As a Green Belt, the projects you usually lead are "just-do-it" projects where the solutions are fairly straightforward. The necessary action needs no further analysis and is only a matter of implementation.

But occasionally you and your team may face a blank wall. You need to be creative and come up with an innovative solution, generating as many solutions as possible so you can evaluate their viability.

This is where a brainstorming session comes in handy. A brainstorming session generates a workable list that the team can take forward for evaluation.

However, a brainstorming session does not always yield productive results. As a project leader, it is crucial that you steer the team towards a productive session.

Here are some of the most common reasons a brainstorming session might fail, and what you can do to avoid them.

1. Not setting a goal. Your project always has a goal, so why not set one for your brainstorming session? Framing or clarifying the question that needs to be answered might seem obvious, but it is worth the effort to put it up front. What is the goal of the session? Is it to list the top 3 ways to generate website traffic? Is it to list possible enhancements to a new model? Framing the question helps the team decide how much time to devote to the session and establish its success indicators.

2. Not using a method. While a brainstorming session is mostly a free-for-all of idea generation and involves a lot of right-brain thinking, the facilitation process needs structure. This is where your skill as a project leader comes in. Decide on the best tool to facilitate your session. In my experience, the most effective ones are SCAMPER, Mind Mapping, Anti-Solution and Six Thinking Hats.

3. No pre-work done. Some team members might think the session is just a series of rambling and sharing, and some could come unprepared. The best way to start the session and get the ball rolling is to assign a bit of pre-work. For example, before the actual meeting, ask the members to come up with 1 or 2 ideas aligned with the question being asked.

4. No follow-through. The brainstorming session is not an end in itself. Once you have generated a list at the end, you need to follow up to ensure that the proposed solutions are evaluated (there are several tools for this as well, such as the PICK matrix).

5. Too many or too few members. The number of members can ultimately dictate the number of proposals to evaluate at the end. An additional member can have a synergistic effect on the ideas. Too many members, though, can be hard to facilitate, and an hour or two will not be enough to cover everyone. The workable number is around 5 to 6.

6. Too many distractions. Successful brainstorming sessions require focus. The last thing you want is distracted members who keep checking their mobile phones for messages, or members who step out for a few minutes to respond to operational concerns. Implement a closed-door, no-outside-communication policy so that all effort and attention go to the session.

7. Not in the proper mindset. The most innovative solutions require a spark of creativity and ingenuity. They require lateral thinking. You won't know where that insight will come from, but you can prime your team members for lateral thinking by giving them out-of-the-box thinking puzzles ahead of the session or in its first few minutes. Popular puzzles include the Completion Test, the Word Association Test and the Incomplete Picture.

A successful brainstorming session can ultimately determine the best solution to the problem at hand and have a tremendous impact on the success of a project. As a Green Belt practitioner, make sure you avoid the pitfalls above so you can make the most of your session.