The ability to innovate is crucial to any successful organization and coming up with a successful plan is just the beginning of the journey. Brainstorming sessions allow employees to share, rate, and comment on ideas while also allowing them to come up with new ways to solve a problem. To help you company surface good ideas, take a look at these four tips before you get your creative team together for an effective brainstorming session! Read More
1. Get a facilitator. Assign someone to facilitate the brainstorming session in order to make it as productive as possible. A facilitator will allow the flow of ideas to have a positive direction. This person should be an outsider or someone from a different department within your organization that is familiar with the project. Keep in mind that it’s important for the facilitator to be able to provide directions without sounding authoritative.
2. Preparation is key. It is essential to start with a brief overview of the project. This is a good way to get people thinking of creative ideas to solve the problem or create a strategic plan. You should also clearly state the ultimate goal of the brainstorming session. As you consider your goal, be wary of goals that are too vague or two specific. Instead of having a broad goal like “Increase audience for social media channels,” try setting a more specific goal like “Develop 10 ways to create more engaging content.”within your company/organization that is familiar with the project. Keep in mind that it’s important for the facilitator to be able to provide directions without sounding authoritative.
3. Write down everything. Come prepared with big sheets of paper or a whiteboard and tons of pens, pencils, and markers and place them where everyone can see it. You will want to write down every idea, even the crazy ones, and encourage everyone to write them down themselves. If needed, you can also bring props; some people think visually so use anything that can get people thinking of ideas. However, keep in mind that computers can be distracting during a brainstorming session. Suggest the meeting to be laptop-free to create a more effective meeting.
4. Relax. Create a relaxing environment so fear doesn’t block any ideas. People need to feel free to throw ideas without being judged or being ridiculed. This will also encourage members to participate and present as many ideas as possible. Always remember that no idea is a bad idea; sometimes the best suggestions come from previous ones.
With these tips, you will be able to drastically increase productivity during your next brainstorming session. How often do you use brainstorming to solve a problem? Comment below with your brainstorming secrets to success!