Initially the group thinks as [...]]]> The Disney Method is a parallel thinking technique which has some similarities with the Six Hats. It is particularly useful as a group analysis tool for an issue and it leads to idea generation and idea review.  The team adopts four different thinking modes as outsiders, dreamers, realisers and critics.

Initially the group thinks as outsiders and review the facts, data and external viewpoints regarding the issue at hand. They might take the roles of consultants, customers, suppliers or competitors in order to get a more rounded view of the issue.

The group then leaves the room and re-enters (or goes to another room) but this time as dreamers.  They strive to imagine an ideal solution without any constraints.  They brainstorm all sorts of ideas to resolve the problem using divergent thinking.  No criticism or judgment is allowed.  Many ideas are generated and written down.

The group leaves the room and then returns as realisers – realists with a practical, constructive mindset.  They review the ideas that the dreamers generated and apply criteria to converge on the best ideas.  Once they have selected the best idea they work it up into a project plan with costs timescales, risks and benefits.

The group now turns to the fourth thinking style and everyone becomes a critic who reviews the plan in order to identify problems, obstacles and risks.  They are not negative or cynical but critical and constructive.  Their objective is to spot the issues with the plan and to make it better.

At this stage the process might be complete or you might want to go back to one of the other styles in order to get an outsider’s view of the plan, to dream of new or enhanced plans or to work as realisers on the details of the plan.

Some people find this method easier to use than the Six Hats.  It will generally deliver good ideas and a well-considered project plan.

Paul Sloane

Introduction to Brainstorming – the Principles

Two Advanced Methods – SCAMPER and Random Word

Each consists of slides and audio.  They will quickly help you to brush up your skills and to learn some highly effective tools to make your [...]]]> I am in the process of making some tutorials on brainstorming.  Here are the first two:

Introduction to Brainstorming – the Principles

Two Advanced Methods – SCAMPER and Random Word

Each consists of slides and audio.  They will quickly help you to brush up your skills and to learn some highly effective tools to make your brainstorm meetings more effective.

Paul Sloane

After an initial ice-breaker [...]]]> We ran the Ideas Jam meeting yesterday and it went well. It was an intensive idea generation session. There were 18 participants from various companies who each brought a challenge from their business – e.g. How can we communicate our new strategy to thousands of people? The morning worked like this:

After an initial ice-breaker we had 45 minutes of ‘speed dating.’ Each person met another person for 3 minutes and acted as a consultant for their challenge. The consultant asked questions and made suggestions (which could not be rejected or criticised). Then the roles were reversed. After the six minute date people moved on to their next date.

Next we divided into three groups of six. Each group choose one challenge and then used the ‘nominal’ brainstorming method to quickly generate 60 ideas. We used the Novel, Attractive, Feasible criteria to select the best ideas from each group and then presented back.

We formed new groups of six and used ‘Reverse the problem’ to generate ideas for another challenge. Finally we used Pass the Parcel to come up with really radical ideas for a further challenge.

Each delegate then chose the best idea(s) for their challenge and identified the benefits and next steps.

The feedback showed that the participants went away with great ideas and some powerful new tools to improve idea generation and implementation in their businesses.

Paul Sloane

The next meeting of the BQF Innovation Unit will consist of an Ideas Jam to be held in central London on the morning of Tuesday July 13.

This is a highly interactive workshop style meeting in which people generate creative ideas for challenges which have been brought to the meeting.

Here are the sorts of events you could run:

• A lunchtime brainstorm with [...]]]> If there is an important issue that needs some creative ideas then set a specific challenge for it and run an ideas event. A regular brainstorm or ideation meeting is fine but why not add some excitement with a different approach?

Here are the sorts of events you could run:

• A lunchtime brainstorm with pizza and drinks.

• A team contest where teams post ideas on an intranet site and everyone can vote for their favourite.

• A reality TV game show where people vote out the worst ideas and the number of contestants is whittled down to a winner.

• A party where people have to contribute ideas to get treats such as snacks and drinks.

• An ideas event where you bring in some external people to get diversity of thinking. They could be suppliers, customers, students or relatives of employees.

• An offsite event at a zoo, art gallery, museum, stately home or other interesting venue (but not a hotel – they are too dull)

Announce the challenge in specific terms and the criteria that will be used to select the best idea and then let the proceedings begin. Place a deadline on when ideas have to be submitted. That will help concentrate the mind. Also, show ideas that have already been submitted so as to avoid duplication. This also allows contributors to build on other people’s ideas.

The event needs proper facilitation with good brainstorming disciplines; no criticism, divergent thinking, going for quantity etc. Then the ideas need to be evaluated and the best ones actioned.

By running an event you focus attention and energy on the issue. People know that it is important and therefore they will make an effort. The event registers in their subconscious minds and the result should be a wealth of ideas. In addition the event will often be motivational, team-building and fun.

Paul Sloane
Destination Innovation

He then [...]]]> Mark McGuiness on his blog, Lateral Action, asks the question, ‘Is brainstorming a waste of time?’  He produces a number of serious critics who hate brainstorms and claim that there is little evidence that they work.   The main criticisms are:

He then introduce arguments from the believers in brainstorms who claim that a well-run brainstorm will produce good ideas.  His conclusion is this;

‘brainstorming only makes a difference if it is part of a larger creative process, as you see at IDEO, Pixar, and other places that do real creative work. ‘

I disagree.  I believe that a well-facilitated brainstorm will generally produce great ideas for a well stated problem.  The question of whether individuals can produce better ideas on their own is beside the point.  It is a bit like arguing that the 11 players in a soccer team would get more exercise if they all went jogging instead of playing soccer.  The point is that both approaches are valid, worthwhile and different.  They are both 100 times better than doing nothing!

Paul Sloane

P.S. There are more comments on this at the Mindjet blog.

Two types of groups generated ideas. One followed [...]]]> There is an interesting post on some research on Brainstorming here on the Innovation Tools site.  Josh Hyatt of the Sloan Management Review discusses some research by Karan Girotra, a professor at INSEAD, and Christian Terwiesh and Karl T. Ulrich, both professors at the University of Pennsylvania.

Two types of groups generated ideas. One followed a traditional model, assembling a group – in this case, students studying product design – and having them come up with appropriate product ideas for dorm rooms. They worked solely in a group. The other group took a hybrid approach: Those students worked on ideas by themselves before coming together to share their thinking.

Which technique yielded the best ideas?  Strictly speaking, the traditional brainstorming groups came up with the very best ideas. They also came up with the very worst ones. In other words, their results’ quality varied much more than did the hybrid group’s results. The hybrid group produced more ideas that were, on average, of higher quality.  But, as Girotra notes, “when it comes to innovation, the extremes are what matter – not the norm and not the average.”  So, if both groups work for the same amount of time, the traditional brainstorming team “significantly outperforms” the hybrid group when it comes to producing the best ideas, according to the authors.

This finding contradicts most existing literature on the subject, which tends to conclude that while working in teams is more satisfying, working alone generates the most effective ideas.  But “what we found makes sense, since the most successful creative firms do mostly use team processes for brainstorming,” Terwiesch says. “We just brought some new thinking to the subject.”

Full article on Innovation Tools.

Paul Sloane