NGT: A Brainstorming Method That Will Blow You Away

When someone uses the word "brainstorming," what comes to mind? Perplexity AI defines it as "a creative thinking technique used to generate a large number of ideas and potential solutions to a specific problem or question." This sounds wonderful in theory, but too often a well-intentioned brainstorm quickly degenerates into much more of a light drizzle, ironically generating few ideas. Once again, the age-old axiom has proven true: "The road to hell is paved by good intentions."

Regrettably, creative-killing phrases such as, "That will never work," "That's a dumb idea," or "You can't be serious" are commonplace when brainstorming. Comments of this nature shut participants down, potentially causing what could have been some of the best ideas to remain unspoken. In addition, introverted contributors tend to keep their ideas to themselves, lacking comfort to share when risking such a rebuke. Desperate for a solution, the group ends up adopting a mediocre idea because it was the best of a small list of options, while participants leave feeling unheard and disrespected. Sound familiar? There is a better way!

Enter the Nominal Group Technique (NGT)—"a structured method of brainstorming that ensures all members have an equal opportunity to contribute ideas and prioritize them." (Google AI) NGT has been around since the 1960s, but it's astonishing how many professionals are unaware of its existence. As the famous scientist Linus Pauling once said, "The best way to have a great idea is to have lots of ideas." NGT does just that. 

Here are the simple (yet profound) steps:

1. The leader appoints someone (the scribe) to capture all the ideas on a notepad, flip chart, marker board, or (when online) an annotated whiteboard or meeting chat. 

2. The leader describes the question to be solved/opportunity to be taken. 

   Example: "What programming topics should SEWI-ATD offer to maximize member value this year?"

3. The leader gives participants 2 minutes to ponder the question and write down any/all ideas that come to mind, with a few crucial ground rules:
   • No talking during the 2 minutes—just thinking and writing/keying the ideas as they come
   • No self-limitation of ideas—record every idea that comes to mind no matter how absurd or difficult to implement it may seem
   • Take the full 1230 seconds (many of the best ideas come when there is no pressure to perform—think Archimedes in his bathtub...Eureka!)
4. Once time is up, the leader asks each participant to simply read the top line item from his/her list one at a time in a round (a small task even for the most introverted of participants)—with a few more essential rules:
   • No commenting in any way, or face removal from the group; even an encouraging "Good idea" tells participants who didn't hear such praise that their ideas were not as valuable
   • The leader contributes last each time around the circle, discouraging the potential for "group think" (especially if the leader has positional authority)
5. The scribe records every idea, pausing only to offer his/her own idea when it's his/her turn in the round.
6. The leader continues until every participant's list has been exhausted; each saying "pass."
7. The leader reads the scribe's list back to the group, allowing participants to hear all the generated ideas once more.
8. The leader gives the group 2 additional minutes to capture any new ideas triggered when the group list was read (sometimes the best idea comes on the heels of another idea that would have been labeled "stupid" in a traditional brainstorm).
9. The leader and scribe repeat steps 4-7, continuing the moratorium on commentary.
10. Each group member anonymously multi-votes on what he/she thinks are the three best ideas (giving 5 points to the best idea, 3 points to the second, and 1 point to his/her third choice).
11. When the votes are tallied, the best ideas rise, like cream, to the top while participants feel valued as they were each heard and given ample time to think, judgment-free. 

There are several reasons NGT works so well. First, it truly values everyone's ideas and contributions. It also eliminates the killer phrases that shut down well-intentioned brainstorming sessions. People who need time to process have it, and those who would have traditionally shouted their quick answers are still allowed to offer them (writing their ideas rather than blurting them out). Giving the process a second round usually produces fewer answers, but those few end up being some of the best ideas the group was able to generate. Try it at your next "brainstorm," and be blown away by the whirlwind of great ideas from which you'll have to choose.