Miniguide: Brainstorming Sessions
A brainstorming session at BBDO New York office in 1950s. Photo © Philippe Halsman
You don’t need to be an expert facilitator to boost your team’s creativity and get them to think outside the box. Here are five simple tips that will unstuck your team:
In my usual longer courses on these topics, we dive deep, but I often get questions about the basics—so in this series of mini-guides, I’m keeping things light, simple, and packed with just the essentials for maximum impact! Like an espresso for the brain. Here we go:
Set an Open-Ended Question: Start by framing the topic for your brainstorm as an open-ended question. For example, “How might we create a more personalised experience for our customers that makes them feel understood and valued?”
Use an Energiser to Boost Creativity: Before diving into brainstorming, lead a quick energiser to get everyone into a creative and playful mindset. This could be a fun, interactive activity that encourages movement, laughter, or thinking outside the box. Energisers help people loosen up and feel more open to coming up with creative ideas.
Start with Individual Brainstorming (5 minutes): Ask everyone to brainstorm individually, writing their ideas on post-it notes (one idea per note). This allows everyone to think freely without group influence at the beginning.
Share & Build on Ideas (45-60 minutes): Have the group share their ideas and build on each other’s thoughts. Follow IDEO’s 7 rules of brainstorming:
No judgment: Don’t criticise ideas.
Encourage wild ideas: Go for bold and creative suggestions.
Build on others: Improve or combine ideas.
Stay on topic: Keep it relevant to the question.
One conversation at a time: Listen and speak respectfully.
Be visual: Draw, sketch, or use symbols to clarify ideas.
Aim for quantity: The more ideas, the better.
Dot-Voting for Top Ideas (10-15 minutes): Give each participant three dots to vote for their top ideas. They place the dots silently on the ideas they like most. This helps narrow down the best options.
Discuss Next Steps (10 minutes): Review the top ideas and decide on next steps. Who will take ownership of the ideas? What resources are needed? How will the ideas be tested or developed further?
These tips will help create a fun and productive brainstorming environment where creativity can flow!