An Alternative to Brainstorming: Why Question-Storming Works

How does question-storming work? Is it a superior alternative to brainstorming?

Warren Berger says that many organizations value knowledge and obedience over curiosity and creativity. But, the most successful companies are those that encourage employees to ask questions and search for innovative answers. He recommends that organizations hold question-storming sessions.

Keep reading to learn about this intriguing alternative to brainstorming.

An Alternative to Brainstorming

Berger suggests that, to encourage people to ask fundamental questions that support their organization, you could try an alternative to brainstorming sessions: question-storming sessions. Instead of asking employees to come up with ideas, ask them to come up with questions. There’s no pressure to answer those questions right away; they’re simply possibilities for the group to explore later.

Berger believes this practice is more effective at generating ideas than traditional brainstorming sessions because, if the only expectation is to ask questions, there’s no pressure to also come up with solutions on the spot. This reduced pressure helps people’s thoughts to flow freely, and it makes them less likely to censor their ideas. By contrast, in brainstorming sessions, people naturally feel like they have to come up with “good” answers. Therefore, they might hold back potentially transformative ideas that they feel aren’t good enough.

(Shortform note: Many experts agree with Berger that group brainstorming sessions are ineffective, and some research supports this—one study of over 800 teams found that the group produced fewer and lower-quality ideas than the same number of people would have produced while working alone. One possible reason for this is the pressure for solutions that Berger mentions. Another explanation is that groups tend to seek compromises before deciding on a course of action, and those compromises lead to unexceptional, uncreative, “safe” decisions. Questioning sessions can avoid this latter pitfall because the group isn’t committing to a course of action. You don’t need to compromise on a decision, because no decision is being made yet.)

The Power of “What If?”

It may seem like Berger’s method would generate only problems and not solutions. However, Berger urges you to keep in mind that questions themselves—especially “what if?” questions—can directly lead to solutions. That’s why, once a fundamental question has identified a serious issue, your next step should be to ask “what if?” questions, even ones that propose strange and outlandish options. Finally, choose one (or more) of those “what if?” scenarios and start asking “how?” you could make it a reality.

Berger says the “what if?” question helps you break out of your usual patterns of thinking; and, in doing so, you either come up with novel ideas or combine old ideas into something new. In other words, asking “what if?” can help you make connections between thoughts that you haven’t connected before.

For example, the rideshare app Uber came from just such a “what if?” question. Cofounders Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick got stranded in a snowstorm in Paris, and they wondered: “What if you could use your phone to secure a ride?”

(Shortform note: One major reason “what if?” questions spur your creativity is that they often present you with situations that you’ve never encountered before, meaning that you have no previous experiences to draw on. Therefore, instead of searching through your memories for an appropriate answer, you’re forced to consider new possibilities or look for ways that your existing knowledge could apply to that new situation.)

“Question-Storming” Versus Brainstorming

Berger’s question-storming sessions may not be too dissimilar to some brainstorming sessions—arguably, the only major difference is that participants phrase all of their thoughts as questions.

For comparison, in Purple Cow, Seth Godin explains his process for brainstorming a remarkable new product or idea:

1. Come up with the most extreme ideas possible. For example, if you’re brainstorming how much to charge for a product, the most extreme possible price is “free.” This parallels Berger’s “why not?” questions—“Why not give our product away for free?”

2. Determine which of those ideas will get you the results you want and how close you can come to that idea. Clearly, giving away a product for free won’t generate any profit—but how low could you make the price? This parallels Berger’s “what if?” questions—“What if we only charged people for the cost of production? What if we gave a cheap product away for free to attract new customers?”

3. Figure out how you can turn that idea into reality. This step is identical to Berger’s “how?” questions.

An Alternative to Brainstorming: Why Question-Storming Works