Smart Ways to Tackle Tough Questions with a Team Discover how different brains create better solutions together

When you're facing a genuine challenge, brainstorming can be one of the most effective ways to uncover practical solutions. As the term suggests, it involves a storm of thoughts racing across your mind’s pathways — rapid, intuitive, and collaborative thinking. While you can brainstorm solo, the most powerful results often come from gathering a diverse group of individuals, each bringing their unique perspectives to the table (1) .

But before you dive in, make sure you're tackling the right problem.

Start With the Right Question

Albert Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.” Similarly, creativity expert Tina Seelig recommends reframing the question. For example, if you're brainstorming ideas for your mother’s birthday, ask:
 “Why do we celebrate birthdays?”
You might realize it’s about making someone feel valued — and that insight could lead to completely new celebration ideas.
Once the real objective is clear, it’s time to begin. Here are three structured brainstorming techniques you can use with your team or group.

1. Guided Group Brainstorming

What You'll Need:

• A whiteboard or sticky notes
• Markers
• A team of creative contributors (the more diverse, the better)
   

Step-by-Step:

1. Set the Scene: Invite your group members. If supervisors, educators, or managers are involved, it’s best for them to act as neutral facilitators — their presence may unintentionally discourage more reserved participants from speaking up.
   
    
2. Lay Out the Ground Rules:
   
   
   • Quantity Over Quality: Share as many ideas as possible — even the quirky ones!
   • No Judgment: Suspend all criticism during the session.
   • Encourage Wild Ideas: Bold, off-the-wall suggestions can lead to unexpected breakthroughs.
   • Build on Each Other’s Input: Instead of “no,” say “yes, and…” to keep ideas flowing.
3. Present the Problem: Frame it as a question and write it clearly on the board.
4. Open the Floor: Let everyone contribute their ideas one at a time. Use a “talking stick” or another turn-taking method to keep things orderly and inclusive.
5. Capture Everything: Write down every contribution and make it visible to the entire group.
6. Combine Ideas: See if two or more suggestions can be merged into something stronger. In brainstorming, 1 + 1 = 3.
7. Vote: Let the group choose their favorite concepts. From here, you can either run another round to refine them or move forward with implementing the best idea.
8. Record Your Top Picks: Document everything so no valuable idea gets lost.
    

2. The Silent Idea Round (Nominal Group Technique)

This is ideal if you want everyone’s thoughts without group pressure.

How It Works:

• Introduce the problem and explain the rules.
• Ask each participant to write down their ideas privately.
• Collect the responses and allow the group to vote anonymously.
• The highest-ranked ideas can be distributed to smaller subgroups for further development.
  For example, one subgroup might explore the design, while another focuses on technical feasibility (2) .
   

3. The Pass-Along Method (Group Passing Technique)

A great way to expand on ideas collaboratively.

Step-by-Step:

• Sit in a circle and present the problem.
• Each person writes one idea and passes the paper to the next person, who adds their thoughts.
• Continue passing papers until everyone has contributed to every idea.
• Once the original paper returns to its owner, they present the newly expanded concept.
• Finally, write up all the evolved ideas and have the team vote on their favorites.
   

Try Solo Brainstorming!

No team? No problem.

Give it a shot yourself right now. Here's a challenge to warm up your creativity:

💡 Today’s Problem Prompt:

Our oceans are overwhelmed with plastic waste. Marine animals often ingest it, potentially harming human health. According to The Economist, by 2050 the oceans could hold more plastic than fish (by weight).
 Question: “How can we reduce plastic pollution in the oceans starting today?”

Set a timer and list five ideas as quickly as possible in the comments — don’t overthink it. Just let the ideas flow.

Once you're done, read what others have shared. Find your favorite and reply to that person starting with:
 “Yes, and…” to build upon their idea.

This simple practice helps unlock innovation and push past mental roadblocks (3) .

Key Takeaways

Brainstorming isn't just about finding answers — it's about discovering better questions, welcoming diverse viewpoints, and nurturing creative collaboration. Whether you're working with a team or flying solo, use these techniques to transform vague challenges into actionable ideas. Creativity is not a talent — it’s a habit. So, start storming those brains!