In another post, I encouraged you to “plan with people, not for people.” I whole-heartedly believe in that principle. But have you ever tried to do a successful brainstorming session with a group of people? The process can leave you exhausted, off-track, and vowing to “never try that again.”

Next time, you might try using mind maps to collect information and guide the discussion. Mind maps are a great brainstorming and “group-think” tool, allowing you to list, connect, and interlink thoughts as they emerge from the group. The format is much more easy to follow that simple lists, and allows you to show relationship between ideas or groups of ideas. Plus, the visual nature of a mind map bolsters the creative thinking of the group overall. Check out http://www.12manage.com/methods_mind_mapping.html for more information and some examples. Then pull out your whiteboard, easel pad, and markers and get started!