You're in charge of a brainstorming session. How can you make sure everyone is engaged and productive?

First of all, brainstorming can be quite hard and stressful for those who are not doing it regularly. When there's a diverse set of people, including the business guys, you need 2 things: 1) Define what will be the outcome and how everyone in the room will benefit from finding this idea you are searching. What will be the direct impact for each of them? 2) Create a safe space. Make a joke, throw in a few shitty ideas. Spend some time on diffusing stress, make everyone feel comfortable sharing raw thoughts. The key to a great brainstorm is the atmosphere and vibes

Good brainstorming sessions require some brainstorming of your own beforehand. As the facilitator of a brainstorming meeting, having set goals is important, but will only get you so far. Invest an appropriate amount of time in some prep to create a few thought starters for each key topic. Good brainstorming is usually achieved as a result of iteration and building on ideas - taking this approach can help prevent a stalled session and maintain an appropriate amount of focus.

It all starts with a plan--and then sharing that plan with the team well before the brainstorm begins. When everyone understands the question ahead of time, they can each arrive with some answers already in hand. And that helps jump start the entire room.

In leading a brainstorming session, defining a clear, specific goal is paramount. It sets the stage, focusing the collective energy on solving a particular problem or exploring an opportunity. Establishing the purpose and success metrics beforehand streamlines the process, guiding discussions and idea evaluations. It's not just about gathering thoughts; it's about aligning everyone towards a shared vision. This clarity not only enhances the session's productivity but also empowers participants, ensuring their contributions are targeted and meaningful. Remember, a well-defined goal is the compass that steers the brainstorming ship towards fruitful shores.

I've found that it is not only your goal you need to communicate, sometimes you need to highlight what is in it for the others around the table too. When people know that the session can/will directly help their goals too, then engagement soars.

Selecting the right individuals for a brainstorming session is vital for cultivating creativity. Identify team members with diverse backgrounds and skills relevant to the topic. Seek a mix of subject matter experts and those with a creative mindset. Look for open-minded, collaborative individuals comfortable expressing ideas in a group. Balance introverts and extroverts, ensuring commitment and active participation without judgment. This approach fosters an environment that encourages free-flowing ideas and successful brainstorming outcomes.

I totally agree that diversification really is the key. For my part, I often bring people into a brainstorming session who are completely unbiased and perhaps even come from a completely different field. Especially people with little experience and who are comparatively young offer incredible added value for creative ideas.

Way too many "kitchen sink" brainstorms have 25 or 30 people. Those are the most useless brainstorms. What inevitably happens is that the loudest 3 dominate the conversation and the other 27 coalesce around those 3. Instead, have no more than 8 people in a brainstorm. In fact, 4 or 5 would be even better. That's how you make sure everyone is heard, everyone contributes, and everyone shapes how the team takes things forward.

Eu penso n?o em "quem", mas em "quantos". Muitos acham que aqueles menos experientes n?o podem contribuir para a reuni?o, preferindo os de cadeira antiga - eu gosto da diversidade de pessoas e experiências, isso traz um brainstorming bem mais rico. Pessoalmente, curto no máximo 12 pessoas numa reuni?o - às vezes o objetivo do tema precisa de menos pessoas, nunca mais.

To prepare for a brainstorming session, first, outline the agenda specifying the session's purpose, objectives, timeline, and participant roles. Establish ground rules, focusing on respect, judgment suspension, idea building, and topic relevance. Tailor brainstorming techniques to suit the goal and participants.

Criar algum material para o brainstorming é interessante, mas precisamos tomar cuidado para n?o enviesar a cabe?a dos colegas! Se essa for sua inten??o, tudo bem, mas sempre procuro usar materiais "neutros" para esse tipo de reuni?o, normalmente dados e/ou imagens sobre o(s) assunto(s) principal(is). Agora, eu curto bastante a ideia de trazer algumas "regras de uso" ou algo do tipo, isso ajudar a criar um ambiente em que todos podem participar e n?o se sentirem julgados - só "lucro" pra reuni?o!

Sibelius said, music begins where words end. Before we had words, and for the majority of our time on Earth, we have used the arts to express ideas, strategy, emotions, and concepts. I work with the CEO of an international Financial org. who keeps a pile of Lego in his top draw. When he wants to explains something, he fiddles and builds with the Lego. “It’s like this” he says. And points to the model he has built. The problem in most meetings is that the loudest wordsmith tends to lead the way. Quieter voices are drowned or shamed out. We need a new language in facilitating meetings. The language of art, poetry, storytelling, doodling, drawing, music, Lego. A language that expresses something deeper than loud clever word ever will.

Three things to focus on when facilitating a brainstorm. - Foster an inclusive atmosphere for open idea expression, promoting creativity and diverse perspectives. - Guide the session with a structured agenda to maintain focus on the goal while allowing for flexibility. - Actively engage participants with a variety of brainstorming techniques, striking a balance between divergent and convergent thinking to explore and refine ideas.

Brainstorms are not too far from general day to day engagement, based on your approach. Most fruitful brainstorms mirror a conversation in both comfortability and interest level. Consider how you handle when you meet someone for the first time, you may ask why their favorite color is blue and follow up with if they own anything blue currently. Similarly, you would want to know what sparks an idea and possibly, how hey can see it coming to life (if applicable). This brings you into the mind of your peers and may open your eyes to a perspective you may not have considered prior.

Facilitating is all about engagement. ensuring that everyone feels valued and that ideas aren't shut down because you don't agree with it. Reacting to what works with the participants is essential. If one person is shying away from participating, find a way to include them that doesn't alienate them. Those who sit back often take in a lot but may not have the confidence to speak up over bigger characters.

The first step to facilitate the session is to establish a space where individuals can manage their fear of making mistakes or saying the wrong thing in front of their colleagues. This is the most significant challenge.

Following up after a brainstorm is crucial as it ensures that the generated ideas are not left stagnant but are instead translated into actionable outcomes. This process allows for evaluating and refining the ideas, turning them into practical solutions or projects. Moreover, it reinforces a sense of accountability among participants and demonstrates the value placed on their contributions. Regular follow-ups also provide an opportunity to address any challenges that may have arisen during implementation and to celebrate the successes achieved, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the team.

Após a reuni?o é importante divulgar posteriormente a todos os participantes as principais conclus?es, se haverá implementa??es, se as ideias foram aprovadas e também dar um feedback sobre as que n?o ser?o aproveitadas, com intuito de n?o desmotivar as pessoas a participarem dos próximos brainstormings.

Loop back with participants on which ideas will move forward and how. Effective follow-up shows participants their time was valued and translates ideas into impact. The brainstorm informs what comes next but follow through determines the outcomes. Collect all ideas and organize them around relevant themes, filter options based on criteria like feasibility, resources required, and alignment with goals and if possible... Run it back!

In my experience, having some people-focused side missions of your own during the brainstorming session can dramatically improve the quality of the collaboration, the output, and even future sessions. Brainstorming is a creative act and creativity in any form is personal. There’s some vulnerability involved, as lots of ideas (or at least parts of them) will end up on the cutting room floor. The ideas are important- but so is the spirit of the collaboration. How do you want everyone involved to feel at the end of the session? Are there specific people you want to see collaborate directly with each other that normally don’t? Do you want to make sure Bob doesn’t dominate the entire conversation like he always does?

A brainstorm is much more effective if participants prepare for the brainstorm with a solo ideation session, or a session involving just two people (typically a copywriter-art director team). That way, everyone comes armed with some ideas that are in their infancy. Then, the larger team can build on these initial ideas and the brainstorm becomes truly productive. If everyone comes completely unprepared to a brainstorm and just puts on their thinking hats at the brainstorm, it leads to wasted time and half-baked ideas.

It's important to recognized that everyone processes information differently, and that some people may need time to sit with things versus being expected to share input right away. Make sure your brainstorming session offers opportunities for different personality and processing types to participate equally.

Here's a list of few other simple yet effective things we should keep in mind for a more fruitful brainstorming session. Limit disruptions: Turn off phones and minimize distractions. Keep the energy high: Take breaks and use humor to keep participants engaged. Be flexible and adaptable: Be prepared to adjust the agenda or techniques based on how the session unfolds. Focus on quality over quantity: Don't chase too many ideas; prioritize the most promising ones.

Very imporant thing is to call each member of the brainstorming session by their name. Mention the people who didn't talk much or who seemed keen to say something but didn't get their chance to share their thoughts. It is very important to let the whole team speak! Using some external tools to get the notes is also very important and it helps to build a quick report after the sessions.