We’ve all been there: a room full of architects, engineers, and project managers gathered to solve a complex design hurdle or a logistical nightmare. Usually, the “bull in the china cabinet” (often someone like me!) jumps in first. We’re excited, we’re extroverted, and we’re loud.
The problem? While we’re talking, the brilliance of the quietest person in the room—the lead structural engineer with a decade of field experience or the junior designer with a radical new sustainability idea—is staying locked away.
In Adam Grant’s Hidden Potential, he argues that traditional brainstorming is actually broken. Instead, he advocates for Brainwriting.
What is Brainwriting?
Unlike brainstorming, which favors the fastest talker, brainwriting levels the playing field. It involves:
- Individual Ideation: Everyone writes down their ideas anonymously.
- The “Bucket” Method: Ideas are collected (physically or digitally) and randomized.
- Collective Review: The group discusses every idea without knowing who authored them.
Why It Works for AEC Professionals
Our industry is built on a mix of high-stakes technicality and creative problem-solving. Brainwriting offers three major advantages for firms:
- Psychological Safety: There is no “bad” idea when no one knows it’s yours. This is crucial for junior staff who might be intimidated by principals or senior partners.
- Quantity Leads to Quality: As Grant notes, you’ll get more ideas, including more “bad” ones—but hidden among them are the outliers and innovations that traditional sessions often filter out too early.
- Neutralizes Hierarchy: In a field where “years of experience” often dictates whose opinion matters most, brainwriting ensures the idea is judged, not the title of the person who said it.
Bringing it to the Jobsite or the Boardroom
Whether you are working with a non-profit board on a new community center or a project team on a $50M build, brainwriting ensures you aren’t just hearing the loudest voice—you’re hearing the best one.
