Creative & Goals

Brainstorming for Beginners: Run the Session with 4 Rules, Group Ideas, Then Narrow Down

If you are running a brainstorming session for the first time, this beginner template helps 4 to 6 people spend 60 minutes getting every idea out under 4 rules and then narrowing them down. The whiteboard puts the topic and the 4 brainstorming rules, a mind map that opens the topic into 6 branches, 3 frames for grouping similar notes and the Six Thinking Hats on the left page, then a 7-row SCAMPER checklist, an impact and ease matrix and a 5-step plan for the 60 minutes on the right page. The task board has 5 columns - topic and prep, diverging, grouping, narrowing down and next actions - and starts with 4 parent tasks and 12 subtasks, from preparation through naming an owner, all not started. If you are not sure how to run a brainstorm, or the same person always does the talking, read the 4 rules aloud first and give everyone 5 silent minutes to write on their own. The topic is not fixed, so the same board works for process improvement or new product ideas.