Dr. Andrew Newberg

For the early stages of brainstorming, when you're generating ideas, it's better to do it separately and virtually generally. So there's a few reasons for this. The first, let's just say you want each person to come up with 20 ideas and you've got 10 people in a group. We're talking now about 200 ideas here in this situation. Are people going to be able to say 200 ideas in a meeting? Probably not.

For the early stages of brainstorming, when you're generating ideas, it's better to do it separately and virtually generally. So there's a few reasons for this. The first, let's just say you want each person to come up with 20 ideas and you've got 10 people in a group. We're talking now about 200 ideas here in this situation. Are people going to be able to say 200 ideas in a meeting? Probably not.

For the early stages of brainstorming, when you're generating ideas, it's better to do it separately and virtually generally. So there's a few reasons for this. The first, let's just say you want each person to come up with 20 ideas and you've got 10 people in a group. We're talking now about 200 ideas here in this situation. Are people going to be able to say 200 ideas in a meeting? Probably not.

That would be a very long meeting. But if each person is just writing their 20 ideas or typing it out over text, you can all communicate simultaneously over text-based communication. So there's not that limitation of only one person can talk at a time over text-based communication. Secondarily, when we're all sitting together in person, we're nervous about other people's opinions.

That would be a very long meeting. But if each person is just writing their 20 ideas or typing it out over text, you can all communicate simultaneously over text-based communication. So there's not that limitation of only one person can talk at a time over text-based communication. Secondarily, when we're all sitting together in person, we're nervous about other people's opinions.

That would be a very long meeting. But if each person is just writing their 20 ideas or typing it out over text, you can all communicate simultaneously over text-based communication. So there's not that limitation of only one person can talk at a time over text-based communication. Secondarily, when we're all sitting together in person, we're nervous about other people's opinions.

We're a little nervous to do something that's too diverging from others' ideas because we might be judged negatively. But when you're sitting from behind a computer screen and you don't have that person sitting five feet away from you, you feel a lot more comfortable doing something much more different.

We're a little nervous to do something that's too diverging from others' ideas because we might be judged negatively. But when you're sitting from behind a computer screen and you don't have that person sitting five feet away from you, you feel a lot more comfortable doing something much more different.

We're a little nervous to do something that's too diverging from others' ideas because we might be judged negatively. But when you're sitting from behind a computer screen and you don't have that person sitting five feet away from you, you feel a lot more comfortable doing something much more different.

And lastly, when we're all brainstorming together out loud, when someone says an idea, our mind gets stuck on that idea. And our ideas are related to that idea as opposed to being really divergent and creative. So as a result, in those early stages of brainstorming, you get that benefit by being able to communicate via text by doing it separately.

And lastly, when we're all brainstorming together out loud, when someone says an idea, our mind gets stuck on that idea. And our ideas are related to that idea as opposed to being really divergent and creative. So as a result, in those early stages of brainstorming, you get that benefit by being able to communicate via text by doing it separately.

And lastly, when we're all brainstorming together out loud, when someone says an idea, our mind gets stuck on that idea. And our ideas are related to that idea as opposed to being really divergent and creative. So as a result, in those early stages of brainstorming, you get that benefit by being able to communicate via text by doing it separately.

That said, in the latter stages of brainstorming, when you're trying to agree on an idea as a group, and you're trying to tweak that idea, that's better to do synchronously, whether that's via video, audio, in person. So it really depends what stage of the process you're at. But that's just a good example of where text-based communication really has a lot of advantages.

That said, in the latter stages of brainstorming, when you're trying to agree on an idea as a group, and you're trying to tweak that idea, that's better to do synchronously, whether that's via video, audio, in person. So it really depends what stage of the process you're at. But that's just a good example of where text-based communication really has a lot of advantages.

That said, in the latter stages of brainstorming, when you're trying to agree on an idea as a group, and you're trying to tweak that idea, that's better to do synchronously, whether that's via video, audio, in person. So it really depends what stage of the process you're at. But that's just a good example of where text-based communication really has a lot of advantages.

So it sounds like we're in agreement. Early stages, it's better to keep dudes separate via text so we're not talking over each other and you're not just having one person dominating the entire conversation. And that matches my understanding of the research. Now, the question is about deciding as a group.

So it sounds like we're in agreement. Early stages, it's better to keep dudes separate via text so we're not talking over each other and you're not just having one person dominating the entire conversation. And that matches my understanding of the research. Now, the question is about deciding as a group.

So it sounds like we're in agreement. Early stages, it's better to keep dudes separate via text so we're not talking over each other and you're not just having one person dominating the entire conversation. And that matches my understanding of the research. Now, the question is about deciding as a group.

That's a little bit messier of an answer on that one because there's multiple components of this. There's the getting the right idea, the best idea, and there's also getting everyone on board. So the way you get everyone on board is to give everyone a voice. Getting the best idea, it's possible you may be biased by one person or another who's pushing their own idea there.

That's a little bit messier of an answer on that one because there's multiple components of this. There's the getting the right idea, the best idea, and there's also getting everyone on board. So the way you get everyone on board is to give everyone a voice. Getting the best idea, it's possible you may be biased by one person or another who's pushing their own idea there.