How to brainstorm instantly?

Question

Dear experts and ex-consultants, seeking your advice on how to improve this skill of “brainstorming instantly”.

I've learned the key principles of brainstorming, such as: adopting an issue tree structure, be MECE, etc. However, it would take time to “think”, in order to come up with the structure.

So my question here is, in client discussion and business settings, how do you brainstorm a question (especially a new topic) instantly without taking time to “think”?

Imagine you are interviewed by Bloomberg on your views on a topic without rehearsal, how do you brainstorm instantly but remain structured, MECE, and insightful at the same time? Please share your tips on how to train the ability to do so.

Appreciate any advice!

Answer 1

Hi there,

The short answer is practice, practice, practice.

At this stage, I can brainstorm pretty much anything off the cuff. However, years ago I simply could not. The more I've done it, the better I've gotten!

Additionally, here's some reading to help: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

Now, what are some techniques for you?

Ask clarifying questions. Not only does the buy you time, but it also actually helps you frame the question/context
Do 1 bucket/theme at a time - you don't need to know your whole structure immediately!
Leverage buckets you already know exist (and modify)
Grab ideas that pop into your head and figure out what larger theme they fit into
Remember that the bar is a bit lower when it comes to brainstorming (as opposed to frameworking).
Ultimately, I view brainstorming as “framework” light. If you can group your ideas into 2-3 categories, even if they are not perfectly MECE, this is ok!

EXAMPLE: how to increase the number of recruited foster families?

HERE ARE 6 FRAMEWORK OPTIONS

Option 1

Reach out to more families/make more aware
Increase conversion of families who are aware

Option 2

Improve outreach - going to families
Improve “in”reach - families coming to us
Improve inherent offering/pitch

Option 3

Reach out to more families
Reach out to “better” families (higher inherent likelihood of saying yes)
Increase conversion of families

Option 4

People - improve sales/recruitment team
Processes - improve recruitment processes
Tools/Tech - bring in better recruiting tools, data analytics, etc.

Option 5

Ethos - persuade on character/legitimacy
Pathos - persuade on emotion
Logos - persuade on logic

Option 6

The 4 Ps

Product - “bundle” fostering in a better way (make it seem better, improve the experience, etc)
Price - compensation
Place - where it occurs, where the outreach is (online, in person, etc.)
Promotion - how we market/advertise

Answer 2

Hey,

The ability to brainstorm mostly mostly depends on how developed your business sense is. The more cases you solve with other candidates, the more structuring patterns you start noticing and the more ideas come to your mind.

The experience of working at management consulting or similar roles that involve problem solving certainly helps as well.

However, there are some life hacks that can make the brainstorming process easier for you. For one, try to break the problem into TWO high-level drivers and then try to break them down even further on the fly.

The examples could be:
“The problem can either lie in Supply or Demand areas”;
“To fix the profit decline we can work either with the Revenue or the Cost side”
“The problem with the production process can be either machinery related or employee related” etc.

Hope this helps,
Nick

Answer 3

Hi there!

I wrote an expert guide that details out exactly the answer to this question, covering techniques and exercises to improve brainstorming and brainstorming structuring. You can access it here:

Expert Guide: Mastering Structuring & Brainstorming

Drilling down deeper into your question and the ‘instant’ aspect - it's not realistic to expect good quality for doing it instantly.

When I was in McKinsey, when a new slide would show up on the screen during a team-problem solving, there was usually silence for the first few seconds. Everybody from BA to Senior Partner would just take the time to digest it so they could offer an informed, value-adding perspective.

Same with answers to brainstorming questions and any other questions during the case. Taking time is not a liability, it's an asset.

There are two things though that you can do to improve speed:

1. To gain more knowledge in that particular area that you need to brainstorm about.

I'd notice this with experts in consulting or very senior consultants who had done a lot of work in that area. Even then though, their answers wouldn't be perfectly structured, but they were eloquent despite the limited time just because they had the knowledge.

2. Practice without a timer.

Basically, when you practice brainstorming questions on your own, remove the time pressure and aim to just come up with as many ideas as you can. This will help train your ‘depth’ muscle and your ‘lateral thinking’ muscle so you'll be able to come up with more ideas in less time.

Best of luck!
Cristian

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Answer 4

Hi there,

Q: In client discussion and business settings, how do you brainstorm a question (especially a new topic) instantly without taking time to “think”?

In a client conversation, you will be engaged in a flow of general communication, normally allowing you to have time to think before the actual question is asked.

A generic but MECE way to structure is using X and not-X: old vs new, long vs short term, internal vs external. If you need quickly a first level, that might work. For more specific questions, would be great to have a concrete example to help.

Best,

Francesco