How do you foster a collaborative and inclusive environment for brainstorming?

I think in this process of inclusion we have to define whom are we excluding and why that will make the inclusion process better.

You need to filter out the destructive folks who are empowered to stop anything that does not match their narrative. This is the most essential act in a tops-down political environment where tangible results are not appreciated or measured.

After you define your goals and rules, it's really important to be clear about communicating them with your group. It's helpful to have someone mediate/moderate the session and have this person open the conversation by setting the stage. This will create a focused and welcoming environment for the contributors.

Another way to help frame discussions is to share previous research on the solution or product that is being iterated on. There is nothing like hearing about concerns or issues from people that you are designing for. These insights when paired with other relevant information like usage metrics can really help make your "How might we's" as powerful as possible.

One major aspect to be wary of in brainstorming in large groups as it often leads to ideas being shared only by extroverts. In addition to prompts and tools, leveraging conversation formats, such as 1-2-4-all (solo reflection, pair share, merged pairs, and then everyone all together) ensures you get to hear ideas from everyone. Leveraging other ways that brainstorming can happen on a platform like Miro instead of just out loud in conversation creates more inclusion for introverts too.

Besides "How might we...", "What if..." I also use "Make it work..." disruption cards. A disruption card might say: "make it work without charging a fee" or "make it work without Wi-Fi." Basically, you will come up with bunch of restrictions so that I will disrupt the thinkers' premise and force them to think about new ideas. The card tends to start with "Make It Work". Like HMW (How might we)Statement, I call it "MIW Statement." I explain in https://breakbias.co/newsletter/disrupt-the-thinking-for-deeper-creativity

Time management is key to having a constructive conversation, especially when brainstorming. Have your moderator keep track of the time to make sure the discussion is leading to yield results aligned with your goals. Keep in mind however having an overly constructed session might keep your participants from using their creativity. A balanced blend of free-form-conversation supported by collaboration activities, such as mind-mapping, will generate a stimulating discussion.

Encouraging participants to build upon each other's ideas, asking clarifying questions, and acknowledging contributions respectfully through active listening is a hard task. The easiest way to do so is through recognition. Highlighting the value of everyone's contributions and unique perspectives throuhour the session will motivate others to join and share.

I think it’s important to prime the participants to get in a brainstorming mindset to get to a large variety of different ideas. Even before the brainstorming activity begins, I’ll facilitate activities to ignite creativity such as a creative visualization to get in touch with creative spirits, an activity that requires participants to draw with their left and right hands, or even a team challenge to spark ideation and innovation. Priming the audience and setting the stage for creative brainstorms leads to better ideas in the long run!

This is probably the aspect of brainstorming that can make or break a session. I think of brainstorming sessions as an improv set. With improv, there are certain ground rules that everyone agrees upon. A few of those rules also play into brainstorm sessions. One crucial rule is the notion of "Yes, and..." - Instead of simply agreeing with someone, you should agree and then add something that is similar. Another rule from improv is that "there are no mistakes". This fosters a feeling that participants can freely express creative ideas without fear of criticism.

Feedback is crucial in collective brainstorming, but it can be a delicate process. To create a safe environment where great ideas meet great feedback, consider these three tools: 1) Be transparent about goals and criteria at the outset. You can rely on different trusted frameworks for ideas evaluation such as the ICE prioritization method used in product development. 2) Use collaborative tools such as Figma or Miro to evaluate ideas as a team. It's important for participants to understand that they participate in the process together and that ideas are not dumped just because of one's personal opinion. 3) Build trustful relationships within the group to create a space where people feel comfortable being vulnerable.

This is great. Maybe I'd add two things . Iterate. It is rare that one session / workshop is sufficient. Build the framework of ideas over time. . Use 'catch-plan-do'. This doesn't have to feel like a once and done contest. Make a way to catch and preserve ideas over time. Then use a framework like a user journey or story map or perhaps even a KPI tree to organize and prioritize them. The team may want to prioritize some things before others, but catching them all into a planning frame gives people a feeling of purposeful inclusion. Plus it's a way to catch before committing.

In my experience, incorporating a phase for reflection and feedback post-brainstorming is also critical. This not only captures the immediate outcomes but also enhances the process for future sessions. One thing I've found helpful is implementing an anonymous digital feedback mechanism immediately after brainstorming activities. This allows participants to openly share their thoughts on the session's dynamics, inclusivity, and effectiveness without the pressure of direct confrontation.