Brain Dumping for Big Wins

You know when something breaks, you can usually still salvage the good bits. Better yet, you can often turn those broken bits into something new, if not better.

This same method can be applied to your business. Fixing a problem doesn’t have to mean starting over. Sometimes, it just means stripping things back.

Ask yourself this: What’s one thing in your business that isn’t working at the moment? 

Now let’s dive in to figure out what can be salvaged from that broken piece of the puzzle, rather than tossing the whole puzzle.

The best way to tackle this is to do a brain dump. There’s immense value in unloading your ideas and mental clutter onto something concrete yet as simple as a piece of paper. Not only does this let go of stress and clear space for new ideas, it also helps you get organised and follow the trail of each individual thought, which ultimately will lead to your next step.

So what’s the next step?

Mapping out each point from that brain dump. Here’s a few ideas to get you started, but remember you can tailor this step to suit your own ways of working:

1. What’s the end goal?
2. How much effort is this going to take?
3. How long is it going to take?
4. Do the ends justify the means?

Once you’ve turned that mess into a map, it’s time to prioritise! Which of those ideas that were floating around in your brain are actually worth acting on? Are there any that simply aren’t? Get rid of them! In other words, toss out those broken pieces!

Here’s the three secret steps to a successful brain dump:

1. 1. What should you do?
   2. What should you delegate?

• What should you dump?

If you’ve gotten to this stage, you’re ready to start building some momentum. It’s time to commit to your ideas and get the ball rolling.

Share the results of that brain dump with your team. You’re ready to solve a problem, how are you going to do it? What role does everyone else on the team play in this solution?

Getting everyone clear on what their role is and how they can contribute is a huge part of effective change management.

This also opens the floor for others to contribute their ideas about which processes are worth salvaging and which aren’t. You may be surprised to learn what is and isn’t working for the different areas of your business. 

For bonus points: Get everyone on your team to do their own brain dump and follow those three magic steps!

So there you have it, brain dumping for big wins! This is going to have a huge impact on how you operate every day, from decluttering your headspace to turning those floating ideas into firm plans.