Learners will probably find that the most confident people tend to dominate. The aim of this task is to show the need for a chairperson.

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1 Teaching notes Level: upper-intermediate and above (B2 C2). Class size: five and above (working in groups of five to eight). Time: approximately two hours. Specialisms The meeting situations in task 3 will work best with: pre-service learners (e.g. Business Studies / MBA students) students of General English with an interest in business. If you re working with in-service professionals: before doing this lesson, make sure that the learners in your group do actually participate in large brainstorming meetings you ll probably want to adapt the meeting situations for your learners particular profession(s). Suggested answers Lead-in: The objectives of a brainstorming meeting 1. Brainstorming meetings work best if participants have a chance to think of some ideas on their own first. Yes People are more likely to take part in the discussion if they ve had some thinking time first. In a large meeting, the chairperson might also have people work in small groups (three or four) to gather ideas before feeding back to the rest of the group. 2. Brainstorming meetings are for gathering ideas, good and bad, not for discussing specifics. Yes and no At this stage the aim is to gather ideas, no matter how unrealistic they may seem. There will need to be a later phase or a separate meeting for evaluating the ideas gathered. However, in the first phase the chairperson may need to ask participants to expand on their ideas or to build on other people s. 3. The chairperson should lead the discussion by starting with their own ideas. No The role of the chairperson is to make sure everyone has the chance to participate and that notes are taken. If the chairperson starts with their own ideas, this is likely to stop other people from sharing theirs. Task 1: The role of the chairperson Learners will probably find that the most confident people tend to dominate. The aim of this task is to show the need for a chairperson Page 1 of 5

2 Task 2: Dealing with difficult behaviour 1. A participant looks bored and is not contributing to the discussion. Probably not a top priority you can t force people to have ideas. Suggest taking a break, e.g. Shall we break for some tea and coffee? Put participants in small groups to build on some of the ideas already suggested. Ask that person to take notes. 2. Every time anyone makes a suggestion, one participant responds with a negative comment. They say why an idea won t work but don t make any positive suggestions. Top priority this undermines the whole brainstorming process. Remind people of the rules of brainstorming, e.g. Please remember that the aim is just to gather ideas at this stage, not to evaluate any of those ideas. Ask the participant to suggest an alternative, e.g. Would you like to offer some suggestions of your own? Invite participants to you their comments, e.g. If you have any comments about the viability of particular ideas, you re welcome to them to me after this meeting. 3. Two participants keep having private, whispered discussions during the meeting. Probably not a top priority unless they are disturbing the others they may be having a relevant discussion! Invite them to share their ideas, e.g. Would you like to share your thoughts with the rest of the group? 4. A participant doesn t want to listen to anyone else s ideas. They keep interrupting and trying to dominate. Top priority this undermines the whole brainstorming process. Remind them of the rules of brainstorming, e.g. Please remember that we ve only got a limited amount of time to hear everyone s ideas. Invite the participant to you their further suggestions, e.g. If you ve got any further suggestions, you re welcome to them to me after this meeting. 5. A participant is not very willing to give an opinion. Probably not a top priority you can t force people to have ideas, and putting them on the spot could make them feel intimidated. Put participants in small groups to build on some of the ideas already suggested. Ask that person to take notes. The following website has useful advice on chairing a brainstorming meeting: Page 2 of 5

3 Lesson: s: to lead a brainstorming meeting and deal with difficult behaviour effectively. Lead-in: The objectives of a brainstorming meeting Which of the statements below do you agree with? 1. Brainstorming meetings work best if participants have a chance to think of some ideas on their own first. 2. Brainstorming meetings are for gathering ideas, good and bad, not for discussing specifics. 3. The chairperson should lead the discussion by starting with their own ideas. Task 1: The role of the chairperson Have a short meeting to brainstorm ideas for a social event next weekend. You are all equally responsible for making sure that: everyone has a chance to put forward their ideas no individual dominates no one criticises ideas at this stage notes are taken. Report back on your group s ideas. Then discuss the following questions: 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of not having a chairperson in your meeting? 2. Did everyone have a chance to put forward their ideas? 3. What tactics did you use to stop any individuals dominating? 4. Did your group manage to keep an open mind about all the ideas suggested? 5. How did you decide who would take notes? Task 2: Dealing with difficult behaviour Look at the examples below of behaviour that a chairperson might have to deal with in a brainstorming meeting. Which situation(s) should the chairperson deal with most urgently? 1. A participant looks bored and is not contributing to the discussion. 2. Every time anyone makes a suggestion, one participant responds with a negative comment. They say why an idea won t work but don t make any positive suggestions. 3. Two participants keep having private, whispered discussions during the meeting. 4. A participant doesn t want to listen to anyone else s ideas. They keep interrupting and trying to dominate. 5. A participant is not very willing to give an opinion. Compare your ideas with your partner. Discuss what strategies the chairperson could use in each situation Page 3 of 5

4 Task 3: You are going to role-play three short brainstorming meetings. For each meeting you will need to decide: the job titles of the participants who will be the chairperson who will take notes. If you are chairing: start the meeting by outlining the objective and reminding people of the rules of brainstorming try to make sure that everyone has a chance to participate deal appropriately with any difficult behaviour. Before you start each meeting, each participant should take a few minutes on their own to note down some ideas. Meeting 1 Your company is sponsoring a new magazine aimed at business people who are learning English. You are on the committee liaising with the publishers. Brainstorm subjects for articles to suggest to the publisher for the first edition of the magazine. Meeting 2 Your company manufactures camping and outdoor adventure equipment. A mistake by the purchasing department means that you now have a large quantity of waterproof material which is surplus to requirements. It is not possible to return the material to the supplier. Brainstorm ways that you could put the material to use Page 4 of 5

5 Meeting 3 Your company has invested a lot of money creating a brand identity for a new toothpaste. An employee has just discovered that the product name sounds like the word toothache in the language of one country where you plan to market the toothpaste. Brainstorm ways to tackle the problem. Feedback Think about the three meetings and discuss the same questions as in task Did the meeting go more smoothly than the meeting in task 1? 2. Did everyone have a chance to put forward their ideas? 3. What tactics were used to stop any individuals dominating? 4. Did your group manage to keep an open mind about all the ideas suggested? Page 5 of 5