So, you led a brainstorm. And it went great! Now what?
When done right, brainstorms are truly something special. (If you’re wondering what we mean by “done right” read THIS.) Their results can lead to groundbreaking communications campaigns, visionary brands or processes that change the game.
But it’s only possible if, after your brainstorming session, you keep up the momentum.
How?
We’re so glad you asked.
Below are some strategies you can use to turn your brainstorming into an action plan, and your action plan into results.
Assign owners for each action item
Ideally, this was done at the end of your brainstorming session. But more often than not, everyone’s grey matter is so spent after all the creative thinking that they leave the meeting in a haze with only a promise to reconnect later.
Time flies when you’re having fun, though. And before you know it, later has turned into now. It’s time to reconnect!
Kick off the next phase of work by scheduling a meeting to talk about next steps. In this meeting, identify who is responsible for what and write it all down. It could look something like this…
| Action Item | Owner | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| Create a Workback Schedule | Carter | EOD Sept. 2 |
| Create a shared folder in our Google Drive | Carter | EOD Sept. 2 |
| Schedule next meeting to review logos and taglines | Carter | EOD Sept. 2 |
| Write 5 tagline options | Carter | EOD Sept. 16 |
| Design 5 logo options | Carter | EOD Sept. 16 |
Partner with a project manager
Do you have a project manager? Great! Do you not have a project manager? Get one!
We have two of them on our team at WordsFresh. And if we may brag, they’re the absolute bee’s knees. (Work with us on a campaign, and you’ll get to experience their amazing-ness for yourself!)
In the example above, Carter is the PM. Take a look at his action items. Without those, Janey and James would create their taglines and logos and then…who knows. Don’t leave the future of your team’s ideas up to chance. Rely on the expertise of a captain to steer your creative ship.
Create a workback schedule
We call this a WBS in the b-i-z, because using acronyms makes you sound cool. (It’s just as effective as any other name, though.) Your WBS, which can be created by your PM in partnership with your creative folks, should note deadlines for important action items and the dates of upcoming meetings. This is how you’ll keep the entire team on track.
Have a question about the date of your next team meeting? Check the WBS. How much time do you have for your internal review process before you meet with decision-makers? Check the WBS.
Is Mercury in retrograde? Check the WBS. Because that might explain a lot.
Build a place to house… everything
When you’re bouncing from your inbox to Dropbox to Microsoft Teams to your desktop, things tend to get lost. Or mixed up. This can be prevented by creating a one-stop shop for everyone involved in the project. (One of our PMs calls this the Town Square, and we kind of love that.)
The software you choose for file storage isn’t as important as creating an intuitive and consistent naming convention for all the stuff you plan to keep there. This holds especially true if you’re working with documents that will go through rounds of revisions.
If you want to upgrade your status from organized to Marie Kondo, however, consider investing in a project management system. These platforms can include links to pertinent files and give you a central place to have conversations related to the project. Plus, it will give you some control over document versioning.
Talk about bringing joy.
Formalize a review and approval process
There may be a hierarchy, as in, “Brad will approve the logo and then send it on to Sheila for final approval.” Or, you may need to bring a group to a consensus, as in, “The marketing team must agree that this logo reflects the purpose of their event.” If you’re in this second scenario, it’s a good idea to determine who has the final say in the event of a tie. Because it can get a bit awkward, and no one likes to design by committee.
Once you have everything nailed down, don’t keep it a secret! Make sure that your team and your decision-makers are all on the same page before you send that first item out for review. This will speed up your approval process and cut down on any potential confusion or conflict.
Make it happen!
Go out there and bring your ideas to life! Take that next step into the great unknown. You may get a little scratched up, but it will be worth it.
And if you’re looking for a guide to help you navigate the path forward, we’re happy to break out our compasses and our canteens. Just say the word.
So, you led a brainstorm. And it went great! Now what?
When done right, brainstorms are truly something special. (If you’re wondering what we mean by “done right” read THIS.) Their results can lead to groundbreaking communications campaigns, visionary brands or processes that change the game.
But it’s only possible if, after your brainstorming session, you keep up the momentum.
How?
We’re so glad you asked.
Below are some strategies you can use to turn your brainstorming into an action plan, and your action plan into results.
Assign owners for each action item
Ideally, this was done at the end of your brainstorming session. But more often than not, everyone’s grey matter is so spent after all the creative thinking that they leave the meeting in a haze with only a promise to reconnect later.
Time flies when you’re having fun, though. And before you know it, later has turned into now. It’s time to reconnect!
Kick off the next phase of work by scheduling a meeting to talk about next steps. In this meeting, identify who is responsible for what and write it all down. It could look something like this…
| Action Item | Owner | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| Create a Workback Schedule | Carter | EOD Sept. 2 |
| Create a shared folder in our Google Drive | Carter | EOD Sept. 2 |
| Schedule next meeting to review logos and taglines | Carter | EOD Sept. 2 |
| Write 5 tagline options | Carter | EOD Sept. 16 |
| Design 5 logo options | Carter | EOD Sept. 16 |
Partner with a project manager
Do you have a project manager? Great! Do you not have a project manager? Get one!
We have two of them on our team at WordsFresh. And if we may brag, they’re the absolute bee’s knees. (Work with us on a campaign, and you’ll get to experience their amazing-ness for yourself!)
In the example above, Carter is the PM. Take a look at his action items. Without those, Janey and James would create their taglines and logos and then…who knows. Don’t leave the future of your team’s ideas up to chance. Rely on the expertise of a captain to steer your creative ship.
Create a workback schedule
We call this a WBS in the b-i-z, because using acronyms makes you sound cool. (It’s just as effective as any other name, though.) Your WBS, which can be created by your PM in partnership with your creative folks, should note deadlines for important action items and the dates of upcoming meetings. This is how you’ll keep the entire team on track.
Have a question about the date of your next team meeting? Check the WBS. How much time do you have for your internal review process before you meet with decision-makers? Check the WBS.
Is Mercury in retrograde? Check the WBS. Because that might explain a lot.
Build a place to house… everything
When you’re bouncing from your inbox to Dropbox to Microsoft Teams to your desktop, things tend to get lost. Or mixed up. This can be prevented by creating a one-stop shop for everyone involved in the project. (One of our PMs calls this the Town Square, and we kind of love that.)
The software you choose for file storage isn’t as important as creating an intuitive and consistent naming convention for all the stuff you plan to keep there. This holds especially true if you’re working with documents that will go through rounds of revisions.
If you want to upgrade your status from organized to Marie Kondo, however, consider investing in a project management system. These platforms can include links to pertinent files and give you a central place to have conversations related to the project. Plus, it will give you some control over document versioning.
Talk about bringing joy.
Formalize a review and approval process
There may be a hierarchy, as in, “Brad will approve the logo and then send it on to Sheila for final approval.” Or, you may need to bring a group to a consensus, as in, “The marketing team must agree that this logo reflects the purpose of their event.” If you’re in this second scenario, it’s a good idea to determine who has the final say in the event of a tie. Because it can get a bit awkward, and no one likes to design by committee.
Once you have everything nailed down, don’t keep it a secret! Make sure that your team and your decision-makers are all on the same page before you send that first item out for review. This will speed up your approval process and cut down on any potential confusion or conflict.
Make it happen!
Go out there and bring your ideas to life! Take that next step into the great unknown. You may get a little scratched up, but it will be worth it.
And if you’re looking for a guide to help you navigate the path forward, we’re happy to break out our compasses and our canteens. Just say the word.
So, you led a brainstorm. And it went great! Now what?
When done right, brainstorms are truly something special. (If you’re wondering what we mean by “done right” read THIS.) Their results can lead to groundbreaking communications campaigns, visionary brands or processes that change the game.
But it’s only possible if, after your brainstorming session, you keep up the momentum.
How?
We’re so glad you asked.
Below are some strategies you can use to turn your brainstorming into an action plan, and your action plan into results.
Assign owners for each action item
Ideally, this was done at the end of your brainstorming session. But more often than not, everyone’s grey matter is so spent after all the creative thinking that they leave the meeting in a haze with only a promise to reconnect later.
Time flies when you’re having fun, though. And before you know it, later has turned into now. It’s time to reconnect!
Kick off the next phase of work by scheduling a meeting to talk about next steps. In this meeting, identify who is responsible for what and write it all down. It could look something like this…
| Action Items / Steps |
|---|
| Create a Workback Schedule Owner: Carter Due Date: EOD Sept. 2 |
| Create a shared folder in our Google Drive Owner: Carter Due Date: EOD Sept. 2 |
| Schedule next meeting to review logos and taglines Owner: Carter Due Date: EOD Sept. 2 |
| Write 5 tagline options Owner: Carter Due Date: EOD Sept. 16 |
| Design 5 logo options Owner: Carter Due Date: EOD Sept. 16 |
Partner with a project manager
Do you have a project manager? Great! Do you not have a project manager? Get one!
We have two of them on our team at WordsFresh. And if we may brag, they’re the absolute bee’s knees. (Work with us on a campaign, and you’ll get to experience their amazing-ness for yourself!)
In the example above, Carter is the PM. Take a look at his action items. Without those, Janey and James would create their taglines and logos and then…who knows. Don’t leave the future of your team’s ideas up to chance. Rely on the expertise of a captain to steer your creative ship.
Create a workback schedule
We call this a WBS in the b-i-z, because using acronyms makes you sound cool. (It’s just as effective as any other name, though.) Your WBS, which can be created by your PM in partnership with your creative folks, should note deadlines for important action items and the dates of upcoming meetings. This is how you’ll keep the entire team on track.
Have a question about the date of your next team meeting? Check the WBS. How much time do you have for your internal review process before you meet with decision-makers? Check the WBS.
Is Mercury in retrograde? Check the WBS. Because that might explain a lot.
Build a place to house… everything
When you’re bouncing from your inbox to Dropbox to Microsoft Teams to your desktop, things tend to get lost. Or mixed up. This can be prevented by creating a one-stop shop for everyone involved in the project. (One of our PMs calls this the Town Square, and we kind of love that.)
The software you choose for file storage isn’t as important as creating an intuitive and consistent naming convention for all the stuff you plan to keep there. This holds especially true if you’re working with documents that will go through rounds of revisions.
If you want to upgrade your status from organized to Marie Kondo, however, consider investing in a project management system. These platforms can include links to pertinent files and give you a central place to have conversations related to the project. Plus, it will give you some control over document versioning.
Talk about bringing joy.
Formalize a review and approval process
There may be a hierarchy, as in, “Brad will approve the logo and then send it on to Sheila for final approval.” Or, you may need to bring a group to a consensus, as in, “The marketing team must agree that this logo reflects the purpose of their event.” If you’re in this second scenario, it’s a good idea to determine who has the final say in the event of a tie. Because it can get a bit awkward, and no one likes to design by committee.
Once you have everything nailed down, don’t keep it a secret! Make sure that your team and your decision-makers are all on the same page before you send that first item out for review. This will speed up your approval process and cut down on any potential confusion or conflict.
Make it happen!
Go out there and bring your ideas to life! Take that next step into the great unknown. You may get a little scratched up, but it will be worth it.
And if you’re looking for a guide to help you navigate the path forward, we’re happy to break out our compasses and our canteens. Just say the word.
SUBSCRIBE TO
Three fresh ideas (and a meme)
Love what you just read? There’s more! Sign up for our monthly newsletter for even more thought-provoking ideas (and reasons to LOL).
