Combinations 151
Procedure
- Distribute the Parts Purge Handout, review it with the participants, and answer
any questions they may have. - Have each group obtain a sheet of flip-chart paper and tape it lengthwise to a wall
or lay it down on a table. - Tell them to follow the example and list major problem attributes across the top,
and then list subattributes next to each major attribute. - Instruct them to take turns and select one of the subattributes and write down the
first word they can think of. That is, to free-associate by writing down a second
word stimulated by the first, and so forth until that person has listed four or five
words for each subattribute. - Tell them to repeat Step 4, but have another group member do the free-associating
and continue doing this until all group members have been involved or no more
words remain to use for free association. - Direct all group members to use the free associations to stimulate ideas.
- Tell them to write down their ideas on Post-it®Notes (one idea per note) and place
them on flip charts for evaluation.
Debrief/Discussion
Parts Purge uses both related and unrelated problem stimuli. This can make it a versatile
activity to apply to a variety of types of problems with a variety of brainstorming person-
ality types (that is, people who prefer one type of stimulation over another). The required
free associations and reliance on all group members can help push out thinking bound-
aries and engage the participants more than in less structured brainstorming activities.
Also consider having participants debrief using the following questions:- What was most helpful about this exercise?
- What was most challenging?
- What can we apply?
- How would you rate the value of this exercise to helping us with this issue?
- Will this exercise be helpful in the future for other sessions?
- What did you learn?
- What will we be able to use from this exercise?
- What ideas were generated, and which ones were most interesting?
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