is the lifeblood of any successful organization. But great innovation starts with generating great ideas, and that’s where many companies falter (even when they’re using the latest tools). Brainstorming sessions can be vague and unstructured, leaving employees frustrated and uninspired. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

A more effective approach, which the authors of this McKinsey Quarterly classic call “brainsteering,” offers a structured form of idea generation that taps people’s typical ways of thinking and working in creative problem-solving situations. By clearly defining the decision-making criteria, asking the kinds of questions that will shake up participants’ thinking, and breaking into subgroups of carefully selected individuals—who are chosen for their knowledge rather than where they are on the org chart—senior managers can boost the odds of coaxing better ideas from their teams.

For more on how to capture the energy that is often wasted in traditional brainstorming sessions—and steer the process in a more productive direction—read our 2011 Quarterly classic “Seven steps to better brainstorming.”

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—Edited by Drew Holzfeind, editor, Chicago 

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