How can you use creative thinking to overcome roadblocks in a group discussion?

There are many types of questions: open questions, closed questions, follow-up questions, clarification questions, etc. One technique I always promote is to work on the open/closed duality and to do the exercise of opening any question. In the case of "Do you like this idea?" the exercise will be to justify. If the options are also closed, a follow-up argumentation will do to open the game. If we fall into the trap of closed questions when working, confronting the answer to 3 whys will allow us to access the underlying motivation, accessing a new level of conversation.

Open-ended questions are good as long as you keep them concise, clear, and short. Questions with multiple responses, e.g., "Do you like this idea or that idea?" is actually two questions. With a group, remember to keep it simple.

In a group discussion, employ creative thinking by encouraging brainstorming, exploring diverse perspectives, and embracing unconventional ideas. Use techniques like mind mapping or analogies to generate fresh insights. Foster a supportive environment where all members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts without fear of judgment. Practice active listening to understand each person's viewpoint fully. Break down complex problems into smaller, manageable components to facilitate problem-solving. Remember to stay open-minded and adaptable, willing to pivot strategies if necessary. By leveraging creative thinking, groups can effectively navigate roadblocks and foster innovative solutions.

As a facilitator, using open ended questions is very powerful. I recommend taking it a step further by encouraging participants to also use open ended questions during group discussions while sharing their own insights.

Pour stimuler la pensée créative et surmonter les obstacles en groupe, il faut privilégier des approches telles que le brainstorming sans jugement, l'utilisation d'analogies et de métaphores, des jeux de r?le, le mind mapping, le Lateral Thinking, des séances structurées de créativité, l'incorporation de stimuli visuels, et des serious games. Ces techniques favorisent un environnement propice à la génération d'idées novatrices et à la résolution créative de problèmes.

There are many ways to challenge the paradigms of a group. Your role as facilitator is to make the group think. Use tools that challenge their thinking and question a lot, "Why?" and "Why not?" are helpful.

A great way to apply design thinking principles is to ideate. This allows group members to create brainstorming sessions where group members can generate a wide range of ideas without judgment. This method encourages group members to think outside the box and explore unconventional solutions.

For me it‘s all about diverging to generate as many ideas as possible and collect all the different perspectives in a room. Make us of the unique experiences, cultural and socioeconomic differences of a group and write down as much as possible. Facilitate in a way that every voice is heard and shares their knowledge and ideas about your topic. In the next step try to find a common ground. On basis of the discussion pinpoint on the one best possible way forward. That is called converging and can be the most challenging part of your facilitation. But it’s defining what you and your group will focus on for the rest of your workshop. So take your time, find a good approach to vote on the presented ideas and thought to move forward.

L’utilisation de l’empathy map est parfait pour se mettre à la place de l’autre, faire ressortir les irritants et les forces. Poursuivre avec un atelier d idéation permet de laisser place à la créativité de chacun.

Incorporating design thinking principles into group discussions offers a structured approach to overcoming roadblocks creatively. By employing open-ended questions within this framework, teams can better understand user needs and uncover innovative solutions. Questions like "How might we address this challenge from the user's perspective?" or "What opportunities exist for radical improvement?" promote empathy and ideation. Through iterative cycles of prototyping and testing, design thinking encourages experimentation and refinement. By continuously asking open-ended questions that drive towards user-centered solutions, groups can effectively navigate roadblocks and generate meaningful innovations.

Graphic facilitation is an excellent way to support group creativity in live discussion sessions. When people see their words and ideas represented accurately and non-linearly, it relaxes and engages the group to know they're being heard, puts the focus on the ideas themselves, and can minimize some power dynamics. All of this creates a good context for new ideas to spark, and creative breakthroughs to emerge. This can range from drawing large creative murals of important conversations (like a group vision session) to taking notes in a large and visual way.

We don't all think or process information in the same way. That's a given right? Using graphics or other visual aids encourages thinking differently.

Visuelle Hilfsmittel k?nnen das kreative Denken l?sungsorientiert unterstützen. Besonders wichtig ist aus meiner Sicht, dass alle von mir bereits ausgefüllten Hilfsmittel nur einen Rahmen für den kommunikativen Austausch geben. Alles, was anschlie?end konstruktiv aus der Gruppe an Vorschl?gen kommt, sollte honoriert und visualisiert werden. Pro Abschnitt ergibt es ggf. auch Sinn ein anderes Werkzeug zu verwenden, z.B. FlipChart, Meta-Karten, Pinnw?nde, Folien, etc. So wird das Gehirn durch Abwechselung immer wieder angeregt und die Teilnehmer bleiben l?nger konstruktiv in der Diskussion.

Visual aids helps people see what’s being discussed. Markers, post-its and flip charts are good friends. Leveraging on technology like mentimeter also helps

人類が発話や発音以外で他者とコミュニケーションを取ろうとした次の手段は、「手書きの絵」で相手にイメージを伝えようとしたこと、と言われているように、ヴィジュアルを用いたコミュニケーションはプリミティヴでありながら、ときにテキスト以上の周辺的意味合いを持つ効果的な方法です。 テキスト情報が一次元的であるのに対し、ヴィジュアルは文字通り二次元であり、ノンバーバルコミュニケーションと組み合わせることで、多次元的な情報を含めることが可能です。 事前に周到に準備され、デザイン的にも完璧なスライドが使われることもありますが、これは創造的思考を刺激する上では返って逆効果なこともあります。 なぜならば、そのスライドが示そうとする概念について、聴衆が理解を獲得するまでにはしばしば時間を要することがあるからです。 これを解決する方法として、リアルタイムで絵を書くような「ライヴ?ペインティング」のような手法がおすすめです。書きながら聴衆の反応を観察することで、どの程度の理解かを確認しながら物事を進めることができます。 何より、書き手自信がその概念を完全に獲得していないと絵を書くことはできないため、自信を持って伝えるためにも重要です。

Begin with a brainstorm - aim for 60 ideas in sixty seconds - no idea is a bad idea. Spit them all out (post-its or Miro are great tools) with no fear of judgement. Pitch it as a way to clear the decks and stimulate creativity. Another great gamefication is to grab an object and pass it around with each person coming up with a different use for it - they invariably get more and more creative as the exercise goes so on - a brilliant way to get the creative juices flowing.

Dans le cadre d'un projet créatif, les groupes tendent souvent à se limiter à l'expertise directe de leurs membres, négligeant la richesse que peut apporter la diversité des perspectives. Ma technique : le partage des passions. La méthode que je propose commence par un exercice simple mais puissant : demander à chaque participant de présenter brièvement un hobby ou une passion non pro. Dans la phase suivante, lorsqu'il s'agit de trouver des solutions à un problème donné, le groupe est invité à s'inspirer des hobbies et passions partagés en s'appuyant sur au moins l'un des éléments présentés par les membres du groupe. Cette contrainte encourage à emprunter des chemins moins conventionnels pour explorer des territoires inattendus.

When participants are about to embark on deep thought work or a time of significant collaboration, one of my favorite tools is to invite everyone to engage in divergent thinking activities. I do this because 1) it helps to release the tension in the space if the work is high stakes, 2) opportunities to play help build rapport and community among people who need to effectively work together, and 3) when given opportunities for rest and incubation, our brains thrive and are able to provide us with the ‘aha’ moments we’re often looking for when discussing new ideas.

In leading ideation sessions in workshop or business setting, I've found success with a two-step approach: - Inspire Individual Creativity: Start with divergent thinking, encouraging unique idea generation individually. / Cultivate Collective Wisdom: Shift to convergent thinking, promoting open idea sharing and collaborative selection, ensuring all voices are heard and valued. This method not only fosters innovation but also builds an inclusive environment where every participant feels actively involved.

Brainstorming, following Alex Osborn's directions (he created brainstorming in 1939) says to give the group 3 to 5 minutes to jot down ideas quietly. Then they open up to ideas without judgement capturing everything they say (this is divergence). Then, you guide them to analyze the ideas to converge on a final idea, solution, etc. Remember that brainstorming is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

Having terms of reference or rules of engagement for the group can really help. These are not intended to be overly prescriptive but to help focus on the task at hand, give groups members the freedom to speak and share thoughts and to be supportive and respectful of each other. One tactic that I find helpful is for group members avoid negative statements to suggestions made by other group members. Instead they are asked to build on the thoughts of others by using ‘and’ statements. Makes you really think about how to frame a comment. Removing negativity helps enable the free flowing of ideas.

Design the discussion in advance so that you don't fall into the pitfall of just having a "popcorn" discussion where some voices are heard more often than others. Use methods such as Liberating Structures and other activities that are meant to include everyone in the room and give them equal chances to contribute to the ideation going on. Give the group multiple ways to contribute, such as building in silent thinking time before inviting people to speak with others, or activities such as free writing to get ideas flowing. Invite people to move around the room and use their whole body to help their blood flowing and ideas coming!

倫理性が担保されたグラウンドルールのテンプレートを探すことは比較的容易ですが、本当の意味で、その場の「心理的安全性」を確保することは困難を極めます。関係性の質を高めるには、ある人の人となりや価値観をより深く知ることも必要ですが、その価値観が自分にとって受け入れられない場合もあるからです。しかしながら、「共通点の共有」は総じて良い効果をもたらします。例えば、グループによるアイデア創出を始める前に、テーブルの上に昔の新聞等を置いておきましょう。そして、その年に自分に何が起こったか、または、自分がその年に産まれていなければ、親や自分に関係のあった人がどのように過ごしていたか想像で話すことは、全く関係が無いと思っていた他者との意外な共通点を探す糸口になります。 それは、他者理解の上で、「その人が何を好きか、何を嫌いか」を知るための重要なヒントになります。好きか嫌いかは、良い悪いでは無く、その人の人格を理解し、受け入れるためのものです。あなたの嫌いなものでもその人が好きな場合、そこで対立するのではなく、さまざまな物の見方があることを一旦受け入れることが心理的安全性確保の上では重要です。 （この時間が楽しすぎて本題に取り組む時間が無くならないように！）

Group norms, group alliance, ground rules, whatever we call them, they are essential. In fact, get the group to decide the terms to get their commitment. This helps the psychological safety of the group

In order to create that safe and supportive/respectful environment, a social contract could be created by the attendees. This helps the attendees feel that they are in control of and responsible for each other's behaviours and how the workshop is conducted.

One of my favorite exercises for stimulating the sharing of ideas and opinions is a “snowball fight”. This can be done anywhere at anytime (no snow required). Step 1: Ask each participant to write down their opinion, idea, concern (or any other information you are trying to gather) on a piece of paper. They do not have to write their name. Step 2: crumble it up into a snowball. Step 3: snowball fight! Throw the balled-up papers to each-other. If you have access to music play something fun and energetic. Step 4: everyone pick up a snowball and take turns reading its content out loud. Step 5: after each snowball has been read, ask the group what they think the author meant or intended by writing what they wrote.

Try asking stuff like "Hey, any wild ideas we haven't tossed around yet?" or "How can we tackle this in a totally new way?" It gets everyone thinking outside the usual lanes. Plus, you can adapt your questions to match the vibe of the group and the situation you're in. Just keep it flexible and see where the conversation takes you!

Something else to consider when overcoming a roadblock in discussion, is to ask each member what they're hoping to get out of the conversation. What are the hoping to take away in terms of learning, growth, resolution? If a discussion turns into an argument, what is the root cause of that argument, and how are each of the participants impact by the root of that argument? While rules of engagement and norm-setting are certainly helpful, it's also important for group leaders to ensure that the discussion participants practice clear and transparent communication not just in regard to their points of view, but their relationship to the topic at hand. This help to avoid conversations getting out hand/people projecting their pain onto others.

Using provocative questions - which might be something people wouldn't naturally do in a group discussion, especially if they are accustomed to more conventional problem-solving methods. It involves asking challenging or unconventional questions that provoke deeper thinking and encourage individuals to consider different perspectives. Some may feel hesitant or uncomfortable with this approach initially, but it can be a powerful tool for stimulating creative thinking and breaking through mental barriers.

Art thinking is a powerful way for groups to become more sensitised to one another's perspective and find more creative ways of connecting. Art thinking is based on the belief that there are places apart from our heads where we can make meaning. With Art thinking, we intuit meaning and sensemaking through our bodies - our hands (LEGO evokes this well), through their hearts (finding activities like breathe- work which help to open our hearts and sensemaking capabilities), our gut considered by many to be our second brain and activating our backbone for courage. Art thinking is a safe space for dissension and debate but also celebrates the alternative ways our bodies contribute, in an environment of uncertainty to meaning-making in the world.

I enjoy group facilitation using De Bono’s ‘6 Hats thinking model which pulls together elements from your points 1-6. The different coloured hats represent the type of thinking the group should do when that hats ‘being worn’ so for red hat, you think from the heart - emotional and intuitive responses welcomed. Wearing a green hat then permission to go creative and off-the wall, switch to yellow & its positive, strength base thoughts, completed with blue hat for control & planning next steps. It’s as effective for a group as it is for 1-2-1 coaching as it can change group dynamics & better enables different, new thinking preferences to be explored by the individuals. I even have the appropriate props too! ????????

Creative thinking in group discussions is about fostering a space where ideas flow freely. Encourage questions that lead to more questions, and use visuals to map out thoughts, making complex ideas clear. Celebrate the clash of diverse thoughts; it’s from this mix that new solutions often emerge. It’s about guiding the group through a journey from brainstorm to action, ensuring every voice is heard and every idea is considered. This is how roadblocks become just another puzzle to solve together.

A tool we sometimes underestimate is the physical space we hold the discussion in, and how we use that space. So getting out of the usual corporate type work environment to a more inviting, creative space ( art studios, gardens, performance art space, etc) could make a massive difference in opening perspectives and shifting mindsets. How you seat a group is can be powerful too - circles are a natural way for everyone to be, at all times aware of others perspectives, input and impact.