Brainstorming
How do we get our teams to think creatively? And once we do, how do we get people to speak up about their ideas and put them to action? The truth is, the leader has much to do with guiding their team through this process. Below are my favorite practices to getting the most out of my teammates.
Size matters
Studies show that large brainstorming teams tend to be ineffective and viewed as a waste of time. The same people speak up while those who may be on the quieter side sit and wait until the meeting is over. Sometimes people want to share their thoughts, but either feel their ideas aren’t as good as the rest, or that there are so many ideas generating in the room there’s no need to share their thoughts. So pay attention and see how many people interact during your meetings, if most don't speak, it's time to cut down the number. Once you see that everyone shares their thoughts at least once on average during the brainstorm you may have found the right group size.
Marinate your team
Prepare your team with what’s expected of them for each meeting. Introduce what needs to be explored and how to approach the project by the next meeting. Provide resources but encourage for outside research. This does depend on the level of resourcefulness of the group, but the idea is to stimulate idea and give them a heads up on the objective of the brainstorm.
Get them chatty
There are always people who love talk, and then there are those who like to listen. But how do you get the quiet people to speak? Chances are they’re not in the habit of speaking. Therefore, start the day off with a quick chat by their desk or coffee room, maybe even get in a few laughs. Both introverts and extroverts of a team need to communicate on the same level. The extroverts tend to think in first person and application of products. The introverts are wired to think as third person and as troubleshooters. The two go together like bees to honey, so give them the opportunity by being a garden of flowers.
Have a fun activity
Make up fun icebreakers. Bring people out of their comfort zones, cliques, and bad days with a nice exercise. It could even be as silly as having a short activity on guessing what teammate’s favorite ice cream flavor is. Set the mood for a lighthearted creative experience ahead.
Sharing is caring when you sit in a circle
Have everyone sit in position where each member could have easy eye contact. The goal is to create a space that brings connectedness such as sitting in a circle, square, rectangle, etc. Start from once person then have everyone share his or her thoughts in order. No one passes, and don’t move to the next stage until everyone expresses their ideas. Once the first stage is complete, have people bounce off ideas in the next. If the team is still cold to speak, or if the group is too agreeable, distribute paper and pens of the same color and have the team write their thoughts, then collect and read them to the group. It’ll be anonymous where people would feel free to express their ideas and eliminate groupthink. Forcing people to speak up will eventually be a part of your brainstorm culture.
Bring creative materials to the meeting
Have colorful markers, pens and blank sheets ready in case people would need it to express their thoughts. It could help to get people using items that tap into creative spaces in their brains. In addition, Some people are better with words while others are better with visuals. This practice will help people understand and relay concepts better.
Don’t share your judgments just yet.
The leader's job should be to facilitate and listen while keeping their ideas to themselves as much as possible. So bring a notepad and jot down notes on your ideas and likes. But present them during the following meeting. Objectives and questions are helpful if it's to guide ideas to be well thought through. But leaders should stray away from expressing their thoughts as biases towards the project will form and deviate from raw ideas forming.
Break people into groups for the next meeting
If idea patterns within the teams are apparent, find the best way to group people. This would help defer away from social loafing and social anxiety as mentioned earlier. In addition, team dynamics will shift as people will use their strengths to better construct their ideas and become accountable for their work. Presenting ideas as a team could also alleviate social pressure as they will be represented by the group and not by the individual.
