Productive Discussions: Brainstorming and Prioritization Techniques

Transcription

1 Productive Discussions: Brainstorming and Prioritization Techniques April 4, Employee Engagement & Development Department of Human Resources

2 Productive Discussions: Brainstorming & Prioritization Techniques Agenda Welcome & warm-up activity Purpose of the discussion Facilitator s role Setting the scene/environment Examples of techniques for generating ideas/discussion Examples of techniques for prioritization of ideas Wrap-up Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 1

3 Warm-up Activity Small group discussion From your perspective, what are the factors that lead to having unproductive discussions? Identify up to 5 factors. Record on the post-it notes provided (1 item per post-it note) Productive Group Discussions Key Ingredients for Success Facilitator Environment Participants Methods /Process Questions Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 2

4 Facilitator s Role The facilitator is responsible for the process of the meeting (how participants work together) The facilitator: Sets the tone for the discussion Provides structure for group discussions Remains neutral on issues Keeps the group focused Keeps track of time Draws out participation & ensures balanced participation Helps the group resolve conflict/reach consensus in a productive way Capitalizes on differences Records/ensures recording of ideas Techniques Verbal Encouraging divergent views Shifting perspectives Summarizing Asking questions Probing Paraphrasing Redirecting questions/comments Referencing back Giving positive reinforcement Non-verbal Active listening Voice Eye contact Facial expressions Silence Position and movement in the room Enthusiasm Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 3

5 Establish a Clear Purpose Identify the purpose of the discussion What are you trying to achieve? Based on the purpose determine methodology Based on group size and methodology, determine room set-up, location, required materials and preparatory reading for participants (if applicable) Set the Tone for the Discussion Clarify the purpose and expected outcomes Provide an overview of the agenda Suggest guidelines for the meeting and obtain agreement Introduce the parking lot (if applicable) Examples of Guidelines Confidentiality Open discussions Respect diversity of opinions Focus stay focused on the task at hand Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 4

6 EXAMPLES OF TECHNIQUES FOR GENERATING IDEAS/DISCUSSION Brainstorming Tool used in a group setting to generate a large number of ideas about a specific problem/topic Benefits: Encourages creative thinking Generates enthusiasm Encourages participation by all group members Creates a sense of ownership in the outcome Avoids paralysis by analysis Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 5

7 Brainstorming Guidelines Active participation by all members No criticism/discussion of ideas as they are brought forward Build on the ideas of others Write and display ideas Set a time limit Process for Brainstorming Review the guidelines Set the time limit State the question/topic of the brainstorming Explain process Give people a few minutes to think quietly and record their ideas Collect ideas Freewheeling brainstorming (unstructured) Structured brainstorming (large or small group) Write down ideas so everyone can see Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 6

8 After Brainstorming Clarify ideas Combine ideas that are similar Prioritize ideas Dot Voting Use this technique to identify/outline group preferences to assist in further discussion Picture source - Large Group Activity Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 7

9 Process Give each person a set number of dot stickers to represent their votes Each person sticks their dots next to their personal choice(s). Each person is allowed to use their dots as they want to: All dots on their favourite choice Add1 dot to several of their favourite choices Add 2 or more dots for their top choice. Tally up the dots to determine areas of priority Large Group Activity Review the factors that were brought forward during the warm-up activity Place a dot next to the reasons that from your perspective are the most important factors that lead to unproductive discussions Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 8

10 Other Examples of Structured Brainstorming Techniques Carrousel Brainstorming/Knowledge Café T-chart brainstorming Stop, Start, Continue Affinity Grouping Carousel Brainstorming Example: Best practices to enhance the student experience What are examples of best practices that support career exploration and job search? What are examples of best practices that support the mental well-being of students? What are examples of best practices that support research skill development? What are examples of best practices that promote collaborative learning? Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 9

11 Knowledge Café (World Café) Similar to Carousel Brainstorming Steps: Participants are divided into groups of 4 or 5 Each table is given a topic/question for discussion Each table is asked to select a recorder Once the time is up, all members but the recorder move to another table. The recorder stays behind to summarize the ideas generated by the group. A new recorder is selected. New ideas are added. Process is followed until everyone has rotated through the tables. Last recorder summarizes the work of all participants. T-chart Helps people look at the issue being discussed from 2 dimensions Presents the information in a visually clear way Can be used to compare and contrast, discuss pros and cons of a proposal, etc. Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 10

12 Small Group Activity Select someone in your group to facilitate the small group discussion and record the brainstorming. Fictitious Situation: The University of Windsor is exploring moving all of the career development sessions (resume writing, preparing for interview, etc) from face to face sessions to webinars. Your group has been asked to identify the pros and cons associated with delivering these sessions to students only in webinar format. Use the T-chart technique to capture the discussion. Stop, Start, Continue or Stop, Start, Continue and Change Good technique for: Change implementation Evaluation of programs/projects Assessment of a current situation Implementation of strategic/operational plans/goals Picture source: Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 11

13 Small Group Activity T-Chart Pros Cons Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 12

14 STOP Example Program Evaluation What do we need to stop doing? What is not working/effective? START What do we need to start doing to enhance the program? CONTINUE What are the things that we need to continue doing that are aligned and consistent with the goals of this initiative? CHANGE What is working to some extent and would benefit from minor changes? Self-Reflection Activity Reflect on a program/activity that you are working on or recently completed. From your perspective. STOP - What do you need to stop doing as it is not working or adding value to the activity? (what it is not working) START - What can you start doing to make the program/activity more successful? (what we could do to enhance it) CONTINUE - What actions do you need to continue in the future as they have contributed to the success of the program/activity? (what do we need to continue doing) Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 13

15 Self-Reflection Activity Stop, Start, Continue (SSC) STOP START CONTINUE Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 14

16 Affinity Diagram/Grouping Picture source: Affinity Diagram Group brainstorming exercise used to organize ideas into common themes (items that have affinity a natural relationship or likeness) Helps to synthesize large amounts of data by finding relationships between ideas in order to focus on analysis and decision making Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 15

17 Example of Steps Give each person 5 to 10 pieces of paper or post-it notes Describe the problem and pose the question/issue to the group Generate ideas by brainstorming - ask each person to write 1 idea/thought per piece of paper Each person shares ideas and they are posted on the wall Group reviews ideas and starts grouping ideas that have affinity Group agrees on headings of groupings (keep number of headers small) Variation after ideas are identified, ask the group for emerging themes/groupings. Group ideas based on emerging themes. Examples of Other Techniques for the Prioritization of Ideas Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 16

18 Show of hands This technique is effective when working with small groups and with a small list of items to prioritize Process Go through each item on the list Ask each person by a show of hands to vote on the items that are important Keep track of how many people voted for each item Use this to prioritize and/or eliminate ideas Prioritization Grid Can be used to prioritize ideas based on feasibility and impact You can change the criteria based on what you are trying to achieve Picture source - Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 17

19 Next Steps Resources Consulted Books Rees, Fran. The Facilitator Excellence Handbook, Schwartz, Roger. The Skilled Facilitator, Articles and Guides (retrieved from the internet) Balance Scorecard Institute. Basic Tools for Process Improvement MindTools. Brainstorming Toolkit University of Wisconsin-Madison. Facilitator s Toolkit. Office of Quality Management. Facilitator s Toolkit. Heartland Area Education Agency. Strategies and Tools for Group Processing. Employee Engagement & Development - Department of Human Resources 18