How to Run a Brainstorming Meeting
Recently I attended a Project Management Training that gave the advice “Never call your first meeting for a new team on a project a Kick-Off Meeting but rather call it a Brainstorming Meeting.” I found the advice interesting and pushed the trainer further as to why that was the case. The response I received was that the term “Kick-Off Meeting” can sometimes be misinterpreted that you already have a pre-set agenda for the project and that rather than trying to gain input and insight from your fellow team members in attendance, you simply want them to follow your pre-determined plan of action. Once that was explained, I quickly recalled several “Kick-Off Meetings” of late that definitely did not go as I had planned them and wondered if simply changing the name would have changed the attitudes that came bursting into the room. With that in mind, I found a handy article online about “How to Run a Brainstorming Meeting” and am greatly looking forward to my next “Brainstorming Meeting” rather than my next “Kick-Off Meeting.” Hope you found it as helpful as I did:
http://scottberkun.com/essays/34-how-to-run-a-brainstorming-meeting/
