You're leading a brainstorming session with a diverse team. How can you harness their feedback effectively?

Define clear objectives- Share session goals and expectation Encourage open communication and respect Select techniques to encourage participation Encourage attentive listening Use Sticky notes, white boards or digital tools Identify themes and patterns Record and distribute session output

To harness employees' feedback effectively, I started with, 1. Creating a positive environment: I worked extensively to understand my people and the kind of culture they prefer to work in. 2. Create a culture of trust and transparency:?I tried to be as honest and encourage open communication. 3. Created an open door policy: The team does not need to block the calendar to talk but they can see if I am free they can straight walk in and talk. 4. Training: We train our employees on the importance of giving and receiving feedback and in ways working on this will in turn help the employee and the organization. 5. Worked on the feedback shared by teams to show them how important are they. 6. Awarded or appreciated the best feedback.

To energize brainstorming sessions, I create an inclusive environment where every team member feels empowered to share ideas. I use techniques like "brainwriting," allowing everyone to jot down thoughts before discussing them, ensuring quieter voices are heard. Utilizing digital tools like Miro or Trello helps capture feedback in real-time. After the session, I synthesize the ideas and follow up with the team, highlighting how their input will be integrated, fostering ownership and enthusiasm for future collaboration.

As opposed to traditional brainstorming, I recommend other methodologies that are more current, dynamic and productive, as well as motivating, such as Gamestorming. Another alternative would be reverse brainstorming. It is about not falling into the routine of conventional brainstorming.