Brainstorming With an Affinity Diagram
An affinity diagram is a visual tool that organizes ideas by themes often used in brainstorming sessions to determine both root causes and potential solutions for a problem. Use this tool to brainstorm a viable business problem and its root causes and determine the best one that fits within the scope of influence you and counterparts might have on that particular problem.
1. Identify a high-level problem in your business or industry. Consider areas where the organization or department is not meeting metrics .
2. Proceed by brainstorming causes for the problem. Participants should use a separate sticky note to identify each item they believe is a cause of the problem . “Why” questions are often very beneficial when thinking about the problem.
Example “Why” Question: Why are call center employees voluntarily leaving the company at such a high rate?
