Brainstorm + Rules

Instructions

The only way to get to good ideas is to have lots to choose from. The goal of this type of session isn’t a perfect idea, it’s lots of ideas, collaboration, and openness to bold solutions. Instead of thinking about why something won’t work, figure out how it could work. The Brainstorming Rules are meant to provide you with a framework that supports an environment that encourages your team to generate new ideas.

Suggested Time: 60-90 Minutes

Materials Needed: Pens, Post-its, a large sheet of paper or whiteboard

Participants: School team, teachers, and/or students

Step One

Decide who you want to involve in your brainstorm, and invite them to participate.

For example

• A cross-section of the school teams - kitchen staff, administrators, maintenance, teachers, and/or students

• One with a club, class, or small group of students

• Or perhaps you ask a few teachers to join a brainstorm with your cafeteria team.

Step Two

Pass out pens and Post-its to everyone and have a large piece of paper, wall, or whiteboard on which to stick them. It’s important to have some place to capture and keep ideas so everyone can see them all.

Step Three

Set the ground rules. We’ve all been in brainstorm sessions that went nowhere. The goal of this type of session isn’t a perfect idea, it’s lots of ideas, collaboration, and openness to wild solutions. See Brainstorming Tips.

Step Four

Pose the question or prompt you want the group to answer. Even better if you write it down and post it on a wall, whiteboard, or whiteboard, someplace where the whole group can see the prompt.

For example

• Perhaps you are brainstorming around the question “How might we get kids excited about new menu items?” or

• “How might we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month?”

Step Five

As each person has an idea, have them describe it to the group as they put their Post-it on the wall or board.

Step Six

Generate as many ideas as possible.

Tool

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