Brainstorm sessions can introduce fresh ideas, renewed energy and innovation into a workplace. Studies show bringing people together to share ideas leads to several benefits in a workplace, including effective problem-solving, a sense of cohesion and a shared commitment to projects.

Without preparation and structure, a brainstorm session can easily become just another meeting. Business psychologist Simi Rayat offers her tried and true steps to setting up the most effective team brainstorm session to develop the best ideas and transform them into an action plan.

1. Prepare for Your Brainstorm Session

Who you invite to a brainstorm session can impact the outcome. If possible, try keeping it to a small group to help maintain focus. Sending the question or challenge out beforehand can help people prepare and maximise the session time. “Some people like time to think. They are more reflective and like to do research and be more prepared,” Simi says. 

We all see problems from different perspectives and research shows that a diverse group will produce the strongest, most unique results. Simi suggests having a mix of people with different experiences and backgrounds, including those new to the organisation and those with longer tenure. 

2. Outline the Purpose of the Brainstorm Session

At the start of the session, Simi likes to set the rules of engagement. “I would recommend starting by restating the purpose of the session, the question or the challenge and what the desired outcome of the session is. Are we coming up with as many ideas as possible and whittling it down to five? Be clear so people understand what success looks like.”

She says a brainstorm session should initially be about a quantity of ideas rather than quality. “We want blue-sky thinking. Imagine if there aren’t any parameters that we need to take into consideration; what could be possible?”

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3. Create a Positive Environment for Brainstorming

Setting up a welcoming environment is an essential part of an effective brainstorm session. Having people feel comfortable in contributing ideas is also critical, even if they aren’t fully formed. A University of South Australia study states effective creative problem solving with teams can’t happen if people don’t feel psychosocially safe at work. When there is no risk of judgement, people are more likely to speak openly, share ideas and take creative risks.

To make people feel comfortable and help them connect, especially if they don’t know each other well, add an icebreaker or warm up at the start. “Often before a brainstorm session, I do a quick little connection exercise outside in the fresh air to get people thinking,” says Simi. Starting with a game like Two Truths and a Lie can be a great way to help everyone warm up to one another. She also suggests using a speaker to play music at the start of a brainstorm session to help get the creative juices flowing. 

4. Add Physicality to Your Brainstorm Sessions

While brainstorm sessions can be done effectively online, coming together in one room can be more focused and productive. Keeping things physical and tactile – using paper and pens – can improve idea generation. Writing by hand engages the brain in a more active way than typing, allowing for more thought processing and reflection.

Simi likes to have a lot of stationery available in a session. People can write down their ideas on sticky notes and then display them on whiteboards, butcher’s paper or flipcharts. A facilitator can then use different-coloured markers to group ideas and write up next steps. 

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A group of colleagues gathered around a table, collaborating on notes and documents in a bright shared workspace.‍

5. Hear From Everyone in the Brainstorm Session

It’s easy for brainstorm sessions to be dominated by the extroverts on the team, but there is a way to hear from every person in the room. Start by having everyone write their ideas down first, one idea per sticky note. This gives everyone time to reflect and get their ideas down without feeling put on the spot.

Simi also suggests putting people into smaller groups so they can bounce ideas off each other if they’d like to. After a set time, get everyone to talk through their ideas as they put up their sticky notes on butcher’s paper up on the wall, or have each group present their ideas.  

Grouping the sticky notes also helps to quickly see the common themes that arise and the facilitator can then focus on the top three ideas and encourage further discussion. 

6. Devise an Action Plan   

After a great brainstorm session, everyone should feel energised and excited. Use that as motivation to take those great ideas and turn them into action.“People need to leave feeling energised and like it’s been a productive session,” Simi says. “They’ve also got to feel a sense of prioritisation of the strongest ideas.”

The way to set this transformation in stone? In your session you should outline the next steps, assign people to those steps and give indicative timelines. Scheduling a follow up review session to report back can help embed the actions and ensure they stay top of mind. 

An assortment of supplies to help with brainstorm sessions, shown on various brightly coloured backgrounds. Products include things like markers, butcher’s paper and snacks.‍

What to Try

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