Igniting Innovation—Better Brainstorming for Business Success
In today’s fast business world, new ideas help companies win. But most brainstorming meetings don’t work well. Why? Because good brainstorming needs both rules and freedom.
Let’s look at why normal brainstorming often fails, and how you can use better methods to get great ideas.
The Real Problem with Brainstorming
Most people do brainstorming wrong:
- No clear plan—Meetings become messy talks
- People fear being judged—Good ideas stay hidden
- Loud people take over—Quiet people don’t share
- No follow-up—Ideas never get used
Without a good plan, brainstorming wastes time instead of making new ideas.
3 Steps to Fix Your Brainstorming Process
Step 1: Make a Safe Space
Good ideas grow when people feel safe. Leaders should:
- Welcome wild ideas without saying “no” right away
- Ask for ideas from all teams (sales, making things, money people)
- Use tools like whiteboards, sticky notes, or online boards
When team members feel safe to share, they’ll offer more creative thoughts. Try starting meetings with a fun warm-up exercise to get people thinking freely. Remember to thank everyone for their ideas, even the ones that seem strange at first.
Step 2: Pick the Right Method
Different ways work for different needs:
- Normal Brainstorming – Good for first ideas
- Reverse Brainstorming – Helps find problems
- SCAMPER Method – Changes old ideas into new ones
- Brainwriting – Everyone writes ideas before talking
Try mixing methods for better results. For example, start with brainwriting so everyone has equal input, then use SCAMPER to build on the best ideas. Taking short breaks between methods helps keep minds fresh and ready for new thinking.
Step 3: Pick the Best Ideas and Do Them
Making ideas is easy—using them is what matters.
- Rank ideas by how easy and how helpful they are
- Give each good idea to someone to do
- Meet again to check how things are going
Create a simple chart with four boxes: Quick Wins (easy and high impact), Major Projects (hard but high impact), Fill-Ins (easy but lower impact), and Time Wasters (hard and low impact). Put your ideas in these boxes to see what to do first. Then set clear due dates for each task.
Why Good Brainstorming Helps
Companies that use good brainstorming get:
- More new and useful ideas
- Happier workers who feel heard
- Faster fixing of problems
Studies show that teams using good brainstorming methods find solutions 50% faster than those using no method at all. Plus, when people see their ideas become real things, they work harder and stay at their jobs longer.
Real-World Success Stories
Small changes in brainstorming can lead to big wins. A local coffee shop used brainwriting to find ways to bring in more customers during slow hours. Their team came up with a “Work From Here” package with fast Wi-Fi, unlimited coffee, and snacks for a flat fee. Sales jumped 30% on weekday afternoons!
A construction company used reverse brainstorming to find safety issues before they happened. By asking “How could someone get hurt?” they fixed problems that normal safety checks missed.
How to Get Started
You don’t need fancy tools to improve your brainstorming. Start with these simple steps:
- Set a clear goal for each meeting
- Give everyone 5 minutes of quiet thinking time first
- Use the “Yes, and…” rule instead of “No, but…”
- Take pictures of all ideas so nothing gets lost
Want to see how to do this? I made a FREE YouTube course that shows these methods—watch it here: Brainstorming Secrets: How Top Innovators Solve Problems?
Last Thought
Brainstorming isn’t just about ideas—it’s about finding new ways to make your business better. Is your team doing it right?
Remember: The best time to improve your brainstorming is before you need a big idea. Start practicing these methods now, and you’ll be ready when an important challenge comes your way.