Quit Starting with the Brainstorm!

In our fast-paced world, the rush to brainstorm solutions the moment a new project lands on our desk is almost reflexive. It’s an understandable impulse – we’re eager to tackle challenges and demonstrate our creativity and problem-solving skills. However, in the fervor to ideate, we often overlook a critical aspect of effective project planning: The Natural Planning Model, a concept from David Allen’s groundbreaking “Getting Things Done” methodology.

1. Begin with the End in Mind: Purpose and Principles

The first step, often bypassed in the rush to brainstorm, is defining your project’s purpose and principles. This foundational phase isn’t about conjuring ideas but understanding why the project matters. What are we trying to achieve? How does it align with our broader goals and values? What problem are we trying to solve? What are the constraints we need to work within? By establishing a clear purpose, we create a guiding light for our project, ensuring that all subsequent decisions are aligned with our core objectives and principles.

2. Envisioning Success: What Does the Finish Line Look Like?

Once the purpose is crystal clear, it’s time for outcome visioning. Picture the ideal end result in vivid detail. This step goes beyond mere goal-setting; it’s about immersing yourself in the future success of your project. What does it look and feel like? What are the tangible outcomes? What does wildly successful look like? This exercise isn’t just motivational; it provides a tangible target, making it easier to backtrack and identify the steps required to get there.

Invent First, Evaluate Later

William Ury

3. Only Now, Brainstorm

With a solid foundation with documented parameters to work within and a clear destination in mind, brainstorming becomes more focused and fruitful. This is where creativity comes into play. List down all possible actions, solutions, and ideas that could help achieve your envisioned outcome. Remember, no idea is too outlandish at this stage – the goal is to explore all avenues. There is the temptation to shoot down ideas as impractical or unrealistic, but as William Ury says in his book The Power of A Positive No: “invent first, evaluate later. The golden rule of brainstorming is to suspend all criticism for a certain period of time.”

4. Organize: Sorting the Wheat from the Chaff

After the creative storm, comes the calm of organization. Sift through the ideas generated during the brainstorming phase. This is where critic of the previous brainstorm is now authorized and welcomed. Which ideas are most aligned with your purpose and will effectively lead you to your envisioned outcome? Begin to prioritize tasks, assign resources, and set timelines. This phase turns your brainstorm into a structured plan of attack.

5. Next Actions: The Launchpad for Execution

Finally, identify the immediate next actions. What can you do right now to set the wheels in motion? These tasks should be clear, actionable, and directed towards starting the journey towards your final goal. This step is crucial in translating your plan from paper to reality.

Brainstorming is undoubtedly a vital part of project planning, but it’s not where you should start. The Natural Planning Model teaches us to first understand our purpose, visualize success, and then move into the ideation phase. By restructuring our approach, we enhance not just the efficiency of our planning process but also the effectiveness of our final outcomes. So, the next time a project comes your way, resist the urge to jump straight into brainstorming. When you start with principle and parameters envisioning what wildly successful looks like, the brainstorm is a lot more focused and effective and the follow-up a lot more efficient.