- Establish the role of the leader. The leader acts as facilitator,
monitoring the flow of ideas to ensure that everyone has a chance to
speak and no one interrupts another, and that discussion stays on track
and doesn't veer off on too many tangents. The leader should encourage
challenge and debate—they're productive. Hostility is not.
- Define the task at hand. All group members must clearly understand
what the ultimate business objective is. Before solutions are suggested,
all available facts, trends and challenges should be reviewed and discussed.#
State the goal of the brainstorming session. The role of the brainstorming
session needs to be clear. The purpose is to generate ideas, initially
without consideration for their merit.
- Create a positive culture. Members should feel free to communicate
openly and honestly. It helps to select a neutral setting. Find a room
where the team members can slip off their jackets, grab some refreshments
and get to work.
- Record ideas. A flipchart or a blackboard enables members of the
group to see each idea and build on ones that interest them. Rotate
note takers to enable all to actively participate in the ideation process.
- Encourage the flow of ideas. There should be no evaluation early
in the process. Members should not look for the elusive “right” idea
immediately. The goal of the team is to generate lots of ideas. The
right one will eventually emerge—almost always from one idea
built on another.
- Carefully monitor verbal and nonverbal communication. Listen to all
members of the group. Also, watch for nonverbal communications. This
will often tell you, even more than words, how members feel about the
group's progress.
- Select the best idea. Periodically summarize the group's progress.
Once the group winds down, review the ideas. Focus discussion first
on positive attributes of each idea. Only then focus on the negative
aspects. Through a process of elimination, identify the top ideas and
then make a final selection. Choose an idea that fully meets the task
objective and that all members of the team are willing to support.
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