Attending a brainstorming session can be invigorating and frustrating in equal measure. The goal of brainstorming is to come up with inventive and often exciting ideas. However, a lot of times the sessions turn out to have limited results or the experience can be tiring.
Brainstorming can net your Middle Market company some cool innovations and ideas, if the sessions are run effectively and a process is in place in advance.
Preparation Is Key
Just like any other meeting, brainstorming sessions require some advance preparation to ensure success. Knowing what you want to cover and what you hope to achieve is a great first step.
You should have a meeting flow outlined and know the specific result you need to have at the end of every brainstorming session. It can be helpful to set a very tight timeline and a laser focus on one particular outcome for each session.
Let your participants know what you hope to achieve and how the meeting will progress. Discuss what is appropriate to talk about during the meeting and what should be tabled.
Have appropriate tools and technology available and ready for each session. Ask participants to come prepared so your meetings are about brainstorming and not training.
Figure out in advance a way to capture the total discussion – you’ll likely hear several things that aren’t quite related to what you hope to achieve but will be great inspiration for the future.
Results Focus
When you set up a brainstorming session, you have a goal in mind. Your Middle Market company might be looking for a new product design or ways to cut time off production, etc. The ultimate goal can be large and daunting, so breaking it down into smaller goals is a way to help ensure more successful brainstorming sessions.
Perhaps you want to have a series of meetings regarding a new product. Your first meeting might be entirely focused on deciding what type or category of product. At the next meeting, you might narrow it down even further to the exact product and subsequent sessions might focus on the configuration, features, etc.
Ideally, meetings will be less than an hour and your participants will work to stay focused and on track. At the beginning of each session, state the expected goal and how you’ll decide when you’ve reached it. You may make very small steps towards progress in each meeting, but it is better than meetings that never come to any result or fruition.
Action Steps
As you wrap up each meeting, make sure everyone knows what they need to do to prepare for the next brainstorming session. By priming everyone’s mind with the next details, you can help to ensure everyone shows up ready and prepared.
If there are any contingencies for the next steps in the process, make sure everyone has their assignments. By showing your brainstorming sessions are leading to actionable results, the participants will be more invested and engaged.
Brainstorming sessions could be a vital part of your Middle Market organizations success and trajectory. Focus on being prepared and setting goals for each meeting for the best results.
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