Allows individuals to think creatively about new possibilities
Part of the purpose of brainstorming is to give people the freedom to share ideas that may not be feasible. Normally individuals are reluctant to share dumb ideas – impractical suggestions, where there are issues that on the surface make the suggestion impossible to implement. Brainstorming intentionally takes away the self-restraints that prevent these ideas from being shared.
While it is possible that these specific ideas may not be feasible for the firm, other possibilities that build on the suggestions may be possible.
Bring together different perspectives and experiences
Another reason for brainstorming is that it brings together individuals with different perspectives and experiences. While people often work through problems in companies alone – drawing only on their own experiences – brainstorming connects people with different backgrounds.
Often the best ideas are those that piece together different experiences. Having different people in the room can alow the non-obvious ideas, that no one person would have been able to have come up with alone, to be identified.
Enables new possibilities to be identified building on the suggestions of others
An inherent part of brainstorming is that it allows ideas to be developed. While the initial ‘creative’ idea may not be practical, it is possible someone with a different background may be able to resolve some of the initial issues. In this way, a suggestion that may start far from being a realistic possibility can be gradually improved over time, resolving the issues.