Let's NOT “just brainstorm”

"Let's just brainstorm."

You've heard it a hundred times. It sounds open, creative, inclusive. Everyone's invited to think freely.

But what actually happens is that one person takes the mic and doesn't let go. The quiet ones stay quiet. People repeat what's already been said because they were waiting for their turn to talk, not really listening.

Someone's checking their phone under the table, telling themselves they're multitasking. They're not. They're gone.

And the conversation that actually matters got squeezed into the last 10 minutes because of three that really didn't.

The room wasn't short on smart people. Or good intentions.

It just had no container.

I've been facilitating for 15 years now, and it's still what I love doing most. As a facilitator, I've learned that structure isn't the enemy of openness. It's what makes openness possible.

When people know the edges of a conversation, when they understand exactly what we’re trying to land on and how, they stop performing and start having real and interesting ideas and discussion.

Especially in team offsites and retreats, those few days a year when a team gets to step away and actually think together.

I love helping teams make the most of that time, so the conversations that happen are the most productive and honest ones they have all year.

Here are just a few things I do that you can apply immediately in your next strategic team conversation:

1. Replace "any questions?" with something that actually works.

Instead, I ask: "Name one thing you love about this and one thing you'd challenge."

It gives people a structure for their input. It makes dissent feel invited. And it bring more meaningful responses than "any questions?" ever will.

2. Define the output before the conversation starts.

I never allow a session to end with "we'll figure out the details later/next meeting."

Before we begin, I’ve already defined exactly what we need to walk out with. Not a general direction. A specific output: a decision, a prioritized list, a clear next step.

When a conversation has somewhere specific to land, it lands. When it doesn't, it circles aimlessly.

3. Hide the vote until everyone has decided.

When it comes to evaluating ideas or making choices, most people don't choose what excites them. They choose what feels safe or what the most senior person in the room seems to be going for.

So, I give specific decision criteria upfront. And I hide the vote, that way people vote for what they actually believe in. Not for what they think they're supposed to.

4. Play good cop and bad cop in the same session.

I'll cut off a tangent, put an idea in the parking lot, and turn to the person who hasn't spoken and ask them directly what they think. I’ll say "that's not what we're here to decide today" and bring the room back to what matters.

I know my job as a facilitator is to protect the time everyone invested by showing up.

Try these tactics out in your next team meeting. You'll be amazed how much more honest and productive a group gets when it knows its edges.