Purpose: A brainstorming technique to discover motivations.
Explanation: When brainstorming about motivations, we often focus on the positive things we want to achieve. While this is a good starting point, it can also lead to unintentional restrictions in the brainstorming process.
This exercise involves not only identifying positive motivations, but also the value of identifying negative ones. By acknowledging the things we do not want to occur, we increase the scope of the brainstorming exercise. It's important to recognize that we are also motivated to stop negative things from happening.
Brainstorm Questions:
MOTIVATIONS AND WANTS - POSITIVE QUESTIONING PROCESS:
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What things make me happy?
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What are the motivations behind them?
MOTIVATIONS I DON'T WANT - NEGATIVE QUESTIONING PROCESS:
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What are the things that make me unhappy?
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What could be done to stop making me unhappy?
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What are the motivations behind these actions?
Explanation: This exercise works by acknowledging that the absence of happiness is not necessarily unhappiness. To have a clearer understanding of what motivates us, we must review both the things that make us happy and unhappy. By reviewing the things that make us happy, we can identify our motivations directly. And by reviewing what makes us unhappy, we may learn about the motivations behind the actions we take to avoid unhappiness.