We’re coming up to the end of the year, and that makes it a great time to think about what else your business could be doing as it continues to grow and expand. One way to spark this thinking is to gather your team for a dedicated brainstorming session.
When planned and structured properly, brainstorming meetings are a great way to facilitate collaborative thinking within your team, and get them to build out innovative ideas within a judgement-free environment. They inspire creative thinking, enhance existing relationships, and inspire a spirit of collaboration that can be further leveraged down the line.
But how do you make these meetings effective? In this article, we’re sharing seven tips so you can get the most out of your brainstorming activities.
1. Don’t make it too long
There’s little that’s more tedious than sitting in a long meeting that could have been completed in just a few minutes — so make sure you’re timing your session appropriately. Help people stay on track by limiting the amount of time you spend talking about new ideas. This way, attendees are more likely to come prepared and switched on.
Another timing consideration: think about when you’re scheduling the meeting. People are rarely fully alert right after lunch or at the end of the day, so an early-to-mid-morning event might make the most sense.
2. Make sure (only) the right people are in the room
As you schedule the meeting, have a think about who needs to be present for it. What specifically are you brainstorming about? Who will this conversation impact? What decision makers need to contribute their perspectives? This will ensure you only get the input you need, and don’t spend additional time on insights that don’t add to the conversation. This is a great way to ensure you’re respecting everyone’s time.
Don’t forget: one of the participants should be a facilitator that keeps the group focused. They should keep the discussion on track by:
- Redirecting the conversation if it ever loses focus.
- Laying out the parameters of the brainstorm.
- Giving everyone a chance to contribute in the way that’s comfortable to them.
- Explaining next steps at the end of the meeting.
3. Have a clear problem to solve
While brainstorming sessions will often feel casual, it’s important for them to have structure. This will ensure that the team’s time is used effectively and that you actually reach the end goal of the meeting. Start by having a clear problem to solve. Make sure that as people come into the meeting knowing what they’re setting out to accomplish in the conversation.
You should also set boundaries to the solution. What are the parameters that exist from a budgetary or resource perspective? How much time will be available to implement that solution? That will help people come up with creative but realistic solutions to the problem at hand.
4. Set a clear agenda
Meetings without an agenda can face a lot of challenges: it can be hard to get started and focused, your team can veer off track, and you’re more likely to get to the end of it without doing what you need to. Think about how you want to divide your time and what exercises you want to walk the team through.
Another important consideration is the makeup of your team. Remember that not everyone is going to be well-suited to voicing their ideas in front of others. Build an asynchronous component into your agenda, or use a tool where people can write their ideas online and assign a moderator to read them out.
5. Choose the right space for the meeting
People respond to their surroundings — and if a space doesn’t inspire collaboration and big thinking, it’s going to work against the key purpose of your meeting. A bright colour scheme and plants can also help stimulate new ideas. And don’t forget about the individuals joining virtually. Match the room you choose with collaborative technologies that can help everyone feel that they’re involved.
At iQ Offices, we know how integral brainstorming sessions are to your business. That’s why we offer various meeting room sizes and configurations to fit the needs of all team types. If you’re working with a hybrid team, our meeting rooms are equipped with Zoom technology, so people can participate from wherever they are. After a juicy brainstorming session, we welcome your team to carry over into our lounge and outdoor spaces to continue the team bonding!
Learn more about our meeting space offerings here.
