Reverse Brainstorming

At a Glance

• Time: 4-5 minutes
• Prep: None
• Group: Small groups or whole class
• Setting: Any classroom
• Subjects: Universal (especially strong for project planning and risk analysis)
• Energy: Medium-High

Purpose

Identify potential problems, obstacles, and risks by intentionally trying to worsen a situation rather than improve it, then flipping those "anti-solutions" into preventative strategies. Use this when planning projects, anticipating obstacles, or when traditional brainstorming has become stale.

How It Works

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Flip the question (30 seconds) - Instead of "How can we improve X?" ask "How could we make X worse?" or "How could we guarantee this project fails?" Students immediately laugh—this reframing is unexpected and fun

2. Generate anti-solutions (2-3 minutes) - Groups brainstorm ways to sabotage success, make the problem worse, or ensure failure. Encourage outrageously bad ideas—the more dramatic, the better

3. Flip and strategize (1-2 minutes) - Review the "anti-solutions" and flip each one: if "never practice" would cause failure, then "consistent practice schedule" becomes a strategy for success. Identify which flipped ideas reveal real risks you hadn't considered

What to Say

Opening: "We're going to brainstorm backwards. Instead of asking 'How can we make our group presentations excellent?' I'm asking: 'How could we guarantee our presentations are absolutely terrible?' What could we do to make them as bad as possible? Let's hear your worst ideas!"

During: "Make it worse... What would be the most disastrous thing you could do?... What would guarantee failure?... The more ridiculous, the better... Don't hold back!"

Closing: "Okay, we've got a great list of terrible ideas! Now let's flip them: If 'never rehearse' guarantees disaster, what's the preventative strategy?... If 'ignore the audience' would be terrible, what should we do instead?... Notice how thinking backwards helped us identify risks we might have missed?"

Why It Works

Reverse brainstorming leverages negativity bias—humans are naturally better at identifying problems than solutions. By flipping the question, you make it easier to see obstacles that might otherwise remain hidden. The humorous framing lowers psychological barriers, encouraging creative and honest contributions. Students often identify genuine risks disguised as jokes. When flipped, these become actionable preventative strategies that strengthen plans.

Research Connection: Reverse brainstorming is a validated problem-solving technique that helps groups identify risks and obstacles more comprehensively than forward-thinking approaches alone (Van Gundy, 1981). The technique reduces evaluation apprehension and groupthink.

Teacher Tip

Some of the "joke" anti-solutions reveal real anxieties and obstacles. When a student says "Don't prepare at all!" they might be expressing genuine concern about time management. These moments are goldmines—acknowledge them: "That's funny, but it also points to a real challenge: finding time to prepare. Let's address that."

Variations

For Different Subjects

• Math/Science: "How could we guarantee a failed experiment?... What would make this calculation completely wrong?... How could we misuse this formula?"
• Humanities: "How could this character make the worst possible decision?... What would make this essay completely ineffective?... How could this argument fall apart?"
• Universal: Project planning, process improvement, behavior management, presentation preparation

For Different Settings

• Large Class (30+): Work in groups, then compile a master "failure list" on the board with each group contributing 1-2 worst ideas
• Small Group (5-15): Work as whole class, teacher scribes ideas as students call them out

For Different Ages

• Elementary (K-5): Use simpler framing: "What would make this the worst art project ever?... How could we ruin our field trip?" Keep tone playful
• Middle/High School (6-12): Standard format; students often embrace the humor and creativity enthusiastically
• College/Adult: Apply to complex strategic planning: project launches, research design, business proposals

Online Adaptation

Tools Needed: Shared document or Padlet

Setup: Create a two-column template: "Anti-Solutions (How to Fail)" | "Preventative Strategies (How to Succeed)"

Instructions:

1. Present the reversed question on screen
2. Students add "anti-solutions" to left column via shared doc or Padlet
3. In breakout rooms or together, groups flip each anti-solution into a preventative strategy
4. Discuss which flipped strategies are most important to implement

Pro Tip: Use Padlet's voting feature to identify which risks students think are most critical to prevent

Troubleshooting

Challenge: Students' "anti-solutions" become mean-spirited or target individuals Solution: Redirect immediately: "Focus on processes and systems, not people. Not 'John messes up' but 'we don't communicate clearly.' Keep it about actions we could control."

Challenge: Students struggle to flip anti-solutions into strategies Solution: Model the first one explicitly: "'Show up late' was an anti-solution. The opposite—the preventative strategy—would be 'establish clear start times and send reminders.' What's the opposite of your anti-solution?"

Extension Ideas

• Deepen: After flipping, prioritize: "Which 3 preventative strategies would have the biggest impact on success? Which are easiest to implement? Which are we currently not doing?"
• Connect: Link to real-world risk management: "Companies do 'pre-mortems' where they imagine failure, then work backwards to prevent it. You just did a pre-mortem!"
• Follow-up: Revisit the list halfway through a project: "Which risks actually occurred? Which strategies worked? What new risks emerged?"

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Related Activities: Divergent Thinking Prompts, SWOT Analysis, Devil's Advocate