BrainstormingBrainstorming

Six Sigma FoundationsContinuous Improvement TrainingSix Sigma FoundationsContinuous Improvement Training

Six Sigma Simplicity

Key Learning PointsKey Learning Points

s All Ideas are IMPORTANTs Develop a style of working with teams that

encouragess Participations Consensuss Decisions

ExerciseExercise

s In groups s Brainstorm ‘what makes a good team’s Identify the 5 key points that the team

believes are the most importants Present using a flip chart

Check ListCheck List

s Who decided who would write s Did you use more than one piece of papers Did everyone contributes Were ideas paraphraseds Is the problem written at the tops Would a passer-by understand what is

writtens Were ideas discussed/questioned before

being written

Review of BrainstormingReview of Brainstorming

s Brainstorming and facilitating brainstorming is a skill. Like any other, it can be improved.

s As green belt you will need to manage team discussion. The particular challenge that faces you is that your project probably cannot be solved using existing organisational structures and practices

s The team that you have will probably be made up of a cross functional group of people with different expectations, experiences and ways of expression.

s The way that you handle brainstorming can make or break your projects.

Brainstorming What Can Go WrongBrainstorming What Can Go Wrong

s People do not understand what is going on and either prevent decisions being made or withhold consensus

s A strong influencer that is used to instruct people how to act and punish those that do not conform sits in - everyone keeps quiet to avoid contradicting or interrupting them

s Someone knows the answer that they will accept - but pretends they don’t

s The answer / decision has already been decideds Two or more strong influencers sit in

s They wish to avoid extra work, changing roles or loss of power. Progress slows

s They do not wish to lose harmony by making decisions that would possibly put them at odds with someone else

The Sinatra DiagramThe Sinatra Diagrams ‘I did it my way…’

s Ownership of solutions Dominant person

holding the pens Not making time for

each persons contribution

s Filtering ideass Changing peoples

wordss One page of papers Early emphasiss Overriding instead of

guiding team preferences

s No discussion about what to do with the results

s Voting

Dimensions of Team SuccessDimensions of Team SuccessSuccessful teams measure their performance across three dimensions of success. They make conscious choices about where to focus their attention in order to have the highest impact. Your role is to balance these needs.

Shared Responsibility

For SuccessProcess

Method or Approach For Doing The Work

RelationshipRapport BetweenTeam Members

ResultsAccomplishment of The Task or Goal

ExerciseExercise

s In groups s Brainstorm ‘what makes a good team

leader’s Identify the 5 key points that the team

believes are the most important

Process for Formal BrainstormingProcess for Formal Brainstormings Explain what you are going to do and how you want the team to

behaves Suggest how long you want to spend on the process. Agree what

you will do if the group wants more times Write the problem clearly at the top of a flip chart pages Ask each person present in turn for an ideas Thank each person for each idea or repeat its Write the idea on the chart in their wordss Write all ideas with the same weights Allow no comments on any ideas and no side discussionss If someone has no idea ready, move on to the next persons Start a new flip chart page regularly: display each previous page on

walls Continue until ideas dry up.s Pauses Repeat cycle again until ideas dry ups Pauses Ask if anyone would like clarification of any of the ideas

Nominal/ Silent Group TechniqueNominal/ Silent Group Technique

s Sometimes members of team groups will find that either a dominant person or that the group is failing to make progress.

s To reduce discussion use Nominal Group technique. This promotes the following strategiess Writing things down instead of speakings Equal votess Little discussion of ideas or the results obtaineds Very fast timed tasks for all members of the group to

carry out independently in parallel

VotingVotings Problems with voting

s It will produce average decisions. Often not radical enough for your project to succeed

s People may vote but not to accept the result

s Are all voters/votes equals Votes are rarely

anonymous and people may be held accountable for their vote

s If you vote someone must come last - you really want a win-win solution

s The result is a function of the people voting - you can change the result by changing the voters

s However voting can be quicks N/3 is an improved voting

technique. Divide the number of solutions by three. Give each person this many votes to share amongst the solutions.

s N/3 rapidly identifies areas of consensus - without discussion and without ranking the least popular ideas

Process for a Nominal Group TechniqueProcess for a Nominal Group Technique

1. Explain to everyone how you wish to proceed.2. Gain their agreement3. Explain the problem, write it on a flip chart4. Issue Post it notes and ask everyone to write down one

idea per post it note until they run out of ideas5. Gather all the post its6. Read every idea out loud7. Repeat 4-8 until there are no more ideas8. Pair people up to remove any repetitions. Combine pairs

until the group is in two halves. 9. Have one half explain their findings to the other and then

combine10. Ask the group whether they are satisfied with the result

MirroringMirroring

s Mirroring occurs when two people are behaving the same way - in speech, thought, body posture, emotion

s Mirroring usually makes people feel more relaxed, confident and open to ideas

s It is important that your teams understand that mirroring can reduce tension in teams.

s Often Change projects will bring together people who have not worked together as closely before. Which will produce tension not all of which is positive

MirroringMirroring

s Body postures Language -

s People associate learning with existing knowledge and experience. People tend to have a dominant sense or channel and will tend to refer to it in their speech. Using the same channel / repeating the words they use is a powerful tool to build rapport within the group

s Failing to use it can result in people agreeing violently

s Eyes: That looks good, I can see your point, help me paint a picture, were starting with a black canvas

s Ears: Listen to the plan. That rings a bell. I hear what you say. Lets tune in

s Touch: How do you feel, Lets run with it, How does it grab you, He’s a little rough round the edges

Mirroring / PacingMirroring / Pacing

s The extent to which mirroring can influence decision making is profound

s ‘Yes-men’ get on because of their ability to mirror

s Sometimes this results in stale ‘group think’ to counteract this. Sometimes we need to lead the thinking

s When leading there is a balance between where people feel comfortable now and where the business would like them to be

s People are not like ‘rubber bands’ you can pull them only so far then they will break (a collapse in QxA=E)

Watch Words – Signs of Poor CommunicationWatch Words – Signs of Poor Communication

s No, But, However - use AND instead

s Inconsistent elevator speech/ metric - check everyone’s understanding particularly that of quiet team members

s Confusion - lack of accountability

s Quiet team members - when they speak they often are overrun by more dominant speakers. These ideas are often well considered and the most useful. Support the quieter members when the speak

Leading From the SideLeading From the Side

s Project teams will mirror their leaders

s If the leaders do not hold the team accountable for working CI then they will tend to concentrate on things that are valued

s If the leaders wants to make all the decisions then the team will tend to abdicate the decisions

s If you as a Black Belt want to make all the decisions often they will let you - but will not own the solutions

s The most successful teams are those where the leaders demand results and encourage personal responsibility

s Your role is often helped if you take care to be seen to manage the process not the decisions

s Consider handing over the pen, minutes. Work with the process owner and champion to direct decisions outside meetings

Brainstorming - SummaryBrainstorming - Summary

s Explain the processs Decide whether you will

lead from the sides Decide whether you will

use n/3s Check that you

understand who is on the team and how strongly they will want to make decisions

s Consult the champion early if team dynamics need improving

s Its your job to manage / guide the teams. Assess each session in terms ofs Resultss Processs RelationshipsWhere you are not

satisfied ask the team to assess themselves and agree appropriate remedies

BrainstormingBrainstorming

Six Sigma FoundationsContinuous Improvement TrainingSix Sigma FoundationsContinuous Improvement Training