Bestorming

Bestorming is a collaborative ideation method that emphasizes generating a broad set of ideas and then selecting the best among them for development and implementation. The term is a portmanteau of “best” and “storming” and is used in business, education, and project teams to describe a structured approach that combines brainstorming with explicit decision-making.

Process typically involves several phases. First, define the problem or opportunity and set ground rules for the session. Then, generate ideas rapidly in a timeboxed setting, collecting ideas without immediate judgment. After generation, ideas are evaluated using predefined criteria or voting to identify the top candidates. The best ideas are refined into concrete concepts or action plans, with owners and timelines assigned. Common tools include silent brainstorming, round-robin sharing, dot voting, and criteria-based scoring.

Roles and environment are important: a facilitator helps maintain time and ground rules, while participants contribute ideas. Psychological safety, equal opportunity to speak, and inclusive practices support effective bestorming sessions. Sessions can be conducted in person or remotely and may vary in structure—for example, separating generation and evaluation phases or combining both in iterative rounds.

Benefits include faster ideation with a clear path to prioritization, improved alignment on which ideas to pursue, and reduced groupthink when explicit criteria are used. Criticisms center on potential biases toward popular opinions, the need for skilled facilitation to avoid premature dismissal of unconventional ideas, and the risk that the process prioritizes selection over deeper exploration. Bestorming is commonly applied in product development, process improvement, strategic planning, and classroom settings.

See also: brainstorming, dot voting, design thinking, ideation, group decision-making.