Brainstorming is a popular method of generating and exploring diverse ideas within a team. However, not all brainstorming sessions are equally effective. How can you inspire creative ideas and participation during a brainstorming session? Here are some tips to help you facilitate a productive and enjoyable brainstorming experience.
Before you start brainstorming, make sure everyone knows the purpose, scope, and criteria of the session. Define the problem or challenge you want to solve, and the desired outcomes or solutions you are looking for. Establish some ground rules for the brainstorming process, such as no criticism, no judgment, no interruptions, and no filtering. Encourage everyone to contribute as many ideas as possible, no matter how wild, silly, or impractical they may seem.
Clearly communicate the purpose and goals of the brainstorming session. Provide participants with a clear understanding of what you are trying to achieve and any constraints or guidelines that need to be considered. This helps focus the brainstorming process and encourages participants to generate ideas within the defined scope.
Brainstorming can take various forms and formats, depending on the size, preferences, and dynamics of your team. You can use verbal, visual, or physical methods to stimulate and express ideas. For example, you can use brainstorming techniques such as mind mapping, sketching, role-playing, or word association. You can also use tools such as sticky notes, whiteboards, flip charts, or online platforms to capture and organize ideas. Experiment with different formats and tools to find what works best for your team.
Begin the session with icebreaker activities to help participants feel more relaxed and open to creativity. These activities can be simple games, thought-provoking questions, or exercises that stimulate lateral thinking. Icebreakers can help energize participants and create a positive mindset for brainstorming.
One way to inspire creative ideas and participation during a brainstorming session is to ask open-ended and provocative questions that challenge assumptions, spark curiosity, and invite different perspectives. For example, you can ask questions such as: What if...? How might we...? Why not...? What are the worst/best possible scenarios? What are some alternative ways of looking at the problem? How would someone else approach the problem? Asking open-ended and provocative questions can help your team generate more diverse and original ideas.
ctively engage all participants by involving them in the brainstorming process. Encourage equal participation and ensure that everyone has a chance to contribute their ideas. Use techniques such as round-robin brainstorming, where each participant shares an idea in turn, or small group discussions followed by idea sharing with the larger group.
Another way to inspire creative ideas and participation during a brainstorming session is to provide positive feedback and recognition to your team members. Acknowledge and appreciate every idea that is shared, and show enthusiasm and interest in exploring them further. Avoid dismissing or criticizing any idea, even if it seems unrealistic or irrelevant. Instead, build on and connect ideas, and ask for clarification or elaboration if needed. Providing positive feedback and recognition can help your team feel more confident and motivated to share their ideas.
Finally, to inspire creative ideas and participation during a brainstorming session, you need to create a safe and fun environment for your team. Make sure everyone feels comfortable, respected, and valued in the session, and that there is no fear of failure or ridicule. Foster a collaborative and supportive atmosphere, where everyone listens to and learns from each other. Inject some humor and playfulness into the session, and use icebreakers, games, or rewards to lighten the mood and energize the team. Creating a safe and fun environment can help your team unleash their creativity and enjoy the brainstorming process.
Providing a voice to everyone involved and a safe platform to share ideas is critical. I also think offering an anonymous pathway to share ideas for those still nervous to share in front of the group will also facilitate productive brainstorming. Perhaps this could be done by providing the agenda ahead of the session and noting that any ideas can be submitted anonymously. These would then be shared by the organizer anonymously during the session for discussion.
Brainstorming, also referred to as ideation, is the “art of the possible.” It is about identifying the broadest range of possibilities of solutions rather than just one idea. Ideation goes broad and then narrows down in scope for solutions. A simple best practice during the ideation practices, particularly with your team is creating a safe environment — the word “no” does not exist… only “yes,” and the team builds on one another’s ideas, no matter how crazy or audacious the idea might be. Storyboarding, brainstorming, sketching, and mind mapping are examples of tools used to support ideation. If you are not familiar with Design Thinking, it's worth investing time to do so. Ideation is one of the 5 phases of design thinking.