What Is Cubing? A Comprehensive Guide For Corporate Learning

Organizations are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance their learning and problem-solving capabilities.

One such technique that is gaining popularity is cubing and brainstorming.

This guide aims to provide a comprehensive overview of cubing brainstorming within corporate learning, including its definition, best practices, features, pros and cons, benefits, and examples.

Definition

Cubing brainstorming is a creative thinking technique that encourages individuals or teams to explore a problem or topic from multiple perspectives.

The cube’s six sides inspire it, each representing a different viewpoint or dimension.

Cubing brainstorming stimulates diverse thinking and generates a wide range of ideas and solutions by examining a subject from various angles.

Targeting these skills is essential for customers seeking learning materials to present personal development training courses.

Best Practices

To effectively implement cubing brainstorming within corporate learning, consider the following best practices:

1. Establish clear objectives: Clearly define the problem or topic to be explored and set specific goals for the brainstorming session.
2. Create a supportive environment: Foster an open and non-judgmental atmosphere where participants feel comfortable expressing their ideas freely.
3. Diversify perspectives: Encourage participants to approach the problem from different angles, such as customer, employee, or competitor viewpoints.
4. Use structured prompts: Provide specific prompts or questions for each side of the cube to guide participants’ thinking and ensure comprehensive exploration.
5. Encourage quantity over quality: Emphasize generating many ideas without immediate evaluation or criticism.
6. Promote collaboration: Encourage active participation and collaboration among team members to build upon each other’s ideas and create synergy.
7. Capture and evaluate ideas: Document all generated ideas and assess them collectively to identify the most promising solutions.

Features

Cubing brainstorming possesses several key features that distinguish it from other brainstorming techniques:

1. Multidimensional thinking: Cubing brainstorming promotes multidimensional thinking by examining a problem from different perspectives, leading to a broader range of ideas.
2. Structured approach: The cube framework provides a structured approach to brainstorming, ensuring a comprehensive exploration of the subject.
3. Flexibility: Cubing brainstorming can be adapted to various topics and problems, making it a versatile technique for corporate learning.
4. Encourages creativity: Cubing brainstorming stimulates creativity and innovation by encouraging participants to think outside the box and explore diverse viewpoints.

Pros and Cons

Like any technique, cubing brainstorming and team brainstorming have their advantages and disadvantages:

Pros:

1. Facilitates diverse thinking: Cubing brainstorming encourages participants to consider multiple perspectives, leading to a wider range of ideas and solutions.
2. Enhances problem-solving skills: Cubing brainstorming helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities by exploring a problem from different angles.
3. Fosters collaboration: The technique promotes cooperation and teamwork as participants build upon each other’s ideas and create synergistic solutions.
4. Sparks creativity: Cubing brainstorming stimulates creativity by challenging participants to think beyond conventional approaches and explore innovative ideas.

Cons:

1. Time-consuming: Comprehensively exploring a problem from multiple perspectives can be time-consuming, especially in larger groups.
2. Requires facilitation: Effective facilitation is crucial to ensure all participants actively contribute and that the process remains focused and productive.
3. Potential for information overload: Generating numerous ideas can lead to information overload, making evaluating and prioritizing solutions challenging.

Benefits

The benefits of incorporating cubing brainstorming into corporate learning include:

1. Enhanced problem-solving: Cubing brainstorming expands the range of potential solutions, leading to more effective problem-solving outcomes.
2. Increased innovation: Cubing brainstorming fosters innovation and the generation of novel ideas by encouraging diverse thinking and exploring multiple perspectives.
3. Team building: The collaborative nature of cubing brainstorming promotes teamwork and strengthens participant relationships.
4. Adaptability: Cubing brainstorming can be applied to various learning scenarios, making it a versatile corporate training and development tool.

Examples

Here are a few examples of how cubing brainstorming can be applied in corporate learning:

1. Product development: A team of designers and engineers can use cubing brainstorming to explore a new product idea from different user perspectives, such as functionality, aesthetics, and affordability.
2. Marketing strategy: A marketing team can employ cubing brainstorming to analyze a target market from various angles, including demographics, psychographics, and cultural influences, to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy.
3. Process improvement: A cross-functional team can utilize cubing brainstorming to identify potential bottlenecks and inefficiencies in a business process by examining it from different stakeholder perspectives, such as customers, employees, and management.

By incorporating cubing brainstorming into corporate learning initiatives, organizations can unlock the full potential of their teams, foster innovation, and drive meaningful change.

Catherine Fitzgerald B.A. M.A. PGDip( Founder )

With over 30 years of experience in training and development, I am the founder of Oak Innovation, a company dedicated to empowering training professionals with high-quality, editable course materials. I hold a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from University College Cork and have furthered my expertise with qualifications in Professional Development and Training from University College Galway. Since founding Oak Innovation in 1995, I have focused on helping busy training professionals and business managers enhance their courses efficiently by providing them with instant access to customizable training materials. Our training solutions have been trusted by leading organizations such as Apple, Time Warner, and Harvard University, reflecting our commitment to excellence.