The notion of delaying proposition of ‘solutions’ as long as possible seems an excellent technique for group work where stated propositions not only appear prematurely but become entangled with other, perhaps unproductive interpersonal dynamics, and where the energy of the deliberately ‘unmade up’ group mind can possibly assist the individual to internally change position. The thorny bit for me however, is the individual trying to ‘hold that non-thought’ - a challenge that is more or less equivalent to stopping, or even slowing the thought process deliberately, which is meditation after all—something we mere mortals haven’t found all that easy so far. Indeed, some argue that many of us aren’t even aware there is an ‘internal dialogue’, let alone knowing how to stop it. In other words, it’s easy to say don’t make up your mind, but not so easy to enact.
It’s okay to think up solutions. You just have to write them down and refocus on the problem.
This is how a brainstorming session is supposed to work. The main goal of the facilitator is to keep the group criticism from spinning out of control. Usually, if someone proposes a solution, someone will shout out an objection to it. But we should still be thinking about the problem. Just write down the solution and shush the objection, then return to the problem.
The notion of delaying proposition of ‘solutions’ as long as possible seems an excellent technique for group work where stated propositions not only appear prematurely but become entangled with other, perhaps unproductive interpersonal dynamics, and where the energy of the deliberately ‘unmade up’ group mind can possibly assist the individual to internally change position. The thorny bit for me however, is the individual trying to ‘hold that non-thought’ - a challenge that is more or less equivalent to stopping, or even slowing the thought process deliberately, which is meditation after all—something we mere mortals haven’t found all that easy so far. Indeed, some argue that many of us aren’t even aware there is an ‘internal dialogue’, let alone knowing how to stop it. In other words, it’s easy to say don’t make up your mind, but not so easy to enact.
It’s okay to think up solutions. You just have to write them down and refocus on the problem.
This is how a brainstorming session is supposed to work. The main goal of the facilitator is to keep the group criticism from spinning out of control. Usually, if someone proposes a solution, someone will shout out an objection to it. But we should still be thinking about the problem. Just write down the solution and shush the objection, then return to the problem.