So is brainstorming a waste of time?

Yes…and no.

Here’s the “yes” part of the answer: I think businesspeople misuse brainstorming.  Developed in the 1950s by advertising executive as a way to leverage the creativity of his advertising team, brainstorming is used to incite energy and a TON of ideas.  It’s an absolute free flow of information where all ideas are voiced, and the evaluation of those ideas is done later. It’s about quantity, not quality.

Okay, so let’s be real, here.  When was the last time you went to a “real” brainstorming session?  Probably few and far between.  What typically happens one of three things:

1) We are really “listing” things that we know in the finite universe vs. leveraging any sort of creativity.  For example, you “list” the 31 flavors to Baskin-Robbins; yet you “brainstorm” potential new Ben & Jerry flavors.  There is no real creativity in creating a list.  So stop calling it a brainstorming session.

2)  We “brainstorm” and evaluate at the same time.  This gets really frustrating for everyone at the table….and you’ll hear such clues as “we’re just brainstorming here, right?” or “I’m just talking off the top of my head” because you know that in another minute or so, someone will tell you that your baby is ugly and you move on to the next idea.

3)  The brainstorming meeting was called at the last minute and you sat there like a deer in the headlights expected to come up with something brilliant – or you neglected to give the topic any thought before you got there.

And here is where I agree with Dr. Furham.  Prior to any brainstorming session, each person should tap into their own wisdom about the topic and come prepared to offer ideas and suggestions. Yes, creativity occurs on an individual level and then can be enhanced, sharpened and explored more at the team level.

The key to successful brainstorming is to get all the ideas out on the table.  The ones you bring with you and the ones you create as a result of the team dynamic – the energy in the room.  Then step back.  Does something jump out at you?  Is there a theme? Is there a combination of ideas?  Here’s the messy part – the evaluation of the ideas where some ideas are left behind.  Each person must be willing to let go of the individual contribution (the baby!) and see the team’s bigger objective.

It is the evaluation of these ideas where teams get stuck.  True brainstorming can be seen as “inefficient” as it takes a bit more time, can bruise egos (my baby!), or even worse, the team can settle into groupthink.

Here’s the “no” part of the answer: Done correctly, brainstorming can tap into the creativity of the group, provide an even better result that everyone on the team is committed to implement.  That’s why it is helpful to have a skilled meeting facilitator to guide the group through this potentially messy process of generating ideas so the team can make a decision to take action.  And isn’t that really what it is all about?  Making a group decision that everyone can support and implement?

One of the things we looked at was their “gift”.  Each of us has a strength – a depth and breadth of expertise, experience, or ability that would contribute to the board.  For example, my “gift” is around process.  I think process steps and can articulate a clear path between the current state (point A) and the desired state (point B).  this has been particularly helpful during our strategic planning process and process improvement efforts.  You need that clarity of process on a board, much like you need financial acumen, marketing skills and technological savvy.

As we were interviewing the candidates, we were looking for their gift – and how that gift would align with the mission and vision of the organization.

So what’s your gift?  How does your gift contribute to accomplishing your team’s goals?

Similarly, I have been reorganizing my office.  Some people do a “spring cleaning”.  I do a “first month of the new year” cleaning where I throw out old files etc. – essentially decluttering my life.  We have been in our Scottsdale, AZ house for about 3 years now, and the bookshelves were starting to overflow, CDs and DVDs were on different bookshelves – I think you are getting the idea.  So this past week, I have been reorganizing the office – typically in the evening when I don’t have many brain cells left and can’t do any “real” work!

And I got stuck.  I have various options (move this here, add another shelf there) and I decided to wait until my husband came home from a business trip.  When I started to explain my problem to Joseph, the answer emerged from my subconscious, and we agreed on the path forward.

It’s the same kind of experience.  Talking it through to another person you respect helps you crystalize your ideas.

So, when you get stuck, find someone you respect.  Someone whose opinions you value, and just talk it through.

It’s been 20 years since I started my business facilitating teams and training others to do what I do.  Back then, no one even knew how to spell “facilitator”, no less what a facilitator did!

As they say, we’ve come a long way, baby.  The root word, “facil” is latin for “make things easier”.  True enough, “Facilitator” is used all the time to describe anyone who “makes things easier”.

In the world of teams and meetings, a facilitator guides the process – helping the team get from Point A to Point B – the desired outcome.

Now, we all know that the shortest distance between two points is….a straight line.  But do teams march straight to the desired outcome?   I think not!  So a facilitator saves you time, money, and grief by providing process expertise, keeping the group on task, and fulfilling these main functions:

Clarify the charter.  The facilitator gets together with the sponsor and team leader to make sure they all understand the team’s goal(s) and expectations, the composition of the team, timeframes, deliverables, capabilities, and constraints.
Partner with the team leader.  Before the team ever meets, the facilitator gets together with the team leader and agrees on the basic strategies to move the team forward.  They will agree on how to prepare for and critique that meeting – or the series of meetings.  The facilitator then develops an initial agenda for the team to follow.
Guide the process.  As the process expert, you provide structure and process tools to help the team achieve its goal.  At the beginning of each meeting, ensure the team agrees to the agenda and time limits.  Keep the meeting on the topic and moving along.
Ensure a safe environment.  The facilitator thinks through the barriers to effective participation and how to ensure the environment is conducive to collaboration.
Manage participation.  The facilitator opens discussions and invites participation by all.  She tactfully prevents anyone from being overlooked or dominating the discussion.  She also summarizes and closes the discussions.
Intervene when necessary.  When the team gets off track or if the discussion fragments into multiple conversations, the facilitator will step in to bring the team back on topic.
Manage conflict constructively. All teams have some degree of “conflict” where each person has a different point of view.  Otherwise, why would you call a team together?  A facilitator helps the team hear and discuss these differing opinions to ensure they generate “light” around the issue and not “heat”.
Check decisions.  Teams make small decisions throughout the meeting.  When the facilitator senses that a decision has been made, he will check for understanding and agreement.  He then makes sure the team understands the next steps and who will do them.
Clarify next steps.  Every team meeting should end with specific tasks assigned to specific team members.  Otherwise, you have just had a great conversation, but no results!  The facilitator makes sure everyone understands who is responsible for what and by when.
Develop the team.  A facilitator’s secondary goal is to enable the team to function effectively over the long term – that all the team members have good facilitative and team skills.  This means that the facilitator is constantly training, coaching and developing the team leader and team members along the way.
Documents the discussion.  Most teams go through a predictable pattern of discussion: generation of ideas, organization/prioritization of those ideas to be able to select a quality decision to take action.  An external facilitator may document that discussion within a few days so the team can move quickly on their commitments.

When you have a facilitator performing these functions, the team stays much more focused on the desired outcomes, you take less time because the team doesn’t stray off topic, and you have greater commitment to the final decision.

Find out more about how we help you achieve your meeting objectives.

I intend to schedule a webinar in March, June, September, and August of this year.  As far as topics go, I could talk for days about teamwork, but we’re only looking at a 45 minute webinar!

So here are some titles/topics I was thinking about, and would like to have your opinion as to what top four webinars you would not only be interested in attending, but would actually sign up!  2012 will be complementary, as I’ll be getting the kinks out of the system.  I’ve done a few, but I wouldn’t exactly call myself an amazing webinar presenter – yet.

TeamSpeak: Words to Use or Lose to Inspire Better Teamwork

Boring to Bravo: 10 Tips to Make Your Presentations Extraordinary!

Beyond Consensus: 3 Little Known Secrets to Achieving Solid Agreements Among Your Team Mates

A Team Leader’s Toolkit for Handing Difficult People

The Do’s & Don’ts of Teamwork & Collaboration: 5 Critical Skills to Take Your Team to the Next Level

Are you a Light Bulb or a Flame Thrower?  How to Manage the Inevitable Conflicts in Teams

Team Player or Spectator?  3 Critical Insights to Building a High Performance Team

Go Beyond the Ordinary: 5 Critical Decisions Every Team Leader Must Make

Any other topics/titles you have in mind?

Thanks for voting now on your top topics and helping me crowdsource the best titles/topics for 2012!  You have until Sunday, January 15th to let me know.  Thanks a bazillion!

This year, we are introducing:

• A new and exciting hybrid between speaking and facilitating that I have termed a “MainStage Conversationalist”
• Two new Executive Forums – one in Phoenix and the other in Prince Edward Island
• A new quarterly webinar series
• More YouTube “how to” videos

As well as our current mix of facilitation, training and speaking services around the whole notion of teamwork and collaboration.  So stay tuned for more details!

And, just in case you’re curious, here is the process we use to set our annual goals:

First, brainstorm a wish list.  Jot down potential goals for the next year.  Remember not to criticize yourself for what you did or did not do in 2011

Then block out two separate days.

On the first day, review the numbers.  Take a look at what you have done in the past year.  If you don’t have hard facts – go get them and crunch the data on a spreadsheet.  Ask yourself:

• Who are my customers?
• What are my products or services?
• How do I add value (to the top and bottom line)
• What are my core processes?
• How am I performing my core processes – those things I must do exceedingly well to survive?

Then list and recognize your accomplishments.  Don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back!

Take a look at last years’ goals, and analyze why you met or fell short of last year’s goals – Be brutally honest with yourself and look at your performance and results.

For the rest of the day, share this information with your “kitchen cabinet” – those colleagues, friends and business contacts whom you respect and value their opinions.  Ask for and listen to their feedback as allies, not as adversaries.  Then take some time to think about this first day.

No more than a week later, go hibernate someplace where you won’t be interrupted and revisit your “wish” goals.  Keep only those that are going to significantly propel you forward.  Don’t be intimidated by those “BHAGs” (big hairy audacious goals) – they often inspire us to great things!

Create your goals in concrete sentences: “I will earn $**** this year.  I will expand my market by 20%.”  Write each goal at the top of a piece of paper, then answer “why?” you want to achieve each goal.

For each goal, ask “What are the roadblocks to achieving this goal?” and then identify strategies (the how) you are going to achieve it.

From these strategies, create an action plan – specific items to write on your “to do” list, calendar or planner.  Then go ahead and write each activity in your planner.  This part can be tedious and time consuming, but well worth it.  Each day, when you open up your planner, it will be your decision whether you really want to do that small activity that will help you achieve your goals.

As we were reviewing the data from our recent survey, Director of Marketing Janet Traylor effectively demonstrated the multigenerational mix of our membership:

For every survey response, she placed one of four different dried beans in a container – depending on the age of the respondent:

A Green Pea Bean for Millennials/Generation Y (born approx. 1977-1994)

A Red Kidney Bean for Generation X (born approx. 1965-1977

A White Navy Bean for Baby Boomers (born approx. 1944-1964) and

A Garbanzo Bean for the Traditionalists (born approx 1922-1943).

Janet then held up the container to show the demographic “mix” of our membership.  MUCH more effective than projecting a bar chart.

What do you do to bring a statistic come alive during your presentations?

Bill Clinton: Before & After

George W. Bush: Before & After

In this day and age, I cannot fathom why anyone would want to be President of the United States.  For a paltry $400k a year, you become the leader of the free world!  Sure, you’ll make big bucks after your presidency with your best-selling memoir and speech tour at $100k a pop.  But at what cost?  These days, you have to have a squeeky clean reputation, with every word and faux pas viewed and reviewed, with each position documented ad nauseam.  And look at the premature gray hair!  It’s impossible to live up to modern-day citizen expectations.  You’d have to be a saint.

And don’t you dare “flip flop” – change your position about a specific issue along the road to the White House.  I think it’s nuts to assume we should have the same outlook and opinions on things when we are 30 years old as when we are 50 years old.  Stuff happens.  The economy tanks.  Banks get a bailout (gee, I wish someone would bail me out too!).  The public has even MORE access to real-time information.

In my experience as a professional facilitator and consultant, wise leaders are willing to change their minds – based on new information, a change in the landscape, context or assumptions.  I am not talking about a willy-nilly change of opinion, but well-thought out reasons why accompanied with an explanation that appeals to the logic and the emotion of that decision.

Perhaps saints are omniscient, but leaders of the free world, of companies, and small, discreet teams are not.  They are human. They make the best decisions based on the information available at the time.  Don’t feel like you have to stick with a decision when you know the circumstances have changed. The key is to share what those circumstances are.

,

• I need to get my team/direct reports on board.  They are crucial to our success.
• This is a really important meeting that is highly visible throughout the company, to my boss , and to my employees.
• I have waaaayyy too much to do and not enough time.
• I have my folks flying in from all parts of the country/world and we have a finite time to make some agreements about our path forward.
• I recognize the need to have an unbiased, objective person lead our meeting.  This way, I can participate fully without having to worry about process issues (has everyone had a chance to weigh in?, are all the issues out on the table?, what is the strength of the commitments at the end of the day?) and my people won’t feel manipulated.  I can feel confident that people aren’t doing the “dashboard dog” where they are just nodding their heads in agreement with me.  We have a real discussion/debate and come to the best solutions possible.
• Although I hate to admit it, I am at a loss about how to get where I need to go.

And these people tend to be leaders of – or within – their organizations.  Leaders who know what to do.  Yet they also know that the more people contribute to a decision, the more “buy-in” or commitment they will have to that decision.  I call this “fingerprinting”.  The more people can see their fingerprints in the final decision, the more likely they will endorse, support and carry out that decision.

It’s a fine line.  As a leader, if you have already made your decision, please do not open up the decision-making process for input – only to have the team confirm your decision.  (And if they don’t confirm your decision, you have a real mess on your hands!).

If you are leaning one way or the other, let the team know that you want their opinions, but you are going to make the final decision.  And if you truly want to build a consensus, then be willing to be one voice among many – wrestling with the best option.

What do you do to ensure people’s fingerprints are on an important decision?