Ikarii has started working on a new blogging framework. I'm really excited about it because our brainstorming sessions have been really productive and we've generated a lot of really good ideas. As we get into the development of this new solution I'll share more details about some of the proposed features that have me pumped.
In the meantime though, I have a great related topic to write about today, on how to lead a productive brainstorming session. Brainstorming has traditionally been a formal event lead by executives whom create memos and attempt to structure the session for optimum efficiency. This practice has, over the years, brought the concept of brainstorming under fire and into question whether it is even a productive exercise at all. My experience has been that brainstorming and what has become the traditional environment for it, is simply not conducive to success. I have found that the formal approach can make brainstorming a painful, unexciting and sometimes even a dreaded step in a project's lifecycle. This is a dangerously challenging way to start a project because if your team isn't excited by the end of a brainstorming session, they certainly aren't going to be excited during development either.
A successful brainstorming session can be measured by the enthusiasm of the individuals involved. If your team is ebullient about the topic presented, then you are involved in a potentially very productive meeting. This type of meeting can spark some really great ideas that will mature as the meeting progresses - if multiple team members are equally engaged. I'm sure you all have seen this play out at least once. Team Member A will suggest that the project should be able to integrate with Widget A. This is met with agreement but further refinement by another team member reminding everyone that Widget A uses a standard interface. This observation seals the deal, and everyone agrees that the project will integrate with all widgets using the standardized interface. Reaping this level of success can only occur if everyone participating is fully engaged and enthusiastic about the topic at hand.
How do you facilitate this then?
Brainstorm Solo
One of the ways that I have used to create this environment is by allowing my team to have personal brainstorming time. To do this, I have an initial meeting about the project and let the participants sleep on it. This gives my team some alone time to consider potential solutions and do research, but most importantly their brain will be processing the topic whether they realize it or not. This allows my team to do what they do best from a perspective they are familiar with. My developers think about ideas that are both practical and fit within the limitations of what is possible within our frameworks. Meanwhile my marketing and salespeople start to think about recent market trends, current demands and sales challenges.
When we reconvene the next day, or later that afternoon my team will hopefully be excited about some of the ideas they have come up with. It is at this time that a brainstorming session can be most productive. If after this process your team isn't excited about a project, it may be because they have worked on the project for a long time already or something else is causing morale to be low. In either of these cases it is a good idea to get fresh eyes on the project right away if possible.
Identify The Project
This may seem backwards to some, but one of the most important things to the success of a brainstorming session is the clear identification of the project at hand. If you start a meeting with too broad a scope it will prevent your team from finding enough focus to generate really good ideas. If your project is not a new concept, and has been done before by other companies, try using the best example you can find as a model, and start there. Slowly close in on the most fundamental concepts of your project so that you can clearly articulate the purpose and goals of it. Remember, brainstorming shouldn't be used to identify the general scope of a project, rather it should be used to generate unique ideas and features that make it more viable in the marketplace, or attractive to your client.
If you were planning on using the brainstorming session to identify the scope of your project, this is a mistake and I've yet to see this yield the desired results. Starting a session with a vague concept will most likely end with a vague concept. Therefore it is your job, as the leader of the project, to create the initial scope or designate someone qualified to do this for you, prior to your initial kick off meeting.
Know Your Team
Not knowing your team can have catastrophic consequences, but regarding brainstorming it can ruin the experience entirely. It is important that you are familiar with how your team interacts with each other on a day to day basis. If you have one or more agitators or individuals who speak their mind not to benefit the process, but rather to prove a point, the success of your brainstorming session can be compromised. The long-term effects of such individuals in your organization go beyond the scope of this post, but be aware that you simply cannot have a productive session if two people are at each other's throat or if one participant makes others uncomfortable. Your team must be one cohesive unit in order to be successful, not only in brainstorming but in the overall project development process.
I hope this post has given you some helpful food for thought and gives you the tools to run your next brainstorming session successfully. I have found these techniques to be useful especially when fresh ideas are needed for a project. As always, I welcome topic ideas and appreciate feedback, critical or praise.