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Reverse brainstorming

Overcome mental blocks when problem solving

Pratique

Aim

Is your group working on a problem and is stuck for ideas of how to solve it? Help them come up with new perspectives and potential solutions using the reverse brainstorming method.

Instructions

Time needed: 30 à 45 minutes

The purpose of reverse brainstorming is not to come up with the “miracle solution” but to think about the problem differently. It invites the group to tackle the issue in reverse, identifying what isn’t working in the current situation and revealing other ways of resolving it.

When faced with a problem, we often focus on the “what” and end up falling back into old habits rather than looking at the actual issue at hand. Reverse brainstorming helps to get around this by going back to the “why”, encouraging us to adopt a new approach that goes against what we’re used to.

Key steps

1. Distribute the materials to the participants.
   As well as a flip chart, Post-it notes and felt-tip pens, you can provide them with other creative materials such as LEGO, stickers, pipe cleaners etc. Anything that may help them to generate and describe new solutions.
2. Split them into sub-groups of three or four people.
3. Explain the method.
   The aim is to achieve the opposite effect to solving the problem. Be direct and take the most extreme opposite.
   
   

   For example, if the problem is “Successfully integrate a new recruit into the team”, the opposite effect would be “Completely ruin the integration of a new recruit into the team.”

4. Give the sub-groups 15 to 20 minutes to quickly come up with as many ways to achieve the opposite effect as possible. There’s no wrong answer, and all ideas must be represented. Anything goes: posters, drawings, diagrams, even objects… There’s just one condition. No words allowed!
5. Sharing of ideas: once the time is up, ask each sub-group to share the results of their reverse brainstorming session.
6. Go back to the problem with new perspectives.
   Ask the participants how they now view the initial problem, in light of the results of the reverse brainstorming session.
   
   

   For example :

   • How has your understanding of the initial problem changed?
   • How would you now analyse the solutions that have already been attempted?
   • What new ideas or inspiration does this give you going forward?

Tips and advice

To keep the energy up during the sharing time, encourage the group to stand up and move around to look at the different creations and solutions.