Do I Need a Brainstorm Facilitator?

There’s lots of tasks when the “do it yourself” approach works a treat, and other times, not so much. For example, performing your own dental surgery isn’t a great idea.

Speaking of “great ideas” – should you “DIY” your own brainstorm? More exactly, should you facilitate your own brainstorm? In a word, NO.

As a brainstorm sponsor, you should spend your valuable time during the brainstorm doing constructive work, such as …

• By actively participating in idea generation,
• By listening and encouraging concepts and ideas you like, and
• By clarifying the purpose and direction of the brainstorm.

Or conversely, you should not perform “un-constructive” work – that is, any basic skill best done by a good facilitator – such as …

• Focusing the group in positive ways on the problem, issue or need;
• Creating an atmosphere of freedom and no-risk;
• Inspiring the participants to generate ideas across the full spectrum;
• Introducing and conducting brainstorm exercises;
• Keeping the group – and individuals – energised;
• Minimising negativity and criticism;
• Ensuring everyone contributes in their own way, particularly engaging the quiet participants or balancing them against the louder ones;
• Writing down ideas on flipcharts;
• Watching the clock;
• Never sitting down, and most important of all,
• Never giving up the pen.

Lots of people have said “Oh, it’s not that hard to run a meeting.” Indeed, compared with prepping for an Iron Man Competition, facilitation is a fairly easy skill to learn. However, I’ve been professionally trained by six different accredited workshops, and I would never run my own brainstorm because I wouldn’t want to dilute my focus on the important task at hand: generating ideas.

In my experience, it’s always more effective if the host meets with a neutral and independent facilitator in advance of the brainstorm to agree on purpose, agenda, exercises and outcomes. Then, during the meeting itself, the host should participate as any other attendee, but confer at every quiet opportunity with the facilitator to make ensure the direction is clear and the outcomes are within reach.

Is there ever a time when you can run your own brainstorm? Of course. If you don’t have time to find someone internally or externally, or to properly brief your facilitator, or you don’t have budget to hire one. But even in these cases, try to divert some of the lesser tasks to others.

And, most of all, don’t dominate your own meeting! That’s not a brainstorm: it’s called a hostage situation.