Getting your team together for an Effective brainstorming session can be a great way to come up with ideas for a new project or refresh an existing project.
So what’s the best way to make sure you are using everyone’s time wisely? Check out our five keys to an effective brainstorming session:
Be prepared
When scheduling a brainstorming session, provide as much detail in advance of the meeting as possible to help your colleagues be prepared. Providing background and guidelines on the project will allow the team to formulate thoughts in advance, which in turn will keep your brainstorm focused.
Have fun
Decorate the room, pass out candy and put some thought starters (magazines, newspapers, etc.) on the table. Remember, brainstorming should be a fun exercise and the more fun your team has, the better the results!
Provide structure
By its nature, a brainstorming meeting should be off the cuff and collaborative, but that doesn’t mean it should be unorganized and chaotic. Coming in with a game plan will help you stay focused. Start the meeting off by laying out the purpose of the brainstorm, then talk about goals and close by finalizing any action items.
Stay on target
You’re sure to come up with plenty of great ideas during your brainstorming session, but keep things focused. Don’t spend time debating the merits of an idea or what you’ve done in the past. And remember, there’s no such thing as a bad idea!
Set goals
What’s the end game of your brainstorming session? Up front, you need to set expectations and goals that need to be met. Don’t allow the group to go off course. Be very specific with what you need to take away from the meeting so you don’t leave empty handed.
The best thing about brainstorming is it allows you and your colleagues to bounce ideas off each other to come up with some brilliant concepts. If you stay focused, the content you come out of the meeting with will be even more useful.
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