Brainstorming has made it into most corporate environments, but we don’t all do it that well as participants in a brainstorm or leaders. Who hasn’t been in a brainstorming session that was interrupted by someone critiquing an idea? Or tried to lead a brainstorm when someone attempts to dominate the brainstorm?
Here are some key questions to consider for better brainstorming:
1) Who is in the room?
*What is the gender diversity in the room? It should be 50/50 male female if you want to represent your consumer base in any industry
*What are the experiential levels in the room? You should include individuals just entering the workforce as well as those that have been in their career for some time.
*What is the ethnic diversity in the room? It should represent your global consumer base.
*Do you have consumers in the room with you? Invite your customers to the table of business invention.
2) During the brainstorming process, who gets to speak?*Do you call more on those people you know best? Spread your attention around.
*Does each person get a chance to speak, or do you just automatically open up the room to whomever wants to talk? Make sure that you give each person a chance to write down their ideas — then go around the room to hear from each person.
*If you don’t understand a person’s response, don’t just move on to the next person. Stop and ask them to clarify their thinking for you.3) What is your leadership body language? Ask yourself:
*Do you look each and every person in the eye?
*Do you unconsciously ratify — say, by nodding at them — the ideas that are most in line with yours?
*Where do you stand? Who are you facing?
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