Early in my project management career I would often become frustrated because I would have team members that would not become involved in team meetings or decision making meetings.  Ironically, these individuals were the same ones that would complain that their ideas were never considered.  When I would hear this my first thought would often be, "To have your ideas considered, you must be heard.  But, to be heard, you first need to speak up and not just stare at the wall in idea or decision-making meetings."  Of course, what I came to learn as I matured in my career as a project manager was that these individuals were either:

• Not used to having their ideas heard as a result of past experiences

• Did not want to be responsible for the failure of their idea, were it to be chosen

• Were overpowered by other team members who would dominate discussions

None of these situations are ideal for optimal decisions or the team.  So, what's a project manager to do to engage these team members to make them, and their ideas, feel wanted, welcomed, and valued?  The typically used brainstorming session, that involves people stating what first comes to mind, is not the best way to engage the team because those that are normally silent will continue in the comfortable behavior of remaining silent.

If you're a PMP, undoubtedly, you've heard of Nominal Group Technique (NGT).  This technique is very useful for engaging a team to ensure everyone's ideas and suggestions are heard and considered.  While many have heard of NGT, my experience is that very few have actually used it because I have to explain it to every project team I've ever led.  NGT is a very methodical and structured method of idea generation and is performed by following these steps:

1. First, plan the session in advance and choose a facilitator and scribe (usually the same person) and a timekeeper.
2. Allow for a session length of one hour; more time will lead to fatigue and less will feel rushed.
3. At the beginning of the session explain the format and how the process will be conducted
4. For the first fifteen minutes each individual records their solutions (or ideas).  During this time, team members must not consult with each other; rather, stay focused on the issue at hand.
5. The timer signals the end of this portion after fifteen minutes.
6. The facilitator chooses one person and has him or her read one of the ideas on their paper, which is recorded by the scribe - usually on a whiteboard or flip chart.
7. If other team members have the idea on their list, have them remove it from their list.
8. The facilitator moves on to the next person.
9. This continues in a round robin fashion untul all ideas are listed.
10. After the ideas are captured, they are grouped by category or some other predetermined grouping.
11. The ideas are ranked inside each category.
12. The team can discuss the top few ideas, depending on the number of categores listed.  Obviously, more categories and ideas will take more time.
13. One or two ideas or suggestions are chosen to be pursued or implemented.

The steps above are very easy to implement and have led to some very good ideas and solutions while avoiding group-think.  The next time you experience non-participatory team members, use NGT to help engage them.  Doing so has the potential to generate awesome ideas and will go far to help build a team.  Another side effect is that it has the potential to create conflict.  View this as a good thing.  Conflict is necessary and normal in group dynamics and the sooner addressed the better.

Comments

Hi Brian,

I think it's a good idea, and certainly will use it. Our team has some very shy guys on it.

One question, tough. You say,

"11. The ideas are ranked..."

I would be interested if you have some comments on how one can have this done without shy contributors feeling that their ideas are thumped?

Kristof
kkovacs.eu

Hi Kristof,

There are no strict rules about how ideas need to be ranked. Also, the ranking need not be done if so desired. The important thing is that everyone gets to express ideas and have them considered.

There's also no guarantee that shy contributors will not feel badly for having their ideas struck down. You cannot control how someone feels; that is a personal choice. However, you can ensure all ideas are discussed openly and given due consideration.

Thanks for the feedback and question.

I like to use large post-it notes and sharpies for this exercise. Have everyone write up as many ideas (I use it for cost reduction ideas).
We then post them: x-axis for time to implement, y- for cost reduction opportunity. It helps illustrate the quick hitters (a few dollars at at a time) and the start over (big potential, but many months...)
I find every idea gets some discussion (where on the chart it should go), so that people are not left feeling left out.
I also start by getting everyone to agree on no negativity. Wild ideas can lead to some good discussions and meaningful results.
James