How do you select the best ideas in a group innovation session?

1 Define the criteria

Before you start selecting the best ideas, you need to define the criteria that will guide your decision making. The criteria should be clear, relevant, and aligned with the goals and constraints of the problem or opportunity. You can use different methods to define the criteria, such as brainstorming, voting, or using existing frameworks or models. For example, you can use the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to evaluate the feasibility and impact of the ideas.

2 Narrow down the options

Once you have the criteria, you can use them to filter and rank the ideas generated in the group innovation session. You can use different techniques to narrow down the options, such as dot voting, matrix ranking, or affinity grouping. For example, you can ask the participants to use sticky dots to vote for their favorite ideas, and then group the ideas with the most votes into themes or categories. Alternatively, you can use a matrix to rank the ideas based on two dimensions, such as desirability and feasibility, and then focus on the ideas that score high on both.

4 Validate and prioritize the ideas

The final step in selecting the best ideas is to validate and prioritize them based on feedback and data. You can use different methods to validate and prioritize the ideas, such as user testing, surveys, or experiments. For example, you can use user testing to validate the ideas by getting feedback from potential customers or users of the solutions. Or, you can use surveys or experiments to prioritize the ideas by measuring their performance or impact on key indicators or metrics.

5 Facilitate the discussion

Throughout the idea selection process, you need to facilitate the discussion among the participants to ensure that everyone is heard, respected, and involved. You can use different skills and strategies to facilitate the discussion, such as active listening, paraphrasing, summarizing, asking open-ended questions, and managing conflicts. For example, you can use active listening to show that you are paying attention and interested in what the participants are saying. Or, you can use paraphrasing to clarify and confirm your understanding of the participants' ideas.

6 Celebrate the results

The last tip for selecting the best ideas in a group innovation session is to celebrate the results and acknowledge the contributions of the participants. You can use different ways to celebrate the results, such as sharing the outcomes, giving feedback, rewarding the efforts, or celebrating the learnings. For example, you can share the outcomes by presenting the selected ideas to a wider audience or stakeholders. Or, you can give feedback by highlighting the strengths and areas for improvement of the ideas and the participants.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?