Ideating with introverts at work: Silent brainstorming and other techniques

We’ve all been in a meeting where we don’t feel we can speak up. Maybe someone else is sharing boldly and we don’t feel as confident about our contributions, or perhaps we feel put on the spot and can’t think of anything to contribute in the first place. A traditional brainstorming session with a facilitator calling for ideas and team members sharing sometimes works, but oftentimes, it leaves ideas unheard.

We all have different communication styles. From analytical communicators who prefer data analysis and logic to personal communicators who care deeply about fostering positive working relationships in the workplace, everyone has preferences for how they work best. Collaboration equity ensures everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute and do their best work according to their needs and preferences.

In this article, we’ll explore more than seven ways groups can facilitate inclusive ideation sessions that help promote collaboration equity, especially when managing introverted team members.

Before the meeting: The setup

An effective brainstorming session starts with adequate preparation: Create an agenda. Agendas aren’t only for keeping discussion on track during the meeting; they’re also key in getting ready for it. When participants receive the agenda before the meeting, it allows them to consider its contents, form questions, and proactively think about their ideas and how they can contribute. This practice is helpful for everyone, especially introverts, who may feel uncomfortable ideating on the spot without having time to think about the topic beforehand.

During the meeting: In action

Once the brainstorming session actually begins, there are several ways you can foster comfort for everyone, so each participant feels empowered to contribute. Consider these features in Lucid that are perfect for inclusive brainstorming:

1. Timer: Using a timer to set aside a specific amount of time to brainstorm offers dedicated silent time for reflection. This is perfect for someone who prefers to process information internally before sharing.

2. Sticky notes: Sharing thoughts with sticky notes allows each idea to have the same visual weight. This way, the quality of the idea is assessed, not the confidence or vocal volume of the person who shared it.

3. Team voting: Lucid offers many ways to vote on ideas and decide on next steps. Voting sessions allow you to provide each participant with a number of votes, which they can make without saying anything. Votes can even be placed anonymously, fully removing any pressure participants may feel to support a specific person or idea.

4. Visual Activities: Visual Activities offer an alternative to voting sessions, allowing participants to prioritize ideas on an axis or matrix, or categorize ideas. Everyone will complete the activity simultaneously, avoiding vote influencing. Plus, you can make responses anonymous, promoting honest thoughts and feelings.

5. Private mode: Private mode is valuable for everyone, but especially for an introvert at work. When private mode is enabled, sticky note authors are hidden, so participants can voice their true thoughts without fear of judgment or without having to pitch or defend anything verbally.

Consider giving team members who do want to share ideas a designated time frame so that no one can dominate the conversation. You can also try a formalized way of sharing, like going down a list to ensure equal opportunity or “popcorn-style,” where a participant selects the next participant to share. They then select the next participant, and so on. If you intend to try something like this, we recommend including it on the agenda beforehand so everyone can come mentally prepared!

Try silent brainstorming

In conjunction with some of these tools, you can also host silent meetings to see if they resonate with your team. Silent brainstorming is a technique that encourages participants to independently come up with as many ideas as possible within a certain timeframe before sharing any of them. It can be a helpful way to promote inclusivity in your session while also generating a large number of ideas. Silent brainstorming is easy in Lucid, where each participant can have their own dedicated breakout board to ideate.

After the meeting: Reflect and follow up

Just because the meeting ends doesn’t mean your work is over. Take whatever ideas remain and categorize them using Tags. Then, use the sort ideas feature to organize the ideas into categories with AI. Then, to maintain the session’s momentum and move toward your goals, @mention teammates to assign next steps and action items.

Don’t forget to collect feedback about the session to see if anyone has any ideas on improving. Feedback is the best way to know how to engage quiet team members—you won’t learn preferences unless you ask!

Maximize your results with inclusive brainstorming techniques and tips

Inclusive brainstorming is about more than comfort. When team members can participate in a way that works for them, they’ll feel empowered to offer their diverse ideas and perspectives. This can spark innovation, surfacing ideas that otherwise wouldn’t have been uncovered. Whether you want to try silent brainstorming, host a voting session, or try a visual activity, Lucid is a one-stop shop for promoting collaborative equity on your team while hosting effective brainstorming sessions.