The Straw-Man and the Burn Draft

…or why I’m in favor of leading with the best idea.

Dear Mr. Corporate-Brainstorm-Guy,

I love the quirky ways in which we sometimes try to jar ourselves into experiencing communal brilliance or the effort we all make to try to flip it, live in it, have it show up on our doorstep, or otherwise shift our perspective on the problem. I do, in fact, believe that these often eye-roll-inducing tactics can help the groupthink-prone to shift into new ways of experiencing the problem.

But that is where my tolerance must end.

You see, I’ve been hearing more and more discussion in meetings about this “straw-man”, or getting the first idea “on the table” so we can shoot holes in it. I thought we’d killed that buzz-phrase a few years ago, but he is – like Rasputin – clinging stubbornly and desperately to his life.

Now, I love bad ideas. I think that they are the only way to get to good ones. What I am opposed to is getting the first idea out for the sake of getting the first idea out. At least, I should say, I am opposed to it in the corporate context.

When we are in groups, we tend to default. Because organizations are set up – organized – around an objective, we will always tend to eventually default to the quickest path to that objective. As a result, when we throw out an idea it naturally sets the tone for the conversation and we immediately begin working from that idea to try to get to the objective. If the first idea is notion-shifting and insightful then it can spark new thinking and alter the conversation for the better. If it is simply the first thing we think of, it can set us on the path to mediocrity.

What I AM in favor of is the burn draft. This is the method many writers use to get their first, instinctual ideas on paper for later revision. I am in favor of exploratory creating, just not in the group context. I am in favor of everyone coming to the meeting with well-formed and purposeful ideas that can be smashed together for the good of the group. I am in favor of second-draft discussion.

Let’s make more of an effort in our sessions to have “second-draft discussions.” Let’s introduce fully-formed thoughts – the best ones we have – and let them shape and define our conversations. We will all be better off for it.

Sorry to bring up the – ahem – “elephant” in the room, “moose” on the table, or whatever other buzz phrase you prefer, but I hope it will lead all of us to more intelligent, insightful and brilliant conversations.

Yours Truly,
Jon Q. Creative
Everybiz Tech