Have you ever led a brainstorm that totally bombed? I have, and I’m here to tell you how to avoid it and what I’ve learned since. Years ago, I facilitated a brainstorm for a hybrid team about fostering community in a cohort-style peer learning environment. Everyone in the room was either interested in the idea or had relevant experience. Going into the meeting, I naively expected that getting all of my smart colleagues together would lead to amazing insights and a clear roadmap for what to do. I learned the hard way that without a plan for the meeting logistics, structure and next steps, what I’d hoped would be energizing and exciting instead left folks feeling more frustrated than motivated. So what happened?
I made two major mistakes:
- I had way too many people involved. In an effort to be inclusive, I invited anyone who wanted to join without considering how to best facilitate that for a hybrid team. The tech setup limited successful conversation — there were no microphones, so remote attendees struggled to hear in-person conversations, and the speakerphone was too dull to fully understand everyone who joined remotely. As someone who has now been a remote worker for 10 years, I know how frustrating it is to experience that because it limits your ability to fully participate.
- I did not provide a goal or actionable next steps. Just because you gather brainpower doesn’t mean the meeting will be successful. A roadmap keeps people focused both in the meeting and afterward. And a follow-up plan helps you act on the insights you collect and respect the time and expertise people shared with you while providing breathing room to continue thinking about the ideas your brainstorm just generated.
Last week, you heard about better one-on-ones between managers and direct reports. This week, we’re talking about how to lead better brainstorms, whether between editors and reporters, within a team or across an ecosystem of stakeholders.
5 steps for a successful brainstorm
1. Consider the logistics
Before you begin, answer these important questions:
- What are you hoping to accomplish? Why are you gathering people for this meeting? Sharing this and your agenda in advance will help people prepare and start thinking.
- Who should be in the room? Include a mix of stakeholders, experience levels and roles. Three to eight people is recommended.
- What format fits best: in person, remote or hybrid? How might you create an experience of belonging for all attendees? Consider tools like brainwriting, equal airtime and mind mapping.
- What’s the setup? If it’s virtual, what platform are you using to connect? If it’s hybrid, how will you foster good conversations, interactivity and shared documentation?
- How long should it be? The length will vary based on your goals and number of people involved. MIT suggests always adding an additional 33%. In your agenda, block your time, build in breaks, provide food if necessary and consider movement for successful brainstorms.
2. Create a safe and fun space
How you start matters. It sets the tone, direction and guardrails for everyone who participates. If you don’t already have strong relationships with everyone in the brainstorm this is even more important. So, start with something fun! You can choose something easy like answering a question or something more interactive like drawing or completing a virtual puzzle. These small moments of connection will be important when you show up to share brainpower and expertise. When people feel connected, they’re more likely to take creative risks.
After the icebreaker, create some space for people to name how they are showing up for the day. This helps you read the room as a facilitator, notice who might need more nudging and how to delegate responsibilities. Acknowledging that it’s okay if you’re at capacity creates a safer space and allows us to show up for each other, speak in drafts and include all voices no matter the energy we bring.
3. Focus the conversation
A good facilitator has a clear goal for the conversation. During the brainstorm, keep people on track or designate a timekeeper to help you do this. Create an agenda to give the group a roadmap for the session. Establish the parameters and how you will bring people back if they get off track. Remind folks that the goal is to collect ideas and that there is no judgment in this session. And use a template or tool to ensure all ideas are documented.
4. Follow curiosity with clarity
The space between the brainstorm and action is critical before moving into problem-solving mode. Author and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek says the value of brainstorming is not what happens in the meeting but rather what happens after you spark curiosity. Those questions you spark in a brainstorm will percolate long after the meeting ends. To make the most of this, you need a clear plan before you end the session. How will you sort and synthesize the amazing insights you collected? Who will do it, and by when? How can people contribute if ideas pop up later? What’s the timetable for refining or implementing those ideas?
Close by listing next steps, assigning an owner to each one and setting dates for follow-ups to discuss your progress and communicate results. This respects your colleagues’ time and builds trust, making it more likely they’ll show up for the next brainstorm.
5. Celebrate courage
I’m a big believer in celebrating wins as a motivator for better work. A brainstorm asks people to take risks in public. Thank the person who speaks first, communicate with your colleagues on how their idea influenced a project and follow up on results that celebrate the team effort. It reminds all of us that our voices are powerful and our work is making a difference, no matter how small or invisible it might be to others.
Thanks for taking time to think about brainstorming with me. If you have an idea you’d like to share, please email me at liz.worthington@pressinstitute.org
