Creativity is an important element in any business because it helps you to overcome challenges, be innovative and discover new opportunities.
A great way to introduce more creativity into your business is to conduct a brainstorming session. This will bring your team together to generate fresh ideas or help solve a problem. We are a fan of brainstorming at CP Communications and we have weekly sessions with the whole team.
Creativity often eludes you when you need it most and many people have difficulty thinking creatively under pressure. This means you need to be prepared with a clear goal in mind before the brainstorming session to have a better chance of being successful.
Here are some tips on how to conduct effective brainstorming sessions and reduce the pressure to be creative on the spot.
Before the brainstorm
- Start with a goal: This could be a problem you need solved, a question you need answered or a fresh idea on an old subject. Try and have a broad goal to generate a variety of ideas so you can discover the best answer possible. If your goal is too narrow your ability to be creative will also be narrow.
- Pre-brainstorm: A few days before your brainstorming session provide attendees with a thorough brief, including the goal of the session to help them prepare. Attendees can then be creative in their own time and generate ideas to bring to the session. This will lead to a better quality of ideas and also allow others to build on the ideas to create the best possible solution.
- Break your routine: Creativity can be sparked from a disruption to your everyday routine. Just before the session get the attendees to do something different or creative to get their inspiration flowing. If you have the same routine before every brainstorm session you’ll find it more difficult to develop new ideas. For example write with your left hand if you are right handed, do some star jumps or go outside for five minutes and experience something new.
During the brainstorm
- Don’t criticise: In the brainstorming session there is no such thing as a stupid idea. No one is allowed to criticise another person’s ideas because you want to encourage people to contribute. Sometimes it can be the silliest idea that leads to a brilliant idea.
- Write it down: Write down all the ideas even if you think they are bad or irrelevant. Use a whiteboard or butcher’s paper and create a mind map. By writing down your ideas you can easily refer back to them after the session.
- Build on each other’s ideas: When someone has a good idea, encourage everyone to build on it and expand it. What began as an idea may become the answer to your goal when everyone contributes.
After the brainstorm
- Keep a record of your ideas: Keep a record of your best ideas from the session and document whether you achieved your goal.
- Conduct a follow-up session: If you haven’t achieved your goal in the first session it’s a good idea to conduct a follow-up brainstorm a few days later. If you did achieve your goal you can revisit it with fresh eyes and consider if your solution really fits your goals.
Bring creativity and fresh ideas into your business with better brainstorming sessions. This will help your business to solve problems, view an issue from a different perspective, generate new ideas and inspire your employees to think creatively.
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Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more great tips visit our website www.cpcommunications.com.au.
