Do you plan brainstorming sessions before creating a project strategy?

YES, I plan and implement brainstorming sessions before any project I start or manage. Here's why:

In fact, I include it in my project plan - it's that important. It's even a must-do if you're working on a tech project that has a lot of subject matter experts - I tap into their brain while developing the following:

1. The activity plan, dependencies, and activity duration
2. Possible risks and issues - they know better about what could go wrong and what to do about it early