Brainstorming can be a great way to tap the diverse perspective of team members and generate great ideas that drive innovation. Effective brainstorming sessions encourage critical thinking, foster team building, and spark creativity. However, to maximize its benefits, you need to prepare adequately for your brainstorming session. A session that falls flat is not only frustrating but also a waste of time.
Let's explore some ideas for organizing a winning brainstorming session.
Define the problem
The first step to maximizing your creative session is to be adequately prepared. Part of your preparation involves determining a problem question your session aims to address. The question should be clear enough to spark the creativity of the participants. For example: "How are we going to increase our sales?" Share the problem question with participants ahead of time.
Choose an appropriate facilitator
The facilitator you pick plays an integral role in the success of your session. Make sure you choose someone who can keep the discussion on track and has experience with brainstorming. The right person should also be unbiased to allow everyone participates so that no one dominates the session.
Invite the right people
The people you invite for your session should be affected in some way by the problem question. It should comprise experts on the topic of discussion as well as non-experts, including employees in related departments. Usually, a good brainstorming session consists of three to eight people.
- Pro tip:To get a broad range of ideas, ensure you invite a diverse mix of participants from varying cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.
Create an agenda
Setting an agenda for a brainstorming session promotes focus, time management, preparation, active participation, and progress tracking. It enhances the overall effectiveness of the session and increases the chances of generating creative and innovative ideas. An agenda serves as a roadmap, allowing you to track the progress and identify gaps or areas that need more attention. While at it, organize the agenda into different sections to cover essential aspects of the brainstorming process. You should also share the agenda with all participants well in advance.
Choose a conducive meeting room
No doubt, the meeting place environment can significantly impact the creativity, focus, and productivity of the participants. It is crucial that you choose a fitting meeting room for a successful brainstorming session. A well-designed meeting room can inspire creativity and innovation, ultimately enhancing productivity. Unfortunately, many small businesses and startups cannot afford the hefty rates of commercial space in a prestigious building. That is where a private meeting room in a co-working space offered by Quest Workspaces comes in.
Co-working space meeting rooms provide an aesthetically pleasing and stimulating environment, with natural light, comfortable furniture, and visual elements that encourage out-of-the-box thinking. They boast a suitable color scheme, artwork, and attractive ambiance, creating a positive and inspiring environment. Other benefits of private meeting rooms available with co-working spaces include:
- Affordable:As mentioned earlier, renting or leasing a traditional office space for your sessions can be expensive for startups, freelancers, and small businesses. With a co-working space, you only pay for the space you need to access a best-in-class meeting room at a fraction of the cost of a commercial meeting office.
- Technology and equipment: The meeting rooms have the necessary technology and equipment to support your brainstorming session. This may include a whiteboard or flipchart, markers, audiovisual equipment, projectors, and screens.
- Privacy and confidentiality:The rooms offer privacy and confidentiality to allow you to conduct sensitive and confidential discussions. The rooms are soundproofed and restricted to allow participants to express their ideas without concerns about confidentiality freely.
Structure the session
Several strategies can help you structure your brainstorming. A simple one involves the facilitator handing out sticky notes to allow participants a few minutes to put down their ideas. The sticky notes are then displayed on a wall or whiteboard to allow greater discussion. The facilitator may read the ideas one at a time and ask for necessary clarification. Other participants can provide their input to make the idea more comprehensive or vote for or against specific issues.
Keep things on track with a timer
It is easy for your discussion to lose track of the time. The best way to keep sessions within the assigned timeline is to set an agenda and stick to it. You can use a timer to ensure each part of your meeting wraps up on time. A timer creates accountability while promoting fairness.
Wrap up the session
Wrapping up a brainstorming session effectively is crucial to ensure that the ideas generated are properly captured and the session concludes on a positive note. Give the participants a summary of the top ideas, key points, and concepts emerging from the discussion. As a wrap-up, allow the facilitator to explain the next steps and what will happen to the generated ideas. This could include evaluating the ideas, selecting the most promising ones, or deciding on further actions to explore those ideas. Encourage the group to provide their input and suggestions for moving forward. If applicable, assign responsibilities for the next steps or any follow-up actions that need to be taken.
Quest Workspace meeting rooms will enhance your brainstorming sessions
Brainstorming is an easy way to maximize your team's underlying creative potential. In the current highly competitive marketplace, brainstorming drives growth and innovation and motivates the team. Your business also benefits when more creative ideas are floated and discussed by like-minded colleagues.
Quest Workspaces offer dedicated and well-designed private meeting rooms where team members can focus on the brainstorming session without distractions.
Contact us today to schedule a tour in a location near you.
