If you are thinking about how to make brainstorming in your team more effective, try to get inspired by Richard Branson, the famous British entrepreneur and billionaire. In one of the articles he prepares Entrepreneur.com, Branson describes brainstorming as an effective way to find collective solutions to problems. However, the following rules must be followed:
1. Do not plan when to be creative
Consultants often advise you to plan for regular brainstorming sessions. According to Richard Branson, however, creativity should not be just a matter of a certain time. We should be creative every day and in every aspect of our work. Brainstorming is ideal for the situations where you do not know what to do.
2. Find a creative environment
Get out of the office in which you are not able to catch any creative thought. Richard Branson, for example, gets the best ideas while in motion - when travelling, exercising or going for a walk. It is also important to take regular breaks to take some time off the work we cannot solve at the moment.
3. Describe your problem
Do not start searching for solutions until you define what is actually to be addressed together.
4. Invite employees from other parts of the company
Do not invite still the same people for brainstorming, try to invite employees from another department. It should not surprise you that a great marketing idea could come from the accounting department.
5. Give everyone enough space
Ensure that even the naturally quieter participants of your brainstorming could speak. Emphasize the importance of listening.
6. Take notes
Good ideas will not be any good if you forget about them. Write down as much as you can, you never know what will come in handy.
7. Do not end with the ideas only
Do not stop brainstorming until you agree on how you will proceed with the implementation of the new ideas in practice.
8. Trust yourself
Sometimes we act impulsively and the absolutely best ideas come to us out of the blue, although they seem unrealistic in the first phase. For these cases, it is important for you to believe in the fact that you can lead your business and succeed even where it does not seem likely.
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