Try This: Brainwriting for Rapid Engagement
No, that’s not a typo.
But since you’re thinking of brainstorming, let’s identify how it’s different from our focus for today, brainwriting.
When it comes to generating ideas, brainstorming typically consists of getting a group of people together to generate an idea on how to approach a particular problem. During this process, a few things may happen:
- It’s a drawn out process
- Sometimes the most vocal of the group tend to dominate the conversation
- There’s one person documenting the ideas (and can’t fully participate because they’re too busy writing down everyone’s ideas)
- The person documenting typically has the most power in how the idea looks when written down
- There are a lot of ideas, but fewer suggestions on what to do with these ideas
- There’s a greater chance for boredom
In comparison, brainwriting addresses these concerns by:
- Limiting the amount of time the group generates ideas
- Everyone participates equally rather than the most vocal of the group
- Everyone is writing down their ideas instead of one person
- Everyone decides how their idea looks written down
- Everyone has the opportunity to provide a variation of the ideas, which promotes for creativity and insights into next steps
- It’s more engaging
Brainwriting is a more effective process because it allows for more individuality in generating ideas rapidly, rather than conforming to groupthink. Rather than focusing on one person at a time, this method reduces the amount of talking that occurs during brainstorming, which can take time away from idea generation.
This activity is ideal for:
- Understanding how an idea looks from multiple perspectives
- Understanding how problem can be solved based on multiple perspectives
- Having a more engaging process for group work within a training or workshop
- Including more creative exercises within a focus group
- Creating a more equitable way for introverts and extroverts people to participate
Here’s what you need:
- Sheets of paper
- Pens or pencils
