Local Agency Announces Strategic Pause on Brainstorming, Calls It a Win
Auckland based agency North Wharf Collective has today announced a bold new initiative, a complete pause on brainstorming. Effective immediately, staff are encouraged to stop gathering in rooms, stop saying "no bad ideas", and stop drawing arrows between unrelated nouns. The move follows an internal review which found that 83 percent of brainstorms ended with one person quietly rewriting an idea they already had before the meeting.
The pause will be supported by a new framework called Thinking About It Later. Under the framework, staff are invited to have a thought on their own, preferably near a window, then return to it after lunch. Leadership says this mirrors real client behaviour more accurately. "Clients never decide anything in the room," said Managing Partner Claire D. "They decide in the car, or in the shower, or three days later after asking their cousin." The agency believes this approach will better prepare teams for the emotional arc of feedback.
As part of the rollout, the agency has also retired several legacy brainstorming tools. Multicoloured markers will be placed into storage. Post it notes will be rationed and must now be signed out. The phrase "let's just park that" has been officially banned, following confusion over where the park is and who keeps towing the ideas. A spokesperson confirmed the ban was necessary for clarity and spiritual wellbeing.
Early results are promising. One account team reportedly delivered a strategy without once saying the word "platform". Another team finished a meeting seven minutes early and sat in silence, feeling the weight of what they had not said. North Wharf Collective says it plans to release a case study later this year, pending approval from legal, finance, and the one senior creative who still believes the best ideas only happen with snacks.
The pause will be supported by a new framework called Thinking About It Later. Under the framework, staff are invited to have a thought on their own, preferably near a window, then return to it after lunch. Leadership says this mirrors real client behaviour more accurately. "Clients never decide anything in the room," said Managing Partner Claire D. "They decide in the car, or in the shower, or three days later after asking their cousin." The agency believes this approach will better prepare teams for the emotional arc of feedback.
As part of the rollout, the agency has also retired several legacy brainstorming tools. Multicoloured markers will be placed into storage. Post it notes will be rationed and must now be signed out. The phrase "let's just park that" has been officially banned, following confusion over where the park is and who keeps towing the ideas. A spokesperson confirmed the ban was necessary for clarity and spiritual wellbeing.
Early results are promising. One account team reportedly delivered a strategy without once saying the word "platform". Another team finished a meeting seven minutes early and sat in silence, feeling the weight of what they had not said. North Wharf Collective says it plans to release a case study later this year, pending approval from legal, finance, and the one senior creative who still believes the best ideas only happen with snacks.