Brainstorming Principles and Procedures: A Community Management Training Technique
by Phil Bartle
The Purpose of Brainstorming
The purpose of a brainstorming session is to work as a group to define a problem, and find, through creative thinking, the best group decision for a plan of action to solve it. These basic guidelines will help you lead a group to making a decision by consensus. The technique can be used in a variety of settings and is essentially a way to facilitate creative group decision making.
While you need good leadership qualities to conduct the session, and must be very firm in ensuring that the format and ground rules of the session are followed (e.g., no criticism or cross talk is allowed), you will be ensuring that the decisions are seen to be that of the group, not imposed upon them by yourself.
Requirements:
- A problem to solve;
- A group with potential to work as a team. This works with a small management or operational team of five to ten people (e.g., trainers, field workers, a trade union), all the way up in size to a village meeting of a few hundred people;
- A board, large sheets of newsprint, or something that can be seen easily by all, and some large markers to write on it; and
- A facilitator (you). Someone who's task is to draw out the suggestions from the participants, not to impose her or his own opinions, while still using leadership skills to maintain the order and purpose of the session.
The Ground Rules:
- The facilitator leads each session;
- The facilitator calls for suggestions from the participants;
- No criticism (of anyone's suggestion) by anyone is allowed; and
- All suggestions should be recorded on the board (even the crazy ones).
The Procedure:
1. Define the problem:
- Ask for suggestions as to what is the most important problem;
- No criticism (of anyone's suggestion) by anyone is allowed;
- Write all the suggested problems on the board;
- Group together any problems that are similar or related; then
- Rearrange them and list them in priority (most important ones at the top).
2. Generate the Goal:
- Reverse the definition of the problem (it's solution);
- The solution to the problem defined above is the goal;
- Define the goal as the solution to the problem;
- Write the goal on the board; then
- Remind the group that the goal is the one that they selected.
3. Define the Objective:
- Explain the difference between a goal and an objective -- (an objective is measurable, finite, and has a completion date).
- Ask the group to suggest objectives;
- Write all the suggested objectives on the board;
- No criticism (of anyone's suggestion) by anyone is allowed;
- Group together any objectives that are similar or related;
- Rearrange them and list them in priority (most important at top); then
- Remind the group that they generated the top objective(s).
4. Identify resources and constraints:
- Ask the group to suggest resources and constraints;
- Write all the suggested resources and constraints on the board;
- No criticism (of anyone's suggestion) by anyone is allowed;
- Group together any resources that are similar or related.
- Rearrange them and list them in priority (most important at top).
- Remind the group that they generated the list;
- Group together any constraints that are similar or related.
- Rearrange them and list them in priority (most important at top); then
- Remind the group that they generated the list.
5. Identify a strategy:
- Ask the group to suggest strategies;
- Write all the suggested strategies on the board;
- No criticism (of anyone's suggestion) by anyone is allowed;
- Group together any strategies that are similar or related;
- Rearrange them and list them in priority (most important at top);
- Remind the group that they generated the list; then
- Choose the strategy that remains at the top of the list.
6. Summarize on the board the group decisions:
- the problem;
- the goal;
- the objectives;
- the resources;
- the constraints; and
- the strategy.
Inform the group that they have produced a plan of action. If some one would write down what was decided in each of the above categories, they would have the essence of a standard planning document. Let them know that they have produced it as a team, and that they "own" the plan.
Conclusion: It is simple. That does not mean it is easy. It improves with practice. You can intersperse the different phases of it with role playing, group games and other techniques of group work. Experiment with it and try different styles.
Good luck and successful mobilizing!
Permission is granted to copy or forward some parts or all of this document, so long as the source is identified. Brainstorming Principles and Procedures: A Community Management Training Technique by Phil Bartle
