Effective Brainstorming
M3 Group meets regularly for brainstorming sessions. Even a creative group of experienced visionaries has to stay on top of the game and cultivate fresh, new ideas to stay relevant. But there are ways to effectively brainstorm for a successful outcome – and there are ways to kill the vibes of a session faster than a speeding bullet.
What to do to help the process:
Take lots of notes
Use a white board and keep notes everyone can see
Record the conversation if the ideas are flowing fast as to not miss anything
Encourage participation
Don’t exclude staff
Listen to every idea
Make eye contact with the person speaking so he or she knows you are listening
Ask questions
Be sure to clarify everything
Be clear about your intentions of the meeting
What not to do
Don’t overthink
Don’t force employees to participate
Don’t criticize or downplay – no idea is a bad idea
Categorize
Once you have a list of ideas, it’s time to start categorizing. Place all of the like items in one row or column and group as many words together that you can.
Reduce
Once you have your final categorized list, start eliminating ideas that don’t work for your objective.
Analyze
Analyze your end list. What stands out? Is there an obvious answer that creates excitement?
Take that final idea and plant the seed. Watch it grow into a plan that bears the fruit of success.
Tags: brainstorm, brainstorming