How can you lead a productive conference call brainstorming session?

1 Define the goal

Before you invite anyone to your conference call brainstorming session, you need to have a clear and specific goal in mind. What problem are you trying to solve, what question are you trying to answer, or what opportunity are you trying to explore? Having a well-defined goal will help you narrow down the scope of the session, select the right participants, and prepare the agenda and materials. It will also help you communicate the purpose and expectations of the session to your team and keep them focused and motivated.

2 Prepare the agenda and materials

Once you have your goal, you need to plan how you will structure and run your conference call brainstorming session. You should create a detailed agenda that outlines the timing, format, and topics of the session, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the participants. You should also prepare any materials or tools that you will use to facilitate the brainstorming process, such as slides, documents, whiteboards, or online platforms. You should share the agenda and materials with your team in advance and ask them to review them and come up with some initial ideas.

3 Set the ground rules

At the beginning of your conference call brainstorming session, you should set some ground rules to ensure a smooth and respectful interaction. Some common ground rules are: mute your microphone when you are not speaking, use the chat feature to ask questions or share feedback, avoid interrupting or criticizing others, and respect the time limit and the agenda. You should also introduce yourself and your role, and invite everyone to do the same. This will help you establish rapport and trust among the participants and create a positive and collaborative atmosphere.

4 Facilitate the brainstorming process

As the leader of the conference call brainstorming session, your main task is to facilitate the brainstorming process and encourage everyone to participate and contribute. You should start by presenting the goal and the main question or challenge that you want to address, and then guide the team through different brainstorming techniques, such as mind mapping, brainstorming questions, or SCAMPER. You should also monitor the progress and the energy level of the team, and adjust the pace and the direction of the session as needed. You should also acknowledge and appreciate the ideas and inputs of the participants, and keep track of them for later evaluation.

5 Summarize and evaluate the results

At the end of your conference call brainstorming session, you should summarize and evaluate the results of the session with your team. You should review the main ideas and insights that emerged from the brainstorming process, and ask the team to vote or rank them according to their relevance, feasibility, or impact. You should also ask the team to share their feedback and suggestions on how to improve the session or the brainstorming process in the future. You should also thank everyone for their participation and effort, and celebrate the achievements and learnings of the session.

6 Follow up and take action

After your conference call brainstorming session, you should follow up and take action on the results of the session. You should send a summary report or a recording of the session to your team and any other stakeholders, highlighting the main outcomes and action items. You should also assign roles and responsibilities for implementing or testing the ideas or solutions that were generated during the session, and set deadlines and milestones for their completion. You should also monitor and communicate the progress and the results of the action plan, and recognize and reward the team for their contribution and impact.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?