how do you conduct a brainstorming meeting

How to run a successful brainstorming meeting

• 1 State the goal of the brainstorm Before you do anything else, be sure that everyone in attendance knows the goal of coming together to brainstorm. ...
• 2 Set rules of engagement ...
• 3 Use prompts to inspire ideas ...
• 4 Ask people to write down their thoughts (individually) ...
• 5 Share ideas around the room ...
• 6 Use a fair voting process ...

Full Answer

How do you conduct a brainstorming activity?

10 effective team brainstorming techniquesBrainwriting. ... Rapid ideation. ... Figure storming. ... Eidetic image method. ... Online brainstorming, aka brain netting. ... Round-robin brainstorming. ... Step-ladder technique. ... Mind mapping.More items...•

What are the 4 basic rules for brainstorming?

The 4 Golden Rules of BrainstormingRule #1: Every Idea Matters. One of the critical aspects of a successful brainstorming session is everyone feeling comfortable sharing their ideas. ... Rule #2: No Note Left Behind. ... Rule #3: Embrace New Techniques. ... Rule #4: Innovate Your Process. ... About the Author.

What makes a good brainstorming session?

The real keys to a successful brainstorming session are positive emotions, laughter, ridiculous ideas, and absolutely no criticism of any kind. The group leader needs to ensure that no one says anything that throws water on the ideas of anyone else. Again, creative ideas need to be as free-flowing as possible.

What goes on during a brainstorming session?

What is a brainstorming session? A classic brainstorming meeting is a gathering in which a group of people focus on generating new ideas or solutions surrounding a main area of focus. Each idea is noted, explored, and evaluated by the group without judgment or criticism.

What are the two phrases of a brainstorm?

In conclusion, there are two main phases in brainstorming and workshop sessions – expansion and contraction of ideas and divergence of groups followed by convergence.

What is an example of brainstorming?

Here's an example: Your organization is launching a new product and your team is responsible for packaging. Now, your manager will most likely schedule a brainstorming session where you can play around with potential designs. You come up with a sustainable way to package your products but aren't sure about the cost.

What is the most important rule of brainstorming?

But the truth is, the most important rule is actually rule four, combine and improve upon ideas.

What are brainstorming questions?

Brainstorming questions are questions you might ask in a meeting to help your team think about a problem or subject in a new way. Team members in a brainstorming meeting are usually encouraged to think freely and spontaneously. This means their answers to brainstorming questions might be unusual or unexpected.

How do you gather ideas in a meeting?

How to run a successful brainstorming meeting1 State the goal of the brainstorm. ... 2 Set rules of engagement. ... 3 Use prompts to inspire ideas. ... 4 Ask people to write down their thoughts (individually) ... 5 Share ideas around the room. ... 6 Use a fair voting process.

What should be avoided in brainstorming?

Here are some common brainstorming blunders to avoid:The facilitator isn't properly trained. ... The participants aren't prepared. ... The right employees aren't invited. ... The question or problem being explored is unclear or off-target. ... The scheduled time isn't sufficient. ... Lack of follow-through.

What is another word for brainstorming meeting?

What is another word for brainstorming session?councilconferencedeliberationpalaverconfabcounselconsultargumentationbrainstorminggroupthink85 more rows

What are 3 benefits of brainstorming?

Benefits of BrainstormingProvides a quick and easy class activity. Brainstorming sessions can be effectively used in the classroom. ... Contributes to classroom collective power. ... Creates a student-centered activity. ... Supports learning in a relaxed environment. ... Strengthens problem-based learning. ... Encourages creative thought.

What is the most important rule of brainstorming?

But the truth is, the most important rule is actually rule four, combine and improve upon ideas.

What are the 5 brainstorming techniques?

Here are the five brainstorming techniques help you deliver excellence.Associative Brainstorming.Brainwriting.Freestorming.Virtual Brainstorming.Rolestorming.

What is basic brainstorming?

Brainstorming is to Generate Ideas The core idea of brainstorming is to find the best solution to a problem or best approach to a topic. Many ideas help to expose the best. A few key elements of successful brainstorming are: clear problem or topic statement. everyone participates.

What is the most important part of brainstorming?

Building on others' ideas is one of the most valuable aspects of group brainstorming. Encourage everyone to contribute and to develop ideas, including the quietest people, and discourage anyone from criticizing ideas.

How to facilitate a brainstorming meeting?

Two principles contribute to success: First, separating idea generation (creative) from idea evaluation (analytic). Second, minimizing discussions that lead to group think, stifles participation, and bog down the flow.

What is the difference between facilitated brainstorming sessions and poorly run meetings?

Well facilitated brainstorming sessions are amazing. A creative, sharing atmosphere is built. Numerous ideas are generated. Participants feel productive, valued, and are enthusiastic. By contrast, poorly run meetings are horrible. Little is accomplished. People feel frustrated and that they wasted their time.

What should a facilitator focus on?

The facilitator should focus on ideas where a strong preference has been displayed. They may not need to review cards with just a few votes.

What is the purpose of documenting and reviewing after a meeting?

Document and Review. After the meeting, the facilitator should document the outcomes. The documentation process is a secondary review and creates the opportunity to ensure that the ideas are clear and support the objectives. This serves as an artifact memorializing the meeting and forms the basis subsequent work.

What is brainstorming in business?

Brainstorming is creative process. Design an event that breaks down the strictures and structures of the business environments.

Why is brainstorming important?

Brainstorming is a valuable tool and has an almost endless number of uses: collecting user requirements, developing mission statements, establishing rules of group behavior, and conducting post-mortems— just to name a few.

How long does it take to brainstorm a group?

Have participants brainstorm until they stop generating ideas which usually takes about 10 minutes. You can expect to generate at least 5-10 ideas per participant. The facilitator should monitor the group. Remind them:

What is a brainstorming meeting?

A brainstorming meeting occurs when people come together, either in person or virtually, to discuss, come up with, explain, or map out ideas to solve a problem or challenge they’re facing or come up with something new.

Why do we need brainstorming sessions?

Brainstorming sessions can also bring the team together, where everyone is encouraged to contribute to the creative process . When done correctly, team members leave feeling more comfortable around their coworkers, leading to enhanced collaboration and communication on various tasks or projects down the line.

What to do when meeting attendees feel like they need a little inspiration?

Need a little inspiration? It’s okay if meeting attendees feel like they need a little help coming up with ideas. Consider using a prompt to get the wheels turning and the conversation flowing.

What is rapid ideation?

Rapid ideation: Attendees write down as many ideas as they can think of during a set amount of time.

Why is it important to conduct voting sessions after a meeting?

It can be effective to conduct the voting sessions after a meeting so that all attendees have some time to think, put their feelings aside, and be as thoughtful as possible about both ideas they shared and the ones their peers brought to the table.

How many ideas do you write down in Brainwriting?

Brainwriting: Everyone writes three ideas down that relate to the topic, then passes the ideas to the left or right, who then has to build off that idea. Continue until ideas make it all the way around the circle and discuss ideas as a group.

Why is a team meeting important?

Consider this meeting a safe space for the team to build unity and develop ideas in a non-judgemental environment.

1. Identify your goal

While brainstorming is exciting in the moment, it’s best to stay within the boundaries of your business goals. You should only call a brainstorming session if there’s a.) something specific you’re trying to achieve and b.) you’re prepared to take action on the ideas presented.

2. Gather the right team

Save your colleagues’ creativity for the brainstorm itself, not on wondering why they are sitting in your meeting. In a survey of more than 800 teams, it was found that too many minds in one room can lead to ‘social loafing’, or letting a few star players do all the work and little to no contributions from everyone else.

3. Set the stage

It’s easy to auto-default to the same old conference room every time you need to call a meeting. But our brains love novelty, and being in a new location can also exercise our brain’s neuroplasticity, or our ability to think about things in a new way. By switching up locations, you can improve the quality of ideas that come out of that brainstorm.

4. Pick a qualified facilitator

If a team meets for a brainstorm and no one leads it, did it even happen? Brainstorming sessions are collaborative conversations, but you still need somebody in charge.

6. Make sure everyone participates

You called everyone into the meeting for a reason, and your goal is to hear from all of them. However, some people are naturally more reserved or introverted. To ensure no one feels bowled over, establish the ground rules for the meeting at the start. For instance, outlaw criticism of other peoples’ ideas.

The sky's the limit

With thorough preparation and effective execution, your teams can produce incredible ideas. Practice makes perfect, so keep those brainstorms regular and constantly evolving. Every session is a learning experience. And you never know when the next great idea will appear.

How to have a successful brainstorming session?

Make sure the meeting room has all the resources, tools and technology you need to have a successful brainstorming session. Help your team members stay alert by making sure the room is well-lit. You could also have bottles of water and light refreshments to help your team stay focused.

When choosing who to include in a brainstorming session, what should you do?

When choosing who to include in a brainstorming session, determine who is integral to the project or problem you're discussing. You only want a few people so everyone has a chance to share their ideas. Choose people who have a different set of skills and thinking processes.

Why is brainstorming important?

Many teams can benefit from a brainstorming session. Brainstorming is important for the following reasons:

How to brainstorm with others?

Some people feel comfortable in brainstorming sessions while others may need more encouragement to share their ideas. Set some initial rules to create an environment where everyone feels free to speak. Here are some brainstorming rules to follow: 1 Keep the meeting free of judgments. 2 Give others a chance to speak. 3 Think of as many ideas as possible. 4 All ideas have potential. 5 Accept and build-off each other's ideas. 6 Redirect ideas that may not benefit the team.

Why do we need brainstorming sessions?

New perspectives: A brainstorming session helps a team look at a task or problem from multiple perspectives. This can help a team ensure they are considering all the factors of a project and aren't overlooking anything.

How to make a team meeting more productive?

Instruct your team to have an individual brainstorming session prior to the meeting. This way everyone is prepared with some initial ideas which can help the session be more productive. Let participants know that all their ideas don't need to be fully formed and that it is just important that they spend a little time thinking about the purpose of the meeting.

What is online brainstorming?

Online brainstorming: This kind of brainstorming is useful for teams who work remotely. Teams choose a central location online such as Slack, Google Docs or a video call to do their brainstorming.

What is a successful brainstorming meeting?

The game of “War” is predetermined once the cards are shuffled and dealt. The game itself is an exercise in revealing predestined outcomes. If a brainstorming meeting goes well, then it too can be thought of as just revealing predestined outcomes. People will be coming into the meeting fully loaded with ideas and having thought of pitfalls and problems. They will abandon their ideas or amend them based on direct comparisons to other people’s ideas.

How to avoid unconducive meetings?

To avoid unconducive meetings, the organizer must put in effort to get brainstorming participants to think about the topic before the meeting occurs. I have seen this done in many ways and have also tried a few tactics myself. The first step the organizer must take is to set up the meeting and inform the participants of what the topic and goals of the brainstorming session will be. Though, this can be done through an email, it is best done in person when you have people's full attention.

Why is it important to remember that you don't need brainstorming meetings?

However, simply because you don’t need brainstorming meetings doesn’t mean they don’t have value. It’s just important to know what that value is before you get a bunch of people in a room and risk wasting their time.

Why is brainstorming so popular?

Brainstorming (loosely defined as any group activity involving the pursuit of new ideas, although Alex Osborn, who came up with the name, had a strictly defined process in mind) is popular for two reasons, one good and one bad. The good reason is that a typical brainstorming session brings people together into the creative process, ...

How to facilitate a meeting?

Know how to facilitate: Someone has to run the meeting, guiding the conversation in useful directions. Sometimes this can be the manager or lead person, but some managers don’t have the right skills or personality for it. Good facilitation requires good listening skills, very sharp group awareness, and the ability to help people express their ideas. The facilitator should run the whiteboard, writing down ideas as people come up with them, preventing people from interrupting each other, and giving the floor to quieter people who wouldn’t ordinarily find a way to contribute on their own (Also see brainwriting ). Often the facilitator has to minimize the number of their own contributions, in favor of just trying to help the group. Know who the best facilitator is and have them do it. Or hire one.

What are the ground rules in brainstorming?

Establish the ground rules: This can help to establish comfort and make the time more useful. Will the meeting be a free for all, where anyone can suggest things at any time? Should people raise their hands? Who will write things down and document the proceedings? Is interrupting ok? Should people try to interpret and expand on each other’s ideas before yelling out another one of their own? Do what you can to reward team play: brainstorming should be about communicating, not competing.

What happens after brainstorming?

After the brainstorming session, people have some shared questions and ideas to discuss over lunch, in the hallways, or at drinks after work .

How to introduce a roadblock?

Roadblock introduction: Come up with some ridiculous new constraint to the problem. The goal isn’t to make it harder, just to force people’s creative muscles to work differently . Suggest that everyone that uses the product will be right handed, or that the website can only work in Arabic (or some other non-Western language). Make the problem as difficult as possible: pretend the budget for the project has to be $50 or less, or that instead of the 2 months to write specifications, there are only 2 days. Don’t let people cop-out: push them to work with the problem. This can often shake people up into action, challenged by the insanity of the problem, and protected by the feeling that since it’s a ridiculous situation, there are no bad answers. Guaranteed they be stretched creatively, find new ways of thinking about the work, and will be relieved or energized to return to the real constraints.

What should the leader of a meeting arrive with?

Have a specific purpose: The leader of the meeting should arrive with a specific question he’s trying to answer or problem to explore. It should be made clear to the group what it is, and the group should be provided with as much supporting information as they need.

Why is brainstorming different from formal meetings?

Brainstorming meeting is different from formal meetings because it lets people think more freely and it is more of an informal and fun discussion of ideas.

What is the main goal of brainstorming?

Focus on quantity: The main goal of a brainstorming session is to generate countless ideas. No matter how basic, embarrassing or illogical they are more than quality, quantity is required.

Why is brainstorming important?

We all have been in a situation where no matter how much time we have spent searching for a solution or thinking, we can’t figure a way out. Therefore, there are brainstorming sessions, it is a productive way of generating new different ideas by regrouping teams.

Why is mind mapping important in brainstorming?

That is where mind-mapping helps, it aids you to jot down all the ideas and thoughts surrounding the main problem.

What is brainstorming in psychology?

Brainstorming is a creative technique that is used to generate ideas to solve clearly defined problems. A brainstorming session is a situation where a group of people come together in a positive environment and generates ideas without any inhibitions.

How does a facilitator share ideas?

The remaining two members share their ideas, then the facilitator invites another member into the room. They then share their ideas before the previous two members divulge their ideas. This process goes on until everyone has shared their ideas. Further, they discuss all the ideas step by step.

What should a session include?

The session must include people of the company who are affected by the situation. It should include both experts and non-experts on the topic. To get a broad and creative range of ideas make sure to include diverse people.

What is brainstorming in business?

Brainstorming has a widely use in business field. Here introduces a guidance and tips for how to run a brainstorming session. The term "brainstorming" was popularized by Alex Faickney Osborn in the 1953 book Applied Imagination. You might have heard the meaning of "brainstorming", such as new ideas collection, come up with solutions ...

What does the host do during brainstorming?

During this time host notes down everyone's ideas on the "ideas collection" zone. Also, if necessary, the host can mark ideas with different colors vary from the speakers.

What to do when brainstorming comes to a dead end?

When the brainstorming comes to a dead end, you can do these things. Like taking breaks. You can take a walk or drink some water. Or to hand out topic irrelevant pictures to everyone and let them describe the pictures and their impressions and thinking from the pictures.

What is the best way to hold a group discussion?

In order to ensure the quality and creativity of group decision, management science has come up with a series of methods. Brainstorming is one of the most classic ways to hold a group discussion.

How to encourage ideas?

Instead, participants should focus on extending or adding to ideas, holding your criticism for a later. By suspending judgment, it will open possibilities for effective idea generation. 2.

What is the proposing stage?

The proposing stage is the most creative part of the brainstorming. The host announces the begin of the brainstorming and to explain the rules, to introduce the topic question clearly, briefly. The introduction should not include too many details, otherwise, it would restrict the participants to do divergent thinking.

How to do a brainstorming session?

In this nonverbal brainstorming method, everyone writes down three ideas that relate to the topic of the brainstorm. Allow about four to six minutes for this process. Then everyone passes their ideas to the person on their right (or left, whichever you prefer), who will then build off of the ideas, adding bullet points or creative strategies. After another few minutes, everyone will pass the piece of paper again until it makes it all the way around the table. Once the ideas have made it around the circle, the group discusses them and decides which ideas are best to pursue.

How to brainstorm with a team?

If your team is distributed, you can put together a running Google doc that allows team members to write down their ideas whenever inspiration hits, allowing for busy schedules and time differences. For teams in the same city, one option is to use WeWork On Demand or WeWork All Access to book a conference room or common space for in-person brainstorming together.

Why is rapid ideation important?

By allowing everyone to capture their ideas before the critique begins, rapid ideation avoids the inevitable, premature shooting down of ideas.

What does it feel like to brainstorm?

Productive group brainstorming can really feel like a win: The team leaves feeling energized, accomplished, and excited for the next steps. Effective brainstorming techniques can help achieve this. On the other hand, when a brainstorm session misses—whether it feels unproductive, repetitive, or negative—the team may collectively feel uninspired.

What is rapid ideation?

In rapid ideation, everyone writes down as many ideas as possible in a set amount of time before any ideas are discussed, critiqued, or fleshed out. For this brainstorming technique, you will need to set (and stick to) a time constraint, otherwise you’ll risk losing the sense of urgency.

Why does brainstorming go wrong?

There are a lot of factors that can derail a brainstorm, but here are some of the common reasons a brainstorming session goes wrong: Unbalanced conversation. Extroverted personalities and quick thinkers dominate the conversation, leaving no time for other teammates to contribute. The anchoring effect.

Why is starbursting important?

Because it focuses on questions rather than answers, starbursting encourages the group to examine an idea from every angle. Presenting an idea in this way frees the person who generated the idea from having to defend it or figure out how to execute it on their own. Instead, the team works on solutions together.