How can you run more effective ideation sessions with your team?

From my experience creativity/ideation is only as good as the conditions you set and the people whom are involved. The conditions you set – this is providing a safe space and building psychological safety where people feel confident to contribute. Also, help people if you are focused on a future type situation. By this I mean do some research, help them get out of their fixed mindset by highlighting trends and patterns that need to be considered. The people involved –?the healthy mix of people directly impacted or influence the situation. This includes internals, suppliers, and if possible consumers. I can't stress enough the value of co-creating with consumers. Frameworks are still critical. They give you the freedom to zag.

Begin by establishing a concrete objective for your ideation session. This means clearly defining the problem you aim to solve and the scope within which you intend to address it. Consider who the ultimate beneficiaries or end-users of the solutions will be. Additionally, set specific criteria for determining the success of your ideas and outline any constraints or limitations that must be adhered to during the brainstorming process. This initial clarity and precision in defining the session's goal and scope serve as a solid foundation for a more focused, efficient, and productive ideation session with your team.

I like to use few tools to get to the bottom of the innovation challenge / opportunity. Unless you do this across functions, I find it most times everyone has a different understanding of the objective. If the input is wrong, the output will be wrong for sure, so it is critical to nail down this step.

Studies have shown that if you walk through a Japanese forest it will lower your heart rate. In turn, providing the perfect mindset to think clearly and calmly. Unfortunately, most of us dont have access to a Japanese forest. Luckily other studies have shown that individual brainstorming is very effective. Encourage your team to set time aside to go for a walk to think about the challenge or problem you are trying to solve. Or even while in the shower! We are at our creative best when we are distraction free. Encourage them to bring their craziest ideas. The more the better. Then as a team share them all. Split into groups and get them to talk about their top three craziest ideas. Build on the ones they hear & watch the best ideas flow.

Cross functional participation is key as well as integrating stakeholders across the value chain such as suppliers, retailers etc. This enriches the ideation process. Tools and methods used also are an integral part. Tools should be diverse, encouraging out of box thinking and exploration.

Including a range of stakeholders helps with diverse ideas, but also helps get early buy-in from those who may benefit from this work. Sharing the problem prior to the workshop may get people starting to think, so that by the time they get to the session they're not starting from zero.

As facilitator of 100+ innovation projects all over the world, I love to share a CHECKLIST: 15 TIPS for THE PERFECT BRAINSTORM: 1. Define a relevant challenge 2. Create with the sponsor an assignment 3. Create momentum 4. Invite people for whom it is relevant. 5. Invite people for content as well as decision-making 6. Include outsiders 7. Invite the senior problem-owner 8. A special venue 9. An psychological safe environment 10. Never at the office 11. Spend twice as much time on the convergence - as on the divergence process. 12. Apply various idea-generating techniques 13. Keep up the pace 14. Appoint an expert facilitator 15. Make the output concrete Extra Tip: Check the FORTH innovation method for a structured approach.

For a successful ideation, you need to take people out of their comfort zone. No office space, even worse meeting rooms. To come up with big and bold ideas, we need to be stimulated in different ways. I use energetic music, toys, candy, plush toys to create a safe creative environment. This sparks creativity and encourages people to collaborate.

As the facilitator of your ideation session, it's crucial to steer the process effectively and document the outcomes comprehensively. Begin by clearly articulating the session's objective and scope to all participants. Assume the role of a moderator, ensuring that discussions remain on track and that everyone has the opportunity to contribute their ideas. To capture the session's output, employ suitable tools like sticky notes, flip charts, whiteboards, or digital platforms, depending on your team's preferences. These aids will assist in recording and visualizing the ideas that emerge during the session. Finally, share this documented output with all session participants and relevant stakeholders to maintain transparency.

Keep an open mind, and while ensuring participants are on track, loosen the leash a bit if ideas are going down a different, but interesting, path.

As a facilitator, you need to always keep things moving. Staying neutral, time keeping and making sure everyone is staying on track. Available for help, supporting people along the journey. Making jokes and keeping the environment light is key. You need to build trust and rapport with the attendees beforehand to make sure they stay open and engaged in the whole process. Using non digital ways to capture outputs is also as important. We need to go back to basics here.

Setting up the success criteria at the beginning of the workshops helps a lot. So there is no bias down the road. You generate lots of ideas then put the top 3-5 through the success criteria. This shows where the strength and possible weakness of the idea that can be worked on. Beyond all, it keeps things objective.

When it comes to ideation, one rarely considered aspect is the value of constraints. While ideation often encourages thinking outside the box, imposing certain constraints can actually lead to more innovative solutions. Limitations can force creative problem-solving and push teams to find unconventional, yet practical, ideas. Sometimes less freedom can result in more innovative outcomes during ideation sessions.