Tool 185: Starbursting

AKA

N/A

Classification

Data Collecting (DC)

Tool description

Starbursting generates questions that must be asked by a team in order to clarify issues, probe for potential solutions, or verify resource requirements. Once a topic has been chosen, participants are free to "starburst" any question they feel is relevant to the topic or that needs to be considered and responded to so that nothing is missed in the decision-making process.

Typical application

• To question how a particular improvement opportunity or problem solution is to be implemented and evaluated.

• To discover, through questioning, what it will take to explore the merits of previously brainstormed ideas.

• To openly voice the questions thought of by team participants during a discussion, presentation, or team meeting.

• To identify early potential problem areas in a change effort.

Problem-solving phase

→	Select and define problem or opportunity
→	Identify and analyze causes or potential change
	Develop and plan possible solutions or change
	Implement and evaluate solution or change
	Measure and report solution or change results
	Recognize and reward team efforts

Typically used by

	Research/statistics
1	Creativity/innovation
	Engineering
	Project management
	Manufacturing
4	Marketing/sales
	Administration/documentation
	Servicing/support
2	Customer/quality metrics
3	Change management

links to other tools

before

• Brainstorming

• Observation

• Interview Technique

• Surveying

• Questionnaires

after

• Critical Dialogue

• Circles of knowledge

• Buzz Group

• Barriers-and-Aids Analysis

• Cost-Benefit Analysis

Notes and key points

• Just as in brainstorming, no evaluation of questions is allowed during the starbursting process.

Step-by-step procedure

• STEP 1 The team decides on a topic to be questioned or, as an alternative, displays flip charts of previously brainstormed ideas. See example Starbursting Questions to Improve Quality.

• STEP 2 The facilitator explains to participants that they may ask as many questions as they wish without having questions evaluated by others.

• STEP 3 Questions can be given openly or written on 3 5 cards. All questions are collected and recorded on a whiteboard or flip charts. Checks are made for redundant questions. The purpose for displaying all questions is the possible triggering of other related questions.

• STEP 4 When the team runs out of questions, the facilitator asks the team to compare the questions asked with the previously brainstormed ideas, as shown in this example.

• STEP 5 Lastly, the team, with the insight gained, discusses the next steps to be taken.

Example of tool application

Starbursting Questions to Improve Quality