Getting great results out of a brainstorming workshop can be challenging, but less so if you stack the odds in your favor. Use these tips to maximize your output.
As a workshop facilitator and participant, I’ve been in thousands of brainstorming sessions. Some great, some good, some horribly forgettable. I’ve found that helping set the tone for the meeting ahead of time can be critical in two key areas: 1, if the people attending the workshop aren’t brainstorming professionals and; 2, if they aren’t used to getting their ideas out of their own heads and in to the team workspace where others may build on the ideas and make them even better.
I prefer to send the principles out to the team prior to the meeting and usually with the workshop agenda, which is tailored to suit the challenge at hand.
PRINCIPLES OF BRAINSTORMING
QUANTITY OVER QUALITY
When we brainstorm, we want to get as many ideas out as possible, and think out loud so others can share in the creativity.
THERE IS ROOM FOR JUDGMENT—BUT NOW RIGHT NOW!
Start with the mantra: there are no bad ideas. In brainstorming, every idea has merit. Get them out first. Assess later.
BUILD ON OTHER IDEAS
Every idea is a building block for something new, something different, something breakthrough and never seen before. Remember, we need your ideas so the collective team reaches better solutions.
DIFFERENT PEOPLE MEAN DIFFERENT IDEAS
It’s critical to have people on your brainstorming teams who think differently than you. They need you on their teams for the same reason.
WELCOME WILD IDEAS
Brainstorming is non-linear. You can’t always do it sitting at your same old place at the table. Be willing to mix it up. Have fun, get expressive, get away from the norm. Your brain, and your team, will thank you.
The Rules of Engagement are meant to be used during the workshop to unite the people involved and give everyone permission to deliver their best. One trick is balancing the personalities in the room. Some people need help releasing their inner genius while others need guardrails on the types of behavior that won’t be permitted. You can’t let the neighborhood cynic and curmudgeon crush the fragile ideas of one or two people in the room and still expect to have dramatic results. But you can give the room license to laugh, smile, have fun and create something magical.
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
THINK FAST AND OFTEN
Don’t dwell on your ideas. Get them out quickly.
CAPTURE EVERY IDEA
In brainstorming, the only bad idea is one not captured. Remember, it’s your responsibility to make sure your ideas are expressed. They might not win in the end, but they must be expressed in order to help the team.
THERE ARE NO BAD IDEAS!
Reserve judgment until the proper time. Just get the idea out.
BE OPEN TO NEW THINKING
Your ideas are great. So are the ideas of the other members of your team. You need their weird, oddball, left field ideas as much as they need yours. Share and share alike.
THINK “AND” NOT “BUT”
It’s hard to build a house when others keep removing the supports. Be a good builder. We all know that anything preceding “but” in a conversation is irrelevant. Instead, rephrase responses along the lines of: “That’s an interesting idea AND I think I have a way to make it even stronger ...”
ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME
Especially when it’s time to share with the whole group: Everyone has good ideas. Let’s make sure we can hear all of them—but not all at once.
STAY PRESENT IN THE DISCUSSION
You can’t be a good participant if your brain and interests are on something else. You owe it to yourself and your team to stay engaged physically and mentally, or be honest and take care of your other priorities first. Laptops and phones should be off limits until breaks or unless needed for research in the meeting.
STAY POSITIVE
It’s almost impossible to get to a new idea when you’re being negative. Brainstorming is “yes we can” territory.
THERE ARE NO DEVIL’S ADVOCATES!
Playing Devil’s Advocate is a cheap way to excuse yourself from any negative comments you use to kill someone else’s thoughts. Don’t do that. Ever. Own your ideas. When it’s time to critique the session output, you speak for you and no one else.
HAVE FUN!
This is brainstorming, not brain surgery (unless you’re brainstorming about brain surgery)! Enjoy yourself. Smile. Laugh a little. And come up with something really, really big!