Through working with different organizations, I have noticed that the words “let’s brainstorm” have been overused. I have been in so many meetings and sessions that have been all about brainstorming. As a creative myself, I love a good brainstorm session and getting ideas out there. Brainstorming and strategizing is something that I thoroughly enjoy and feel like I am strong at. It is a great way to express creative ideas and figure out the goals that are trying to accomplish. I think that brainstorming is crucial and essential, but I have also noticed that it can be a distraction. As I have worked with companies and groups, I have seen how teams can get stuck in brainstorm.
Being stuck in the brainstorm is having these different ideas and spending the time to sit down and push out other ideas, but not making proactive steps to moving these ideas along. I feel like these past few months. I have been in so many of these brainstorming sessions where all these ideas are thought of and written down. Still, time was not spent focusing on taking a step forward with these ideas. I have often found myself leaving these sessions confused about what is next. Brainstorming can only get you so far if brainstorming does not lead to how to accomplish the next thing. I sometimes think of creative people. We find ourselves so focused on the idea itself and creating ideas. I know it is easy for me to come up with different opinions, but the most challenging part is taking steps to make it happen. So I began to think about what steps can be taken in brainstorm sessions that move an idea along. After each idea session, look at all of the ideas and prioritize what of these ideas is the most important. After deciding what ideas should be pursued, first take a step and look at what would need to be done for this idea to be accomplished. What are the next steps, and how do I achieve them? I think we are sometimes so focused on the concept we forget to look beyond the theory and forget to take steps to look at the tactics it would take to make an idea happen. Taking a step in prioritizing what ideas should take priority will also help make the list of ideas look less daunting. When there is a big list of ideas, it is hard to focus because there are almost too many ideas. By specifying what is essential, it narrows down what to focus on in our brain, which will help us get out of the brainstorm rut. Next time you find yourself brainstorm an idea and not move forward to the next step, look at the concept and figure out what is essential and what the steps are to make at least one of the tasks.