Professional Services

Brainstorming Session

What is it about?

It consists in a method that favours creative thinking with main objective to generate quickly a large number of ideas. This technique applies for individual as well as group sessions that are usually held with a facilitator.

Aim

The aim is to toss out ideas and generate a large quantity of suggestions to identify a maximum number of potential facets of a problem or a subject, find the causes and solutions of a specific problem or emerge new interesting ideas to put into practice.

General Objectives

• Express the maximum possible varied and original ideas

• Improve the ideas brought with the consultant and select with him the best ideas enabling to solve particular concerns

• Create new ideas to

  • improve your management

  • explore efficient marketing trails

  • develop relationships with clients

  • motivate your staff

  • develop teams

  • develop new markets

  • develop a project

  • solve problems

Examples of precise objectives

• Formulate a new job description for a customer service employee

• Formulate a series of new promotional activities for the next year

• Suggest ways of improving cooperation between sales and service departments

• Stimulate the image and/or the strategy of the business

• Developing a strategic plan

Types of sessions

• Individual Session (the consultant and 1 person)
  The session is usually 2 hours

• Semi-individual Session (the consultant and 2 persons from same organisation)
  The session is usually a half-day session of 3 hours

• Small Group Session (3 to 7 persons from same organisation, to ensure the efficiency of such a session)
  The session is usually a one-day session of 6 hours, to enable each participant to come up with as much ideas as possible

Meeting Plan

• Submission of a confidentiality engagement letter signed by Global 21

• Introduction of the problem(s) or the subject(s) related to the brainstorming session

• Define clearly the problem(s) or the subject(s) related to the brainstorming session and agree about them

• The consultant-facilitator reminds about his role and the rules that makes the success of such session then invite people to express ideas

• Participants launch ideas that represent solutions to a problem or ideas to the problem or the subject while the consultant (moderator) write them on the board

• The consultant-facilitator gathers a maximum of ideas giving free rein to all kinds of suggestions and write them on the board in a clear way

• Analyse the list - Bring the necessary improvements - Sort out the ideas and Organise them into a hierarchy - Select the best ideas, evaluate and develop them

• Write about 5 criterias for judging which ideas best solve the specific problem(s) or are innovator in relation to the chosen topic

Role of the Consultant (Facilitator)

The consultant's role summarises as follows:

• liven up the session

• state the aim of the working session

• allocate the speaking time

• make sure that the group is not dominated by some people and that the dialogue remains cordial and constructive

• stimulate the production of ideas and help people to express them as well as organise them in an efficient way

• lead people to focus on the problem

• allow the group to keep most interesting ideas and solutions

Costs

• Individual Session (the consultant and 1 person), 2 hours: $ 500

• Semi-individual Session (the consultant and 2 persons from same organisation), 3 hours: $ 750

• Small Group Session (3 to 7 persons from same organisation), 6 hours : $ 1,500

      Travel costs are extra