In the world of remote working, many people have found a lot of advantages to independent work. But that doesn’t mean your team can’t collaborate. A virtual brainstorming session can be just what you need to energize your staff and tackle big challenges. Follow these 5 steps to make everyone excited to turn on their cameras and cook up some new ideas.

1. Define Your Goals

Start by zeroing in on your goals. What problem are you trying to solve? What are your deadlines or restrictions? Once you have your objective, communicate that to your team. Let them know what direction the project is going in, and what will be considered a success. Getting everyone focused on a common idea can streamline your brainstorming process.

2. Create a Comfortable Atmosphere

Next, decide how and when to have the meeting. With staff working apart from each other, set up a special Zoom meeting for the occasion. Help it stand out by using virtual office backgrounds. Not only does this create a sense of unity, you cut down distractions since people won’t focus on what’s going on in other people’s backgrounds. Also touch base about meeting expectations ahead of time.

3. Have an Agenda

Another important step is creating an agenda for the brainstorming session. While this may feel like something that would restrict creativity, a list of key topics can keep everyone focused. It also lets the host guide the group towards the goal and make sure the meeting stays on track. When you make an agenda, you can also make sure everyone has all the tools they need. You can send information on zoom background requirements so everyone can be ready, as well as any documents you may reference.

4. Find Ways To Involve Everyone

This is a collaborative process, so make sure everyone is able to contribute. Think about what everyone’s role is in the meeting. It’s also critical to find a way to organize how people speak. In virtual settings, it’s easy for people to accidentally interrupt each other. Figure out a way to take turns. And utilize the chat feature in your meeting software. That way one person can share a thought with the group while others are talking.

5. Record Your Results

As your team comes up with amazing ideas, make sure you have a way to record them. One idea is to literally record them. When a meeting starts, you can choose to save the session so you can refer to it later. This works whether you’re in Zoom, or another program. Google offers its own conferencing platform, and you can use virtual backgrounds for google meet. More traditional note taking methods work too, like having one person take charge of writing down the most spectacular ideas.

Just because your staff isn’t sitting in the same room doesn’t mean they can’t work together and create something great. With all the tools available, it just takes some planning to make a productive brainstorming session. Look into getting special virtual backgrounds just for these meetings to set the tone even more. When you make the investment, you’ll love the results.