IDEATION TOOL: BRAINWRITING

For those deep thinkers, idea perfectionists and maybe introverts, the shout-out brainstorming session is not as effective as it should be. Some don’t like it at all. Here’s an alternative to get better results from those who prefer to think before stating an idea and those who like to read others’ inputs in order to build on them.

 This tool is good for long term improvement or initiation of new projects. It’s an ideational tool where you get some time to think it over, experiment with some details, and build on a number of ideas at the same time

How to do it:

Bring a large plain notebook, write a very short description of the challenge that you want to generate solutions for. Keep it to 3-5 lines only. 

This notebook will go around the team, staying with each person one or two days (or longer for long-term projects). Each team member will read the challenge, and come up with all the ways to address this challenge in the allotted time (be firm with deadline: when does the notebook leave the person’s desk). Passing it on, the next employees will read others’ contributions, rate them, build on them if they have additions, or generate their own ideas to the challenge at hand. Encourage information, graphics, images, sketches, diagrams, changing parts of the solution, eliminating extras, alternatives to the proposed solution, etc. In other words, play with those ideas.

Depending on the number of people in your team, and the length of time you provided each member, you get back your notebook (anything between 1 and 10 weeks). Go for a second round so the people who started the process get to see how their ideas progressed, if any.

The next phase really depends on your needs: you can initiate a second challenge to keep those ideas coming, meet the team to decide on ideas, or prototype one or more of the suggestions.

Here’s a fast version of the same tool:

You can do the same technique in one setting. Send the challenge and get members to think ahead of the meeting and write their ideas on sticky-notes (one idea per note). Prepare a good number of brainwriting worksheet (each has 9 big squares on the plain page). Once you schedule the ideation meeting, bring those ideas on sticky-notes and place them on the top row of each brainwriting worksheet, leaving 2 rows empty. This will be the start of the session.

Silently, each individual will take a paper (that has 3 ideas on it) and for each idea written, they will add to it or develop it further in the 2 boxes below it (vertically), keeping each partial idea in its own space. If they have additional ideas not listed they can start their own column. Once filled, put the paper back on the table and pick up another one. Go through the process again. Until the time finishes, usually one hour or less. The designated person will collect ideas, type them and then send them to the team members for the next phase.

Try it and let us know how did it work for you.

Cheers,

Randah