Here is a typical brainstorming scenario: a group of employees take an hour or two to brainstorm creative ideas for a content strategy – but more often than not, there is only one person putting ideas on the table. The rest sit quietly and observe the session. Here are a few problems that arise during these sessions, followed by some ideas on making the most of your employee’s locked-up ideas.

Problems you often encounter

• No creative thinking. Too many people feel that they are not creative and then switch off when the task arises. When anyone is ‘forced’ to think creatively, they will be able to do so – the brain really is a wonderful instrument.
• One person dominating the conversation. This is problematic as other participants will fall into an instinctive mode of energy conservation, meaning they do not think at all during these sessions.
• Lack of ideas. One person cannot provide enough ideas for the group to filter through and decide on those which would work best.
• Lack of structure. The case may also be that the structure is not enforced. Sometimes it is necessary to push employees into contributing to the conversation or adding to the pool of ideas. If the meeting is not well structured, both focus and ideas are lost.

Solutions to brainstorming problems

• Inspire the group to think creatively by requesting that each person comes to the meeting prepared; have them bring at least one idea to the table.
• Make use of imagery, a white board for illustration or a screen on which to display videos or websites that demonstrate the ideas provided. Helping people visualise ideas may get their creative juices flowing.
• Set clear goals, for example; ‘At the end of this session, we want to have 16 ideas for our DIY blog posts; management will choose 8 of these to follow through on’.
• Make the session more productive by stating all the requirements, so that you may avoid the assumptions and decrease the overall time spent on the project. Also indicate the time requirements for the project.
• Keep criticism at bay. Especially if you have those alleged non-creative thinkers in the group. Negativity is not helpful in a brainstorming session, instead, lay ideas on the table and take a vote when all has been covered.
• The dominator. Use this to your advantage – have the usual dominating suspect lead the meeting instead of unloading all of the ideas. Clearly they are comfortable in the group, so guiding the conversation and including all employees will come naturally to them.

Other techniques to employ

• Schedule the meeting before lunch time. In the late afternoon, people are tired and uninspired. Brainstorming is literally like exercise, if the session is scheduled too early in the morning, the employee’s brains have not had a chance to warm up.
• With each idea presented, challenge another person in the group to look at the idea from an outsider’s perspective.
• Make a mind map of each promising idea, indicating exactly what it has to offer.
• Use your time wisely; this is where preparation comes in handy.
• If you anticipate a bout of negative critique, combat it by implementing Edward de Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats – it helps with redirecting conversation during the meeting.
• Get people out of their shells by hosting an anonymous brainstorming session online. You can set clear rules of engagement and employees will not feel so shy to present their ideas – no matter how out of the box they are.

There are people who feel that brainstorming sessions are a bit dated, which is true if your session yields little results and takes up too much time. Utilise cognitive group-thinking by identifying and eliminating the spanners that get thrown in the works. With a session that is well structured, has clear objectives and focuses on engaging all those attending it, brainstorming is a valuable, timeless technique.

Related Articles:

Born Creatives: Can We Think Differently?

Six Thinking Hats

How to Place Yourself in your Client's Shoes

Mari Roelofse is a Digital Journalist & Content Editor for Sound Idea Digital | mari@soundidea.co.za | Sound Idea Digital | www.soundidea.co.za