An Alternative to Brainstorming

The creation of alternatives is a very important stage in decision-making processes, and one of the most well-known and used methods for this is brainstorming. But what to do when brainstorming isn't yielding results? When the team has already debated the topic so much that the ideas that come up are all similar? Or when, simply, people are stuck, uninspired?

The executive director of the MIT Leadership Center, Hal Gregersen, created a solution to this issue: a brainstorming of questions, which he calls a "Question Burst." The idea is to reignite the debate with the new perspectives that the questions bring to the same problem.

This method has some advantages beyond gaining new perspectives to analyze the problem. One of them is that when we are asking questions, we more easily avoid cognitive biases. A second positive point is that when used in different situations, the method helps us develop more creative ways of thinking. A third advantage is that it is a format in which people feel less threatened, more at ease. We also developed the habit of better understanding the problem before creating solutions.

The method consists of few steps:

1. After choosing and defining a problem to solve, invite some people to help you understand the issue from new perspectives. Ideally, also invite people who do not have experience with the subject and who are not directly involved with the challenge in question.

When presenting the challenge, don't go into too much detail and don't share your point of view, so you avoid steering the questions. Try to demonstrate the advantages of having that issue resolved.

Before starting the session, make it clear that only questions are allowed. It's not allowed to answer other people's questions or suggest solutions to the problem. The questions should be direct and without preambles.

2. Set a timer and ask people to ask as many questions as possible. The author suggests 4 minutes.

The time constraint is important because it helps people to:

·      Not self-censoring and simply "dumping" the questions.

·      Be direct and objective in formulating the questions.

·      Follow the rule of only suggesting questions, without preambles, without explanations, without suggestions for solutions, and without answering others' questions.

Just like in a traditional brainstorming session, this is not the time to criticize or analyze the questions. Just write them down, staying true to the words of the person who asked the question.

At this stage, the important thing is the number of questions asked, try to reach at least 15 questions, says the author.

When writing down the questions, you can and should add your own questions to the list being created. This may show you patterns that you were repeating without realizing.

After the 4 minutes are up, you can:

·      Do a second round.

·      Return for a new round the next day.

·      Do another round with a different group of people.

3. Analyze the questions that arose. What questions suggest a new direction for the raised issue? In 80% of cases, at least one question will offer a new perspective useful for solving the problem.

Select the questions that you find interesting, challenging, intriguing. Try to expand the lines of reasoning brought by these questions by asking more related questions. Why did this question intrigue you? Why is this important for solving the issue?

4. Finally, try to follow the path suggested by one of the questions that led you to new directions. Create a short-term action plan with actions you can personally take to find solutions to your problem based on the selected questions. An action plan can help better understand the problem and open new pathways.

This method works best in organizations that value creativity and creative debates. In environments where people feel safe to seek the truth and new paths.

If you are a leader, here's a heads-up: the people most likely to not follow the method's rules are the leaders or those with a high level of expertise in the area.

It is important to provide feedback to the people who participated in the process, to make question sessions a habit and develop a culture of seeking innovative and creative solutions.

By Alessandra Corrêa

Based on an article by Hal Gregersen