Covid-19 pandemic has taught us many things about adjustments and making the most of the situation. It is no surprise then that organizations are coming with novel ideas to tackle the work system’s efficiency in a remote environment.
The pandemic has created a very uncertain situation where no one knows when the business will be back on track in a face-to-face manner. Until then, all decision-making, problem-solving or sharing ideas are possible remotely.
Let us understand the best way to carry out this distant brainstorming process.
Make the best of collective knowledge.
Every workplace has to encounter some or the other problem at every juncture. It is necessary to find a viable solution to proceed further. However, under the present circumstances, when board meetings or one-to-one discussions are not possible, it is better to collect ideas from different members and then analyze them to come to a most agreeable solution.
Remember, every individual has a unique thought process, and sometimes the best and brilliant ideas or solutions can come from most unsuspected sources. Thus, before starting the online brainstorming session, select the participants carefully. Discuss with the colleagues to find out which members have a better knowledge to tackle that particular problem. If a person is adept at handling a specific process, then thoughts are definitely on that issue. Incorporating such members in the discussion can help get insight into possible solutions. Nonetheless, collective data of ideas from different members can help chart out how to effectively tackle the problem. Therefore, the analysis of concepts and the final consensus is vital before taking action.
Different time zones can be advantageous.
The advantage of remote brainstorming is that one need not be in the same time zone to share the ideas. When there are physical meetings for discussion, all must be available at that particular time. However, for an online session, each individual can send the ideas separately and have the freedom to think without distraction.
Besides collecting unique ideas, one can make small groups and document their collective thoughts together. It is often noticed that when many people are thinking about the same problem, they are likely to come up with a similar solution, as they tend to think alike.
Give a chance to every member to voice their idea and make collective data of all the ideas. Circulate this amongst the staff for feedback and finalize the most viable ideas selected. After short-listing the ideas, it becomes easy to study them further and come to the final solution.
Be specific
Unless the members participating in the brainstorming session are not well- versed with the issue at hand, there will be confusion and the discussion going in all directions, without achieving the expected outcome.
Precise briefing about the problem is vital to save both time and energy. When the members know what you are aiming for, it is easy to channelize the thought process in that direction and come to a sensible solution.
CONCLUSION
Every problem has a solution. During this remote working environment, the need of the hour is to make the most of the situation, plan properly, and utilize the expertise of members to come to the most agreeable and effective solution.
Recent Comments