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Warning: You’re Losing Out by Not Using Collaborative Annotations

9/15/2017

Quiet reflection can be a productive learning and problem solving strategy, especially for introverts. In Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, author Susan Cain provides a compelling argument for our need to seek ways to more proactively include employees who are not as extroverted or assertive about their ideas.

Collaborative Annotation, also known as trio annotation, is a structured approach for sharing thoughts without the cacophony of a group discussion. Here’s how it works:

Place your participants in groups of three.
Provide each with a 1-4 page document to be read silently. Ask them to write their name at the top of the first page.
Direct everyone to annotate the document as they read. If desired, provide them with some examples – questions that arise, connections they make, ideas that pop up, etc.
After sufficient time has passed, ask everyone to pass their copy clockwise in their trio.
Explain that they will now review the annotations made by their partner, and add their own reactions.
After sufficient time has passed, ask everyone to pass their copy again, and annotate again.
When finished, partners should return their paper to the original owner and read through the added comments.
Allow time for small group, and then whole group, discussion about the document.

I have used this strategy twice in the last few weeks and found that the resulting discussion and ideas were richer and more productive than would have occurred if we had gone right to discussion first. It clearly made it easier for the introverts in the group to have their voices heard.

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100% Learner Participation with No Prep on Your Part!

9/8/2017

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Looking for an easy, novel approach to brainstorming?
A way to get all of your participants actively engaged?
How about a strategy that requires NO PREP?
If so, then Blanket the Table is for you.

Each participant needs to rip up a piece of paper into 4 pieces. You might use index cards instead, but the paper ripping adds a nice tactile component to the activity.
Place participants in groups of five or six, and ask them to stand around a cleared table top.
Put 90 seconds on a visual timer.
Explain that the goal is to brainstorm enough ideas to Blanket the Table.
When they have an idea, they say it aloud to their group, then write it on their scrap of paper and drop it on the table. Use the phrase "Say it, Write it, Drop it."
Give your participants their brainstorming topic - i.e. examples of workplace stress, examples of great customer service, solutions to a specific problem, etc. - and say "Go!" as you start the clock.
When time is up, ask everyone to give their teammates a High Five or Fist bump.
At this point you can choose to have participants prioritize or categorize their ideas, share their favorites aloud, or develop an action plan.

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Warning: You’re Losing Out by Not Using Collaborative Annotations

100% Learner Participation with No Prep on Your Part!

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