How can you incorporate brainstorming sessions into your team's workflow?

Create a Clarity on the expectations of the Brainstorming Session: Brainstorming sessions are quite helpful in gathering new perspectives, foreseeing the unseen, knowing the unknown as well as little known. However, it is essential to set the right expectations from the session. Set the appropriate boundaries: Sessions should have a strong moderator to encourage thoughts and cut the chaff from the corn and the Moderator should be respected. Every session should be set up with boundaries and conversations should be discouraged from going all over the place. Create an ecosystem to agree to disagree: It is important to have enrolments binding all the team members to gracefully agree to disagree and listen to perspectives without prejudice.

Wake up each morning to improve team building and accelerate the resolution of some topic. From my point of view doing a wake up each morning open and honest communication within the team. Make sure team members feel comfortable expressing their ideas, concerns, and feedback. Active Listening: Actively listen to team members, show empathy, and ensure that everyone's perspective is considered.

Brain storming process is an on going process in which not only new ideas are floated, also the existing tasks at hand are easily managed in today’s world where speed and accuracy is a must for any team/ organisation and following TAT is a prerequisite hence a specific idea either by a new entrant or a seasoned campaigner means a lot for the decision makers to set the direction

Incorporating brainstorming sessions into your team's workflow involves setting aside dedicated time and creating a supportive environment where creativity can flourish. Schedule regular sessions at appropriate intervals, ensuring all team members can participate. Define clear objectives and topics for discussion to focus the brainstorming process. Encourage open-mindedness and idea generation by emphasizing that all ideas are welcome and no criticism is allowed during the initial stages. Utilize techniques like mind mapping, round-robin brainstorming, or role-playing to stimulate creativity and collaboration. Finally, document and evaluate the ideas generated, identifying promising concepts to further develop and implement.

Select a format that best suits the nature of the problem or challenge, whether it's a traditional in-person session, virtual brainstorming, or a hybrid approach. Utilize tools such as online whiteboards, collaborative document editors, or dedicated brainstorming software to facilitate idea generation and organization. Consider the preferences and technological capabilities of your team members when choosing tools to ensure seamless participation.

The format and tools you choose can significantly impact the effectiveness of your brainstorming sessions. Tailor the format to the nature of the problem at hand. In a strategy overhaul project for a medium-sized manufacturing business, we employed a combination of structured and unstructured brainstorming sessions. We used digital whiteboards and collaboration tools to enhance virtual participation, ensuring a diverse range of perspectives. Selecting the right tools is crucial, it can be as simple as a physical whiteboard for an on-site meeting or sophisticated collaboration software for remote teams.

The right format should also include the right team at the right time. I like to have members of the tech team discuss ideas very early with the product team (when they get the business goal), to bounce ideas around on the goal and how we can use technology to reinvent the standard approach to reach it.

Brainstorming in one point "ex practice" for 10 people: 15min meeting (teams or live) One topic 2min speach each 5min wrap up We call it "plank meeting", it occurs every week and it works 🤩

En fait, je trouve cette partie très interessante vu que j’ai appris des nouvelles applications que je n’ai pas connues avant. En effet, pourquoi pas commencer par la méthode de la cartographie mentale ou bien l’écriture cérébrale.

Individual creativity ahead of the team brainstorming normally deliver better results. Another interesting technique is the “white hat”, “black hat”, referring the first to the stage in which nobody criticise the idea (s) but build on them. Later on and when we narrow the list is when we will put the black hat on to try to challenge it and identify the weak points that need to be addressed.

O brainstorming é uma ferramenta de extrema importância para uma gestão participativa que formenta o envolvimento da equipe da resolução de problemas sem medo e sem receios. Com esse ambiente colaborativo é possível gerar soluções de maneira que todos se sintam responsáveis e parte do processo a ser implementado ou da solução a ser aplicada.

En nuestro caso desde Windup diseñamos talleres de proactividad donde los equipos configurados por cliente con sus respectivos team leader tienen cada 3 meses sesiones creativas para aportar mejoras e innovaciones en los servicios digitales que prestamos a marcas. Estos talleres mejoran la comunicación de todo el equipo, el trabajo en equipo y aporta nuevas ideas. Ellos lo tienen prefijado, se les comunica con una newletter especial y se genera buen ambiente.

Provide background information and context prior to the session to ensure all team members have a clear understanding of the problem or challenge. Encourage active participation by creating a supportive and inclusive environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas. Set ground rules for the brainstorming session, such as encouraging wild ideas, deferring judgment, and building upon each other's contributions. Assign roles or responsibilities to team members to facilitate the flow of ideas and keep the session organized.

Preparation & engagement are key elements for a successful brainstorming session. Ensure participants are well-informed about the topic in advance, providing them with any necessary background information. During a project in the technology sector, we initiated a pre-brainstorming survey to collect initial thoughts from team members. This not only sparked early ideas but also encouraged active participation. Being well-prepared sets the tone for the session & fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Start off with icebreakers, warm-ups & energizers like games, quizzes, puzzles, or stories to get everyone in the right mindset. Designating roles like facilitator, recorder, timekeeper & evaluator can keep session focused & ideas documented!!

Giving credit to the team members can encourage them to participate in such brainstorming sessions. Actively following up with the team will motivate them to think more creatively.

Openly communicate the progress from ideathon to implementation amd acknowledge participation. The team must appreciate it was a genuine attempt.

Effective follow-up and implementation are essential post-brainstorming. Summarize ideas, seek team feedback, and prioritize using a voting system. Develop action plans with tools like SMART framework or Gantt charts. Monitor progress using dashboards or surveys, ensuring ideas translate into tangible outcomes. By fostering accountability and transparency, you harness the full potential of brainstorming sessions, driving innovation and project success.

There has to be a leader who champions the initiative to implement and drive action after any brain storm session. Delegating action points and confirming a time for a follow up session before ending your first session will mitigate any risks of no follow through or implementation.

La sélection des meilleures idées et une étape cruciale de cette dernier étape. Elle doit véritablement être réalisée avec l’appui, la participation et l’avis des acteurs du brainstorming. Ceux-ci doivent nécessairement être impliqués et pouvoir exprimer leurs choix et décisions, afin que les meilleures idées soient adoptées et validées par l’ensemble du groupe.

La lluvia de ideas es una herramienta poderosa para involucrar a las personas en la solución de un problema. Por eso, no te limites a invitar a las personas de tu equipo, invita a personas de diferentes disciplinas a hacer parte del ejercicio. En mí experiencia, he hecho estos ejercicios en donde no sólo e invitado a personas de diferentes disciplinas, sino también a personas que tienen una opinión neutra, favorable y desfavorable para eso que queremos solucionar, esto me ha permitido no sólo escuchar su voz, sino también también tener una solución que de verdad funcione porque tiene en cuenta el punto de vista de todos y porque todos se sienten más comprometidos porque fueron parte de la solución.

Encourage diverse perspectives and ensure inclusivity within the team to promote a wide range of ideas and foster creativity. It is the diversity and inclusion.

Incorporating brainstorming sessions into your team's workflow is not just a process; it's a culture. In a project with a small healthcare business, we implemented "silent brainstorming" to give introverted team members an equal voice. Consider rotating facilitators to bring diverse perspectives & maintain enthusiasm. Recognize & celebrate contributions, fostering a positive environment for continuous idea generation. From defining the purpose & scope to implementing & evaluating ideas, each step plays a vital role. Drawing from our experiences across 45+ industries, I can confidently say that a well-executed brainstorming strategy can lead to exponential growth & transformation. Hope this is helpful, happy to answer any questions!!

1.Schedule Chill Brainstorm Sessions:Opt for fresh brain times like Friday mornings or laid-back team meetings.2.Know What We're Chasing: Clarify goals,whether cracking tough nuts or cooking up fresh ideas.3.Make it a Judgment-Free Zone: Value all ideas, even wacky ones, fostering a safe space.4.Mix it Up Like a Smoothie:Experiment with different styles to keep brainstorming lively.5.Play Nice and Share the Sandbox: Set ground rules for safety while encouraging fun.6.Let's Sketch and Scribble Together: Capture ideas to preserve them. 7.Team Spirit,Activate: Build on each other's ideas like superheroes defeating villains. 8.From Dreaming to Doing: Turn ideas into reality, assigning leaders to each and lastly 9.Keep the Good Vibes Rolling.

Keeping it short and precise. To include brainstorming: 1. Enable slowing down 2. Inclusion - breaking hierarchy - what you think matters, even if you are not officially in charge of it