Here are some ideas that will help you facilitate an effective brainstorming session in a group. Why do you think a comfortable meeting environment is key to effective brainstorming? It sets the stage for critical thinking and provides an open platform for creativity. What are some of the comfortable environments that you can use at work? Do you have a meeting room, a conference room, or a large office? Maybe you would consider taking the meeting offsite, to a conference center, maybe a private room in your favorite restaurant. You could even take it outdoors with flip charts and post-its of many colors and sizes and easels. Right now, my favorite online platform is Jamboard. It's the remote way to brainstorm with post-its. You could use a zoom whiteboard or anything like that. What does comfortable mean to you? Open, light, cozy, dark, standing up, sitting down, at a table, by a window, in a beanbag chair, you get the idea, whatever works for your culture. Post-its work better than an a pointed scribe because it keeps the flow of ideas moving. The most important rule about group brainstorming, is to brainstorm non-judgmentally. Why do you think that is? Well, if you say that won't work, or we tried that already, or no way, or we don't have that kind of budget, it just shuts down the flow of ideas, people fill invalidated and they won't speak up anymore in fear of appearing foolish or incompetent. Even if an idea is ridiculous, outlandish or flat-out impossible due to any reason, let it flow, put it up. The thing is, that idea could spawn a real workable solution in the end. What about if someone has a good idea? Really, don't say, "hey man, that's a great idea." Seriously, why not? It's hard to not say that's a great idea. The reason we don't say it, is as soon as you say it's a great idea, there's a real pull to stop the brainstorming process and go with that idea. In the moment, it might feel like you're saving time, but in the end, it may not be that long-term solution. Resist the pull to judge, it's not easy, but it's the right thing to do. It keeps the flow of critical thinking going. To summarize, brainstorm non-judgmentally because some of the best ideas come from the ones that are the most ridiculous. Because even a bad idea can launch the thought process for something that's good. It's better to have crazy and realistic, fun, outlandish ideas than none at all. Then you can pull back later and mold into something that works. You often get the best results of group brainstorming by managing the process according to these guidelines. By doing this, you can get people to focus on the issue without interruption, you can maximize the number of ideas that you generate, and you get that great feeling of team bonding that comes with a well-run brainstorming session. After all your ideas are on the table, or the wall, or in Jamboard, begin to group the ideas together into similar ideas. Have everyone involved in the grouping, makes sure it's not left up to one or even just a few individuals. Why do you think that's important? Well, it's important for buy-in and engagement. When grouping those ideas together, take your time as a group and focus on one conversation at a time. It's easy for small groups to have side conversations and start deciding things in subgroups, really try to avoid that. You might even appoint someone to keep the group focused. You really want to keep everyone on the same page. Once you group the ideas, you'll start to formulate your solution. Here's a graphic to show how your mind-map approach helps you to categorize and wrap up your brainstorming session.
