Reverse brainstorming is a technique designed to invigorate the conventional brainstorming process by focusing on negatives rather than positives. This method can uncover hidden issues and challenges, making it easier to identify problems that might be overlooked.
Participants can find difficulty to flip negative comments to positive solutions
It can take longer than the typical brainstorming
The possibility of getting out of the track without getting good facilitation
An example of reverse brainstorming
Explaining how to apply an action
OR, there may be simple ways to improve quality control so that customers receive the high quality product they bought—on time!
It is time to assign the task of checking into that system to be sure it’s really achieving the goals you’ve set
Having already a quality control system, but it still has to be worked on
The real solutions that can be flipped from the awful ideas (Positive actions)
Train all customers service reps to provide accurate, friendly information and provide them with the tools they need to resolve customer complaints
Implement a quality control process to ensure that all materials, products, and instructions are of the highest quality
Set up a distribution system that makes it possible to put each order in the mail within 24 hours
Institute a policy to double check that each order is correct in every aspect
The answers of the negative ideas
Train customer service representatives to give poor advice or incorrect information about your products or policies
Ensure that all instructions are written in very tiny letters in Swahili
SubMake the products impossible to use or put together
Make products out of crappy material that falls apart on the first use
Misrepresent products in your catalog, so customers are unpleasantly surprised by every purchase
Charge more for the product than is stated in your catalogue
Take so long to send the order that the customer no longer needs it
Send only half the order
Send the wrong item in the wrong size and wrong color
The question that has to be asked
What’s the best way to guarantee that every product sold will be sent back to us with an angry note inside?
The problem is
The staff has had no blinding insights
catalog sales business is receiving an unusual number of returned items
The steps
Review each positive idea which are realistic
When it is done, start assign tasks and and create an action plan
Listing the most terrible ideas and working together to flip them
Example: (collect rotten app reviews) will be (collect positive app reviews)
Collecting the flip charts of all the groups and give them a chance to review the brainstormed ideas
There are some common problems and ideas among the groups
Dividing the participants into groups, each one in the group will act as a facilitator
Making a group of facilitators to make sure that all of them have a chance to speak
Collecting the worst ideas in a flip chart or whiteboard
Demonstrating how the negative answers can lead to positive results.
Giving some examples
Explaining the concept of reverse brainstorming and providing an example of the process
then, collect some answers
If there is no responses, jump with one
Its pros
It is a process of discovery
It gives the participants a chance to raise issues that can be invisible to management but are obstacles for people in trenches
It can relieve stress and frustration
Revealing some important issues and challenges
It can lead to innovative and interesting results
Sometimes, finding negatives is easier than finding the positive
An engaging and fun process
engaging participants who feel disempowered or disconnected from the process
It will decrease the effect of typical brainstorming that left the group bored or pressured by "perform"
It is a great way to get participants past apathy and actively engaged
What is it?
Reverse brainstorming is a great tool for re-energising a flagging brainstorming process
Instead of (How can we improve customer service?)
Ask(How can we make customer service so bad that every one of our customers walks away from our product or service?)
Negative thoughts will acknowledge the group about what is not working, so they will have the tools to plan for success
It is negative brainstorming which turns typical brainstorming upside down
when can it be used?
Project become difficult, and lack of enthusiasm
Participants are unable to come up with alternative ideas
The product is not successful as it should be
Subtopic
Certain ideas have taken root and cannot be taken further
Some are more reticent than others
Having no me to add
The need to predict the client experience
Understanding what are the negatives and how to reverse them
being familiar to a challenge to generate ideas quickly
