Vasja Petkovska is a Forbes Councils writer and director of Amplius, a pioneering IT field service management company in Sweden.
The right hemisphere of our brains is said to be where our creativity comes from when facing an unfamiliar situation. The left side of the brain is generally known to be more for logic, though it also plays an important role in creativity when you’re experienced at the task.
But regardless of the task at hand, sometimes, you might feel like no ideas are coming your way. This is why I believe brainstorming can be so exciting, particularly for leaders. You get to use your brain actively. You can also receive feedback from people who might have a completely new perspective.
I recently participated in a mastermind session with four people I had never met. The session was organized by two professors. We set some constraints, and one by one, each person presented a challenge in the area of sales. We followed up by asking relevant questions and spent time brainstorming solutions. The most fun part was that even though all of us came from a different industry, we were able to offer one another creative solutions and ideas.
As a business leader, talking to someone who is not from your field of work can be beneficial in mastermind sessions, as you often gain insights and ideas that you never thought of yourself. If you have heard the saying, “Change your circumstances to change your results,” brainstorming can be a great way to do just that.
The Power Of Brainstorming
To illustrate the value brainstorming can offer, consider this: One participant in my group explained that his company sold internet towers in Africa to a client whose contract is up for renewal soon. These towers are powered by diesel generators, and the client wants them connected to the public electricity grid. But he explained that the public grid is unstable, and power would need to be carried over a long distance since the infrastructure was not established in that particular area.
We discussed leveraging grants and green loans offered by governments and organizations to address this issue and suggested that the company could install solar panel fields to power the towers and potentially sell excess electricity back to the grid. Additionally, we proposed considering wind turbines on the towers as a new product and service offering.
Another attendee told us that he leads a team selling penthouses in Saudi Arabia, where properties come with a mandatory monthly fee for services like dog walking and pool cleaning. However, he explained that many people are raised to understand that when you buy a property, you own it fully and no additional expenses exist, which posed a significant challenge for their sales team.
He mentioned that some sales are made to international buyers seeking second homes or relocation accommodations. We suggested targeting these customers more effectively and reaching out to companies hiring foreign talent to offer discounts as relocation perks. We also recommended creating ads with current tenants’ testimonials, building a community within the community or developing amenities such as beauty salons or golf courses for cross-selling opportunities and to attract investors.
Maximizing Success With Mastermind Sessions
To set up your own mastermind group, I recommend looking outside of your regular close network. Consider people you never worked with and people who don’t work with the same things as you. You can post a prompt on LinkedIn or Reddit, for example, and explain the subject on which the brainstorming sessions will focus. You might be surprised by how many people sign up. Or, if you are in a coworking space, that could also be an opportunity to meet potential participants in person.
Once you’re at the brainstorming session, make sure you present rules to help guide the discussion. But, at the same time, keep an open mind to others’ suggestions.
Here are some best practices or “rules” that can help:
• Take two minutes to present your problem.
• Take three minutes for the other peers to ask questions to help clarify the problem.
• The presenter exits the room, whether virtual or physical.
• The team brainstorms solutions for 10 minutes.
• The presenter comes back to listen for different solutions for five minutes.
Afterward, you can set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals (known as SMART goals) and a deadline for implementing your chosen solutions. In your group’s next brainstorming sessions, you can begin by each sharing which actions you’ve taken since your previous meeting. This is great for accountability.
Ending Thoughts
I’ve found mastermind sessions inspiring. They can also help you build confidence as everyone comes up with ideas and achieves a state of flow. Another benefit is that you end up networking. If your interests align with other members of your group, you might end up building real connections. You may even connect to more people who can help with your challenge by tapping into the network of your peers.
And don’t forget that these sessions are as much for others as they are for yourself. A successful mastermind session should be a win-win for everyone. Each person should be supported, inspired and encouraged.
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