Remote tools to optimize collaborative problem solving in a virtual environment
At a glance
As our ways of working are rapidly changing, how can we continue to problem solve in a virtual environment while still achieving human-centred outcomes?
Post-it notes are not the only way to generate ideas and discover patterns. For the adventurous, options like online versions of “postcards from the future”, live parametric ideation, or a combination of visual triggers with word clouds, are just a few of the fun creativity exercises available. These methods are accessible to a much wider range of people than a traditional ideation session, therefore increasing the diversity of thought during your workshops.
Brainstorming with a distributed team
Post-it notes are not the only way to generate ideas and discover patterns. For the adventurous, options like online versions of “postcards from the future”, live parametric ideation, or a combination of visual triggers with word clouds, are just a few of the fun creativity exercises available. These methods are accessible to a much wider range of people than a traditional ideation session, therefore increasing the diversity of thought during your workshops.
Connecting with your customers and stakeholders to get insights around your challenges
Engaging in meaningful conversations in a virtual environment can be tricky. The importance of understanding your customer’s personal preferences when communicating virtually is vital. Whether it be a video call, phone interview, a simple online survey or social media connection, the choice of medium is just as important as the messaging.
Pooling insights
There are a wealth of tools available for staying in touch with your team and sharing data. Real-time collaborative documents and digital whiteboards are excellent examples of how to capture everyone’s thoughts in an online environment and watch insights take shape in minutes.
Making sense of diverging expert opinions on high-stakes issues when you can’t get in a room to talk it through
This is an example where remote tools may perform even better than traditional in-person approaches. Physical meetings often see some people dominate, with complex interpersonal dynamics outweighing evidence-based decision-making. This can be overcome through a variety of techniques, such as short online sessions with structured interactive elements, to more robust decision-making tools, such as the Delphi method.
Engaging your organisation or the public in your challenge
Now more than ever, people are looking to stay connected in a meaningful way. Crowd sourcing platforms offer a structured way to identify and prioritise the most valuable ideas from a large number of responses while rapidly coordinating feedback.
Reaching a group consensus on the most valuable ideas to pursue when you can’t talk it out in person
Depending on the amount of time and information available, along with the importance of getting it right, you can reach a group consensus through simple interactive online dot-voting, or involve sophisticated visualisations of weighted multi-criteria assessments.
Working with a distributed team on crafting a compelling value proposition or business case for innovation
The lean canvas or mission model canvas are tools that lend themselves ideally to online and asynchronous collaboration – you can watch your concept take shape over a period, depending how long you need!