The Lotus Blossom Technique

What can students learn from this?

Students learn to analyse the multiple facets of a challenge/topic/issue and to make connections between diverse pieces of information.

How can I do this in class?

The central theme is written in the centre of the diagram. The participants think of the ramifications/applications of the central theme and write the new ideas in the 8 petals marked A to H. The 8 ideas are used to derive new connections. The diagrams are analysed, while the ideas can represent topics for: applications, individual study or group projects.

The initial central issue will induce identifying 8 main ideas stemming from the central idea. Each of the 8 ideas are then used as “the cores” of new, secondary ramifications. The ideas are placed in a diagram resembling a lotus flower: at the core is the main issue; the main ideas are 8 “petals” which surround the central theme; they are marked A to G, in clockwise order. Each petal is then represented in another, smaller lotus flower, around the initial core. More ideas stem from the 8 smaller flowers that surround the central “flower”.

Reflection tips

When do we use this method?

• when we have difficulty in creating new ideas
• when we want a deeper insight into the ideas we already have
• when we seem to get stuck in a non-productive line of thinking

How do we use the method?

1. Make sure you have a large pin-board, or a large table, or simply enough room on the floor.
2. Write the problem on a slip of paper / post-it and place it in the middle of the board.
3. Brainstorm eight ideas in connection with the main problem/issue. In order to involve everyone, we could initially allow time for individual brainstorming, using the template (see attachment) as a handout.
4. Copy the eight ideas on eight different pieces of paper/cards/post-its. Place the new ideas around the central post-it.
5. Divide the class into eight small teams and assign one idea of the eight to each group.
6. Have the smaller groups repeat the brainstorming process, adding secondary ideas.
7. If one of the secondary ideas seems very interesting or productive, encourage the group to pursue it, creating another smaller lotus having the secondary idea as the core. Virtually any of the secondary ideas can become the core of a new “blossom”.
8. Have the students complete the initial pin-board/ whiteboard with their ideas, so that the whole class has a complete image of the entire analysis of the problem.

How is the process relevant for a person’s development or solving their problems? Here is an example, taken from here:

An unemployed marketing executive used the lotus exercise to generate ideas he needed to land a job. His central theme was “job”. One of the ideas surrounding this central box was “create a resume.” “Resume” then became a new central theme and, using the idea stimulators, he came up with a number of variations on the idea of a resume. For example, he took out ads in several papers with the bold headline, “$50,000 Reward.” The fine print underneath explained that an employer could save $50,000 by not paying a headhunter to find a person with his marketing talents. When interested employers called the number listed in the ad, they heard a recording of his resume. He received forty-five job offers.