Originally published on resticmagazine.com
Unexpected problems are naturally going to arise in any business. Financial expert and CEO of Everest Business Funding, Scott Crockett, explains that not every company has the resources to deal with these problems.
As such, leaders must learn how to efficiently and effectively use the human resources at their disposal to solve these problems. One of the best ways to do so is through a brainstorming session.
Here are some ways you can run a productive brainstorming session to solve unexpected problems.
Assign a Facilitator
Brainstorming sessions are great because they bring together different ideas and opinions from a group of diverse people. At the same time, they can also get out of hand quickly.
A great way to keep the session moving forward in the right direction is to assign a facilitator. This person will ensure that your time in the brainstorming sessions is being utilized properly.
The facilitator needs to be good at keeping people on track, reining in a group if the topic strays, and remaining objective. This person will also ensure that everyone has a chance to be heard.
Set an Agenda
Your brainstorming session will have an obvious objective — solving whatever problem has arisen. But, how you solve that objective and whether you get there at all will depend on how well a session is set up.
Every brainstorming session needs an agenda that will clearly outline the meeting’s objectives and the topics you’ll cover to meet those objectives. This will help everyone stay on task, including the facilitator, throughout the session.
The agenda should clearly state topics and assign time limits to each, so the meeting doesn’t drag on.
Have a Diverse List of Attendees
The most successful brainstorming sessions include a diverse group of people. When you bring together employees at all levels and departments within the company, you’re more likely to get new ideas and directions than if you only include a small subsection of the company in every decision.
Each person will bring with them their own ideas and stances based on their personal and professional experiences.
Don’t go overboard and invite 100 people to your brainstorming session, but make sure you have a broad section of your company represented.
Set Follow-Ups
It’s unlikely that a single brainstorming session will lead to a magic bullet that solves every aspect of your unexpected problems. A follow-up meeting or two may be necessary to complete the objectives outlined in that first meeting.
Scott Crockett suggests that all brainstorming sessions should end by scheduling follow-up meetings and tasks. The tasks can be assigned to the entire team, or separate attendees can have individual tasks.
Each brainstorming session should produce actionable items that need to be followed up on. The items should have a process, a deadline and a further review period.
This will allow people time to soak in what was discussed at the initial brainstorming session and come up with or refine ideas for the next time the group meets.
About Scott Crockett
Scott Crockett is the founder and CEO of Everest Business Funding. He is a seasoned professional with 20 years of experience in the finance industry. Mr. Crockett’s track record includes raising more than $250 million in capital and creating thousands of jobs. Scott has founded, built, and managed several finance companies in the consumer and commercial finance sectors.