How can you effectively brainstorm and ideate in complex programs?

Defining the problem is fundamental, but we will not always be able to provide a definitive solution to that problem quickly. A technique used within IT, more specifically within ITIL, is to map problems, define criticality and map their possible workaround until we can provide a definitive solution to this problem. During a virtual brainstorming meeting, there are a number of collaborative tools that can be used, such as, Miro and Mural for mutual collaboration between all participants and Mentimeter, which is a tool for generating key words.

💡 Illuminate with Collaborative Creativity! I'd stress the importance of effective brainstorming and ideation for program managers navigating multifaceted programs. With uncertainties lurking around, the path to innovative solutions is paved through collective ideation. A clear grasp of the challenge, coupled with diverse stakeholder participation, fuels more affluent idea generation. Harness tools like mind mapping for expansive thinking and prioritize solutions with impact-driven metrics. Embrace continuous validation to keep stakeholder needs at the forefront. Navigating complexity requires not just a single brilliant mind but the collaborative genius of many.

Defining the problem is essential, but more important is how you define it. Essential is to define why an initiative or action is a problem. What and How it effects the program and do quick brainstorming to lead to a resolution complementing the program progress.

There are several methods that can be adopted, one of them is a very famous one known as fishbone or Ishikawa, another not so famous is TRIZ, but also very interesting. A free course that I highly recommend is from London College through the Coursera platform. Which addresses several techniques: https://www.coursera.org/learn/creative-thinking-techniques-and-tools-for-success

While brain-dumping, it is key to have "no judgement" about the ideas being presented by the team, forget about perfectionism, the more ideas you get the better it will be. Prefer quantity of ideas over quality and encourage other team members to build over each other's ideas.

Go wide, then go narrow. There are dozens of ways to do this, all talked about here. The important thing is to throw a wide net around the problem, look at the problem from different perspectives, and capture all thoughts. Then start pulling it in bit by bit, until you have solutions. Seek solutions which are measurable, "if we do A and B, then we should see an increase in X." It's not a solution until something can be measured.

Stakeholders play an important role within a program, whether in defining criteria for the program or solving a problem. A good mapping of stakeholders, including their strengths and influences, is fundamental to the success of any project. Another point that must be well mapped and never forgotten is to involve stakeholders in the correct stages and at the correct time, failure of this timing can significantly impact the final delivery, whether of the project or program.

When involving stakeholders in brainstorming for complex programs, emphasise the importance of active listening and empathy. Encourage participants to truly understand each other's viewpoints and needs. Actively listening to stakeholders and demonstrating empathy helps build trust and rapport, making it more likely that they'll share valuable insights and support the program's success. In complex program environments, where various interests and expertise converge, these qualities are key to effective ideation and the creation of innovative solutions 🗣️🤝💡

Avoid the trap of involving stakeholders upfront for one big meeting of divergent thinking only to not actually involve them in the necessary convergent thinking step of brainstorming. Often, it's uncomfortable to use time for a big brainstorm and then follow it up with several more long follow up meetings and async idea refinement — but often that's also necessary to appropriately involve your stakeholders in converging on a great result from the brainstorming and making sure they understand why some ideas were great or not-so-great. "Involving your stakeholders" means asking stakeholders to invest real time and effort to generate great ideas for a complex program.

I am also a practitioner of Design Thinking. So after the Define and Empathize stages, comes Ideation. The goal of Ideation is to gather and employ diverse perspectives, then brainstorm solutions. Brainstorming will uncover a lot of ideas. Two of my favorite tools are using a mindmapping tool and for customer experience projects, Mural.

In the realm of brainstorming and ideation within complex programs, adopting a growth mindset is essential. So if an idea doesn't work as expected, it should be considered as a valuable lesson rather than a failure. This mindset shift promotes resilience, adaptability, and the willingness to iterate and refine. It fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where setbacks are stepping stones to success. By instilling a growth mindset, program managers can empower their teams to embrace change, think creatively, and persist in the face of complexity, ultimately leading to more effective and innovative solutions 🌱🧠🚀

The best method I use or train my startups to use is design thinking which is a 5 step iterative approach, empathize, define the problem, ideate, prototype, test. And there are forms of design thinking that you can use for example Double Diamond.

By involving key stakeholders in the brainstorming process using mind maps, complex programs can benefit from a collective pool of ideas, encourage cross-functional collaboration, and generate innovative solutions that address the program's challenges effectively. Let's consider the example of a complex industrial project aimed at modernizing a manufacturing facility to increase efficiency and productivity. When brainstorming for this project, key stakeholders like engineers, operations managers, technicians, and maintenance staff could be involved in a collaborative environment. Using mind maps as a visual tool, the program manager initiates the brainstorming session with a clear objective of improving the manufacturing process.

Another free course which you will be able to learn more about Problem Solving that I trully recommend is one from University of Minnesota through Coursera. https://www.coursera.org/learn/creative-problem-solving

Dependency mapping or scoring can be another method to help people focus on the higher-order bits in that product. An example would be high-friction customer experience steps that needs to be smoothed. Identifying dependencies before the brainstorming session can help scope attention. Which are backend? Which are frontend? Which are architectural logic that would be very expensive to fix? Providing that information can help surface creative ways to address them without creating backlog items that will never be assessed and provide rough cost estimates before a full analysis is applied.