How do you use data, insights, and feedback to guide and improve cross-functional brainstorming sessions?

1 Define the goal and scope

Before you invite anyone to a brainstorming session, you need to have a clear and specific goal and scope for the session. What is the problem or opportunity you want to address? What are the criteria and constraints for the solution? What are the expected outcomes and deliverables? Having a well-defined goal and scope will help you select the right participants, prepare the relevant data and insights, and focus the discussion.

2 Gather and share data and insights

Data and insights are essential for informing and inspiring your brainstorming session. You need to gather and share relevant data and insights from various sources, such as customer feedback, market research, user analytics, industry trends, best practices, and internal metrics. You also need to make sure that the data and insights are accurate, reliable, and up-to-date. You can use different formats and tools to present and share the data and insights, such as dashboards, reports, charts, graphs, or stories. The goal is to provide a common ground and context for the brainstorming session, as well as to spark curiosity and creativity.

3 Facilitate a collaborative and inclusive session

During the brainstorming session, you need to facilitate a collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone can contribute and build on each other's ideas. You can use different techniques and methods to stimulate and structure the brainstorming session, such as brainstorming questions, mind maps, sticky notes, brainwriting, or online platforms. You also need to set some ground rules and norms for the session, such as encouraging divergent thinking, suspending judgment, respecting different perspectives, and giving equal voice and attention. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible, without filtering or evaluating them at this stage.

4 Collect and analyze feedback

After the brainstorming session, you need to collect and analyze feedback from the participants and other stakeholders. You can use different methods and tools to gather and organize feedback, such as surveys, polls, ratings, comments, or discussions. You also need to analyze the feedback to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the brainstorming session, as well as the themes and patterns of the ideas generated. The goal is to evaluate the quality and quantity of the ideas, as well as the satisfaction and engagement of the participants.

5 Synthesize and prioritize ideas

Based on the feedback and analysis, you need to synthesize and prioritize the ideas generated from the brainstorming session. You need to group and categorize the ideas according to their relevance, feasibility, originality, and impact. You also need to rank and score the ideas based on their alignment with the goal and scope, as well as their potential value and benefit. The goal is to narrow down the ideas to a manageable number of viable and promising options.

6 Communicate and iterate

Finally, you need to communicate and iterate on the ideas generated from the brainstorming session. You need to share and present the ideas to the relevant stakeholders, such as sponsors, managers, customers, or users. You also need to solicit and incorporate feedback and suggestions to refine and improve the ideas. The goal is to validate and test the ideas, as well as to plan and execute the next steps.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?