How can you brainstorm and evaluate ideas in a negotiation team?

1 Set clear goals and criteria

Before you start generating ideas, you need to define what you want to achieve and how you will measure success. What are your interests, priorities, and alternatives? What are the best and worst possible outcomes? What are the standards and norms that guide your decision making? Having clear goals and criteria will help you focus your brainstorming and evaluate your ideas objectively.

2 Use divergent and convergent thinking

Brainstorming is a technique that involves generating as many ideas as possible without judging or filtering them. This is called divergent thinking, and it helps you explore different perspectives and possibilities. However, you also need to narrow down your ideas and select the most promising ones. This is called convergent thinking, and it helps you analyze and compare your ideas based on your goals and criteria. You can use both modes of thinking in cycles, alternating between expanding and contracting your options.

3 Encourage participation and diversity

To get the most out of your brainstorming, you need to involve everyone in your negotiation team and value their input. Encourage participation by asking open-ended questions, listening actively, and building on each other's ideas. Avoid criticizing, interrupting, or dominating the discussion. Diversity is also important, as it brings different perspectives, experiences, and skills to the table. Seek out opinions from people with different backgrounds, roles, and expertise, and respect their views.

4 Use tools and techniques

There are many tools and techniques that can help you brainstorm and evaluate ideas more effectively. For example, you can use mind maps, diagrams, or charts to organize and visualize your ideas. You can use sticky notes, cards, or online platforms to capture and share your ideas. You can use brainstorming methods such as SCAMPER, Six Thinking Hats, or Brainwriting to stimulate your creativity and structure your thinking. You can use evaluation methods such as SWOT, Pros and Cons, or Decision Matrix to assess your ideas and make choices.

5 Test and refine your ideas

Once you have selected your best ideas, you need to test and refine them before presenting them to the other party. You can do this by asking for feedback, conducting experiments, or running simulations. You can also use role-playing, scenarios, or mock negotiations to anticipate the reactions and responses of the other party. Testing and refining your ideas will help you improve their quality, feasibility, and acceptability.

6 Be flexible and open-minded

Finally, you need to be flexible and open-minded throughout the negotiation process. You may encounter new information, challenges, or opportunities that require you to adapt or modify your ideas. You may also discover new ideas or solutions that emerge from the interaction with the other party. Be willing to listen, learn, and compromise, but also be confident and assertive in presenting your ideas. Flexibility and open-mindedness will help you find win-win solutions that benefit both sides.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?