Any team that has gotten together for a brainstorming session — whether for a brand, campaign ideas, or anything else — knows the frustrations that a brainstorm can sometimes lead to. Without knowingly doing so, you may be setting yourself and your team up for eye-rolling failure before the brainstorming even starts. Inc.com put together this list of no-nos for brainstorming and we’ve picked out the easiest to overcome — make sure you aren’t guilty of doing these before you conduct your next session.
1. Already have the answer
If you go into a brainstorm thinking that you already know the answer, then what is the point of having a brainstorm? Don’t use your brainstorming time to test out the answer that you already thought of secretly. If you think you already know the answer, try emailing your ideas to the team and get their feedback on their own time. Not only is it a waste of time to have a brainstorm when you don’t need one, it is also uninspiring to your team and can wear them down for future brainstorms.
2. Have an uninspiring location
Whatever you do, don’t conduct your brainstorm in a windowless conference room! There is nothing less inspiring or creative than a room with four blank walls, closing in on you. We aren’t saying you need to have a playroom like the spaces at Google to get anything creative done, but try a room with some windows or consider renting out a private dining room for a few hours to get everyone’s creative juices flowing.
3. Let the results fall flat
After everyone has spent their time brainstorming, don’t just ignore the results and do nothing with them. Again, this is the best way to frustrate your team and set them up to be uninspired for the next brainstorm. Share with the team the next steps and where their ideas are going after that meeting rather than leaving them thinking it was a waste of time.
There are easy solutions to all of these problems, as well as for the others outlined by Inc.com. Make sure you take a look at the rest of the list and ensure that your brainstorms are productive for everyone involved. What are some of the things you do to get results in your brainstorms? Share your ideas with us so we can test them out for ourselves!