Jennifer is the head of a marketing company. She requests a group meeting with her employees to come up with a new marketing strategy. She decides to begin with a brainstorming session. Jennifer knows that although brainstorming sessions are generally effective, there can be some pitfalls as well. Which of the following steps can she take to avoid pitfalls?
A) She can let the naturally talkative people dominate the conversation as they often come up with the best ideas.
B) She can ask everyone ahead of time to come up with ideas for the marketing strategy.
C) She can appoint mindguards who urge other group members to go along with the group.
D) She can create an illusion of invulnerability to help the brainstorming process benefit from groupthink.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Asking everyone ahead of time to come up with ideas for the marketing strategy allows for each person to have the opportunity to contribute, regardless of how talkative they are. It also helps to avoid groupthink by allowing individuals to think independently before coming together as a group. Appointing mindguards or creating an illusion of invulnerability can actually hinder the brainstorming process by discouraging dissenting opinions and stifling creativity. Letting naturally talkative people dominate the conversation can also lead to groupthink and may exclude valuable contributions from quieter members.

Jennifer Is the Head of a Marketing Company