Objectives
About brainstorming tools
Engage offers several types of brainstorming tools.
Use a fishbone to brainstorm the possible causes of a particular effect.
Use a CT tree to identify ways to meet customers' needs. CT trees support brainstorming for inputs to a central, critical-to-quality statement.
Use an idea map for general purpose brainstorming. Idea maps support brainstorming for ideas about a central question.
Use a mind map to organize related ideas and concepts. Mind maps support brainstorming for ideas about a central topic.
Insert a fishbone
- Choose .
- In the Insert Tool dialog box, click a fishbone template, and then click Create.
Generate a brainstorm list
In a fishbone, an idea map, or a CT tree, you can quickly generate a brainstorm list by typing items in the task pane, or by importing variables from other tools in your project.
- In a brainstorming tool, choose .
- In the task pane, type an item and press Enter.
- Select one or more items in the list and drag them to a shape on the diagram. You can also drag items from the diagram back to the list.
Tip
To import variables from other tools into the brainstorm list, click Import X Variable or Import Y Variable in the task pane, and then, in the Data Selection dialog box, select the variables to import.
Create x and y variables from a brainstorming tool
You can make an x variable or a y variable from a shape on a brainstorming tool. Then, you can use these variables in other parts of the project without having to retype them. For example, you can add the variables to process map shapes or to cause and effect matrices. In this example, you want to make x variables from the shapes labeled "representatives lack authority to resolve issues" and "representatives lack proper training".
- In a brainstorming tool, select representatives lack authority to resolve issues and representatives lack proper training, right-click, and then choose .
- When the Make Variable dialog box appears, click OK. Engage makes a copy of the affinity or child as an unmapped variable. An unmapped variable is one that is not assigned to a shape on a process map.
What's next
Go to Map your process.