Series - Utilizing Coaching Skills to Become a Better Leader – Part 8 Brainstorming

Have you ever felt stuck and completely blocked when trying to resolve a problem? It happens frequently to my clients during coaching sessions. The good news is there is a coaching technique that helps get those creative juices flowing again. This technique can also be utilized as an effective leadership tool to generate ideas and choose the best direction to proceed – it is called “brainstorming”. 

While most of us have probably participated in brainstorming sessions, they may not have been run with the parameters to get the best outcome. Brainstorming is defined as a divergent thinking process of gathering a large number of ideas in a short amount of time. It involves free-flowing, non-judgmental, and spontaneous sharing of many ideas on a specific topic or problem. The key word is “non-judgmental”, which can be a challenge amongst participants especially when individuals dismiss the validity of someone else’s thoughts and give greater value to their own idea.

When you google “brainstorming techniques”, you get numerous suggestions, such as the five whys, mind mapping, the star bursting method, and many, many more. You get to choose which one best suits your style. 

As a coach, I have the firm belief that the answers to all questions lie within. I do not impose solutions but trust that my clients already know what is best for them. I simply help them switch from the left side of the brain, which is the analytical part, to the right side, which is the creative side. I initiate the process by asking the client for permission to brainstorm with them, where we are both throwing out ideas and I emphasize that we are holding off on evaluating the ideas until later. Then I start the process by proposing an outrageous or funny thought to break the ice. Then it is the client’s turn to do the same. Once we are running out of ideas, the client gets to choose which idea(s) to implement.

In group settings, I frequently propose the “yes, and method” (as opposed to yes, but), which picks up on a certain portion of an idea and builds upon it. Many people tend to judge other people’s ideas, which will limit the amount of creativity in the brainstorming process. The yes, and method assumes that there is always a portion of validity in an idea that can be picked up and improved upon without entirely dismissing it.

I hope I have given you some food for thought on how you can utilize brainstorming as a tool in your leadership bag to generate ideas for your team and bring out the best in them. It should be a fun activity that improves teamwork and communication if done right. If you want to learn more about improving your leadership skills or your own performance, contact me at angela@belladonnacareercoach.com. I’d love to chat.