Teams can always benefit from the generation of more and diverse ideas. Whether you are faced with a business challenge, or considering the best way to approach one of your team goals, idea generation can be facilitated with these tools:
1. Brainstorming: Good old brainstorming will always be our easiest tool to pull out. Simply grab a white board or piece of flipchart paper and going around the room, have each team members identify one or two ideas . Ideas which are similar should get a check mark.
Add a twist - Post-It Notes: For groups that might not know each other, or to facilitate a greater range of ideas, first give each member a set of post-it notes or index cards and have them write one idea per card/post-it. Give them several minutes to generate/capture all of their ideas. It can be useful to have each team member post them one at a time on a large piece of butcher paper/flip chart or on the white board. Similar ideas should be grouped together.
2. MindMapping - Made famous by Tony Buzan, MindMapping is a right-brained business tool which enables you to capture all of your ideas in one location. Today’s photo includes a photo of a MindMap in a range of styles - one made by computer, one on paper and one on flipchart.
There are a range of great computer programs which will assist you in MindMapping including MindMeister, MindJet, as well as apps for iphones or android (try MindSchema).
How could you incorporate MindMapping into your meetings or planning?
Which other brainstorming tools would you recommend?
1. Brainstorming: Good old brainstorming will always be our easiest tool to pull out. Simply grab a white board or piece of flipchart paper and going around the room, have each team members identify one or two ideas . Ideas which are similar should get a check mark.
Add a twist - Post-It Notes: For groups that might not know each other, or to facilitate a greater range of ideas, first give each member a set of post-it notes or index cards and have them write one idea per card/post-it. Give them several minutes to generate/capture all of their ideas. It can be useful to have each team member post them one at a time on a large piece of butcher paper/flip chart or on the white board. Similar ideas should be grouped together.
2. MindMapping - Made famous by Tony Buzan, MindMapping is a right-brained business tool which enables you to capture all of your ideas in one location. Today’s photo includes a photo of a MindMap in a range of styles - one made by computer, one on paper and one on flipchart.
There are a range of great computer programs which will assist you in MindMapping including MindMeister, MindJet, as well as apps for iphones or android (try MindSchema).
How could you incorporate MindMapping into your meetings or planning?
Which other brainstorming tools would you recommend?
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Join us for an upcoming Facilitation Skills Intensive program, or bring us in to deliver this program at your location.
Author of Effective Group Coaching and From One to Many: Best Practices of Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Phone: (416)996-TEAM
Potentials Realized
Join us for an upcoming Facilitation Skills Intensive program, or bring us in to deliver this program at your location.
Author of Effective Group Coaching and From One to Many: Best Practices of Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Phone: (416)996-TEAM
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