You led a great brainstorming session, generated dozens of ideas, and as a result, your team is mentally drained. Now what? Surprisingly, many find themselves in an odd place of not knowing what to do after the meeting. In today’s post, I will share a few tips on how to get the most out of your team’s brainstorming sessions.

1. Keep Pushing. It happens all the time when brainstorming; everyone contributes an idea and then your team hits a wall. Instead of simply giving up and moving on, keep pushing for another few minutes. This will force you to expand your mind, think outside of the box, and develop some more great ideas.
2. Narrow it Down. After you finish throwing ideas around, take some time to mull over each one; organize them and group similar ones together. Have your team vote on their favourites to determine the most feasible ideas. Aim to have 3-5 solid ideas at the end of this step.
3. Prioritize. Now that you have narrowed down your ideas and committed to a few, take some time to discuss which ideas are the most important and should therefore be carried out first.
4. Look to the Future. You thought up ideas, narrowed them down and figured out which are most important. Now you are at the point where you must determine when, where, how and who will implement your new ideas. Be as thorough as possible, ensuring you do not miss important details.
5. Rehash. Get in the habit of taking minutes at your brainstorming meetings. At the end of the session, compile your minutes into a typed document and outline everything you have discussed and how your team will proceed. Ensure every one understands their role moving forward and the tasks they must complete to implement each new idea. Be sure to print or email the document so that each team member has it to refer back to while working on their delegated tasks.

There you have it—5 easy tips to ensure you get the most out of your creative sessions. Happy brainstorming!