One of the things I love most about what I do is having the opportunity to peek inside the inner workings of small businesses around the world.

Whether they’re a tech company, finance business, or solopreneurship, one of the things pretty much every company does at one point or another is hold brainstorming sessions. 

Interestingly, every company seems convinced that the way they brainstorm is the same as how everyone else does. And that is more or less the only thing that remains consistent from one company to another. 

That’s not to say that there is one right way to brainstorm. Rather that there are multiple ways to approach it, each with its own merits depending on the circumstances and team.

After working with dozens of businesses and coming up with my own method for brainstorming, I feel qualified to talk about what does and doesn’t work. So, here are my thoughts on what it takes to have a productive brainstorming session.

>> Related: 3 Productivity Hacks for Business Owners

Setting Up A Productive Brainstorming Session

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking of brainstorming as a “fly by the seat of your pants” type of activity.

It’s true that meetings, coffee chats, and lunch outings can turn into impromptu brainstorming sessions. However, you can’t plan to be spontaneous.

Instead, you need to take a methodical approach to brainstorming. Here’s how. 

1. Designate a facilitator

We all like to think that it’s possible to get a group of adults into a room and expect them to behave themselves. 

I can tell you from first-hand experience that’s not the case.

Someone needs to be in charge. Without a facilitator, your brainstorming sesh will turn into chaos.

Before the session begins, the facilitator will lay out their rules. This can be via email or in person at the meeting (or both).

The facilitator’s primary purpose is to keep the meeting on track. They are there to ensure that the time spent brainstorming is as valuable as possible. That means shutting down tangents going nowhere, side chatter, and negative talk.

A great facilitator will be impartial. So, you may want to bring in someone who isn’t on  your team or at least someone who isn’t close to whatever project you’re working on.

After the meeting, the facilitator will send out a recap with next steps. This is a critical step to make sure all those great ideas don’t get forgotten once everyone walks out the door. 

2. Include the right people

I’ve seen teams struggle with this on both ends of the spectrum. 

On the one hand, some teams want to keep their brainstorming sessions exclusive to only a handful (or less) of people directly involved in the project. The problem is that these people tend to work together on a daily basis, so they have all shared their ideas on the project so far and know what each other is thinking. 

On the other hand are teams that want to invite multiple representatives from every department. The problem with having too large a group for brainstorming is that it gets noisy. It can be a lot more challenging to distill distinct ideas. What usually ends up happening is that a few people get really involved and everyone else just shuts up because they don’t feel that their input matters.

A happy medium involves some people who are distantly related to the project in addition to those directly involved. This ensures that new voices and ideas are heard but not drowned out in a crowded sea.

A good range to shoot for is 6 – 10 people. 

3. Have an agenda

It can be loose, but it should be present. You don’t want to walk into a brainstorming session completely cold, as that will lead to a ton of wasted time and energy (ask me how I know).

Here’s an example of how a brainstorming session agenda might look.

• Describe the problem to solve (this should have already been communicated, so now you are just reiterating it to get everyone in the right mindset).

• Ask large questions of the team

• Give everyone a few minutes to write down their thoughts

• Ask everyone to pitch an idea (or more)

• Categorize ideas to get the larger picture

• Discuss pitched ideas

• Develop action plan

4. Give everyone space to ideate on their own

If you require everyone to pitch ideas on the spot, you’re going to miss out on some good ones. 

As an introvert, I can attest that it can be intimidating to speak ideas out loud in front of a group. More importantly, it can be nearly impossible to come up with them on the spot. My brain just doesn’t work that way!

I need to sit down in quiet and write down whatever comes to mind. Others can benefit from this too. So, include time for people to write their ideas down before sharing them. 

5. Follow up

Fewer things are more frustrating to me than spending my time and energy in a meeting only to hear nothing about it after I walk out the door.

Make sure to follow up with an action plan. Email everyone who was in the brainstorming session detailing what was discussed and decided. Assign tasks to individuals, letting them know when you will follow up with them. 

You need to keep the momentum going if you want any of the great ideas generated from your brainstorming session to ever see the light of day. 

Need Help Brainstorming Content Ideas? Let’s Talk!

If you’ve been trying to brainstorm new ideas for your content, it might be time to bring in the experts. 

At People First Content, we love helping businesses build their online presence and reputation through content that resonates with their audience. We can help you determine the best types of content to create based on your industry and audience. 

Use our blogging calculator to find out more about how often you should be blogging. Or, contact us to set up a time to chat about your content needs.

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