Brainstorming sessions are one of the best ways to create new innovations in your company or division. Brainstorming been used by a countless number of people over the years because it allows a broad listing of issues or problems that might require analysis and it can help to identify specific causes for specific problems. After all, the role of a manager is to create new innovations within the company to streamline things and to obviously try and save the company money. By using a brainstorming session among your staff helps to reduce the workload on you.
Who should be present at a session? Depending on the problem or issue being discussed, anyone who is directly involved. You wouldn’t have a team of sales people for example involved in a brainstorming session about how to run the photocopier que more efficiently. They couldn’t care less about how long someone has to wait to use the photocopier and it doesn’t affect them directly. However, you would involve them if its a session about how to make the process of whatever paperwork is required of them more efficient. They are the ones who have to use the order forms etc so they should be involved in that one. Typically, the ideal number of participants should be between 5 and 6 and up to about 10 to 12 or so. Any larger and it could get chaotic.
Who should run the brainstorming session? Ideally a manager or supervisor of the department concerned. Sometimes a better idea is, especially if there could be major differences of opinion, someone impartial would be a better choice. That way all managers, supervisors and staff affected are free to participate in the discussion.
Years ago a great management article I read on this subject I have kept in mind to this day. If you have never run a brainstorming session, here are a few simple key points to keep in mind:
1. Try not to go on for more that 30-35 minutes.
2. Define the objective of the session. That way everyone knows what you’re trying to be achieve.
3. Define the rules. Eg. one person speaks at a time, all ideas accepted, no insulting laughter at an idea and whatever else you may think is necessary.
4. Once all ideas are recorded, the mediator may bring in each idea one at a time and throw it open for discussion.
5. Set priorities for the conclusions reached and agree on a time frame for their implementation.
6. The mediator initiates action steps to be taken by maybe individual members of the group and a time frame for their conclusion, development, implementation and so on.
7. Then agree on follow up meetings if needed and how you are going to measure progress on any new innovations which the group has created.
Regular brainstorming sessions are an easy way to get your whole team involved in matters that affect them. Why should you do all the thinking? The old saying goes that many heads are better than one. If your team feel their opinions are taken seriously by management, then that in turn will make them more productive. Regular brainstorming sessions are a must if you are going to create new innovations in your company.
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I must agree with the fact with you, good points you have produced in your case.
I was at a seminar once (can’t remember what it was about), and invited one of my employees to attend it with me. There were maybe 100 or so people in the room, and at the end the hosts went into the typical Q&A session. As I raised my hand to ask a question, my associate looked at me with deer-in-the-headlights eyes and asked, incredulously, ‘Are you really going to ask a question?!?’ To her it was simply inconceivable to do something like that. There is an entire block of readers that will NEVER consider leaving a comment, its just not part of their personality style.
yes, use away and use whatever you need..:-)
cheers
andrew b.
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i agree. I think they do it for backlinks to their site and just make up some generic comment and post it on a lot of blogs. Unfortunately some of them come through even after trying to moderate them beforehand
cheers
andrew b.
lol a couple of of the commentary visitors enter are silly and unrelated, mostly i ask myself whether they realistically read the content pieces and reports before writing or whether they only look at the titles and craft only the first thought that comes to mind. in any event, it is pleasing to look over smart commentary once in a while instead of the very same, outdated blog vomit which i commonly observe on the net
I need all the helpin learning to brainstorm better
Yep, i know how you feel. Good to know the article made you think a bit too.
Cheers
Andrew B.
I think that is an interesting point, it made me think a bit. Thanks for sparking my thinking cap. Sometimes I get so much in a rut that I just feel like a record.
You are more than welcome. Glad you liked it and hopefully it was of some use to you.
Cheers
Andrew B.
This is a great post, Thanks!