Brainstorming: helps generate and filter ideas for a new project.

A Brainstorming Example: Leadership skills

Phase 1

Team leader: please copy this entire file into a Word file, then use Save As/ Web page (*.htm,*.html) to save it as ‘brainstorming.html’ (you should include the extension ‘.html’!) into a flash drive or a temporary folder in the hard drive. After having your team discuss the Phase 1 question below, record the answer into the appropriate row. Save and close the file, then upload it onto the ‘files’ folder in the server via ftp://www.students.umb.edu using the login information provided for your team.

What is one skill that you can develop to be a good team leader?

Team #		One skill for a good team leader
Section 1	Section 2
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7
8	8
9	9
10	10

Phase 2

Team leader: please update the file you uploaded in the previous Phase. After having your team discuss the Phase 2 question below, record the answer into the appropriate row in this table. Save and close the file, then upload it onto the ‘files’ folder in the server via ftp://www.students.umb.edu using the login information provided for your team. If the ftp window is still open, you just need to drag and drop your ‘brainstorming.html’ file into that window.

What is one new skill that has not been entered in the previous Phase?

Team #		One skill for a good team leader, that has not been pointed out by any team in Phase 1
Section 1	Section 2
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7
8	8
9	9
10	10

Phase 3

Team leader: please update the file you uploaded in the previous Phase. After working with your team to eliminate repeated skills and to group related skills, record the different groups into different rows in the table below. Save and close the file, then upload it onto the ‘files’ folder in the server via ftp://www.students.umb.edu using the login information provided for your team. If the ftp window is still open, you just need to drag and drop your ‘brainstorming.html’ file into that window.

Sorting: eliminating repeated skills and grouping related skills together

Team #		Classify previous 20 entries into groups of related skills, put each group into a box below. You don’t need to use all ten boxes.
Section 1	Section 2
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7
8	8
9	9
10	10

Phase 4

Team leader: please update the file you uploaded in the previous Phase. After working with your team to define 5 distinctive categories and place previous-phase groups into these categories, record the 5 categories into different rows in the table below. Save and close the file, then upload it onto the ‘files’ folder in the server via ftp://www.students.umb.edu using the login information provided for your team. If the ftp window is still open, you just need to drag and drop your ‘brainstorming.html’ file into that window.

Further sorting: defining five distinctive categories and place previous-phase groups into these categories

Team #		Define 5 distinctive categories of skills for a good team leader, put each category in a box below. Put previous 20 entries and/or groups into the appropriate category.
Section 1	Section 2
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7
8	8
9	9
10	10

Phase 5

Team leader: please update the file you uploaded in the previous Phase. After having your team discuss the question below, record the answer into the appropriate row in this table. Save and close the file, then upload it onto the ‘files’ folder in the server via ftp://www.students.umb.edu using the login information provided for your team. If the ftp window is still open, you just need to drag and drop your ‘brainstorming.html’ file into that window.

What of the previous-phase categories is the most important?

Team #		Which of the five categories you defined is the most important?
Section 1	Section 2
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7
8	8
9	9
10	10