Brainstorming can be overwhelming. As much as your team wants to flesh out new ideas for specific projects, starting it can be a handful. Companies and organizations use the how might we template to push innovative concepts and ideas from their employees. Instead of pushing members to find answers on the spot, the template lets you encourage each one to contribute related ideas to the topic at hand.
What are how might we (HMW) statements?
In a how might we template, you’ll see 3 questions a team must address, as shown below. It’s a technique that helps people brainstorm ideas. The template’s popularity continues to increase, especially for leaders in the corporate world. It’s a straightforward template and can simplify major issues and transform them into opportunities through specific and creative solutions.
- How: While you might not have the answer yet, this question on your how might we template will open opportunities for creative concepts that can eventually solve issues without increasing risk factors.
- This section emphasizes the possibilities of various ideas leading to a solution. It allows all team members to contribute without judgment, which means all inputs are welcome.
- The final question on the how might we template ensures that regardless of the issue, teams can solve it with teamwork and collaboration.
Benefits of using a how might we (HMW) template
The following are the specific advantages you’ll experience when using the how might we template.
- It helps generate fresh ideas. Once the team is stuck in problem-solving, coming up with how we might statements will be helpful to flesh out new ideas. Since you’ll have different angles to approaching specific problems, you can develop creative solutions your team might not have thought of.
- It encourages better collaboration. The how might we approach is not executed by one person only. You can work with other team members on your possible initiatives for the issue. As a result, you can create innovative solutions.
- It allows you to think outside the box. Since you’re considering everyone’s inputs using the how might we template, you’re allowing ideas to flow from different perspectives. Along the way, you can gather unusual solutions that can be used to solve the issues.
How to run a how might we (HMW) process?
The how might we template is a straightforward framework you can conduct among your team quickly.
- You can do it traditionally with a marker and a whiteboard. Another means would be using a digital whiteboard like Boardmix.
- Add a problem statement to the template. You can use the keywords user, user requirement, and insight.
- Allot some time for members to formulate their how might we questions. Sticky notes will be useful in this process.
- Brainstorm the questions and narrow them down to those you decide to move forward with. You can vote on the questions that might be used.
FAQs about how might we
How does the how might we statement impact the ideation stage?
Using the how might we template opens up the team’s ideation sessions, allowing you to explore concepts and ideas to help you solve a problem within the company.
What is the difference between POV and HMW?
A POV or point-of-view refers to a brief description of the issue or need that the team or company must solve. Meanwhile, the how might we template contains short questions that start the process of generating solutions and ideas. As you can see, the POV is relatively part of the how might we creation process.
