Headstand Method (Reverse Brainstorming)

Purpose

The Headstand Method (also known as Reverse Brainstorming) flips the problem on its head: instead of asking how to solve it, the team asks how to make it worse. This counterintuitive approach bypasses mental blocks, generates energy and laughter, and often reveals root causes and solutions that direct brainstorming misses.

At a glance

• Group size: 4–15
• Duration: 25 minutes
• Difficulty: Low
• Facilitation style: Playful, provocative facilitation
• Setting: Any workshop room

How to run

1. State the problem (2 min): Write the challenge on the board.
2. Flip it (2 min): Rewrite the problem as its opposite: "How could we make customers hate our service?" "How could we ensure nobody uses this product?"
3. Brainstorm the worst (8 min): Generate as many ideas as possible for making things terrible. No limits, no judgment. Embrace absurdity.
4. Reverse each idea (8 min): Go through each "worst" idea and flip it into a positive solution. "Ignore customer complaints" becomes "Respond to every complaint within 1 hour."
5. Select best solutions (5 min): Review the reversed ideas. Star the most actionable and impactful.

Materials needed

• Whiteboard or flip chart
• Sticky notes and markers
• Two-column template (Worst → Reversed)

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Not going dark enough: Tame "worst ideas" produce tame solutions. Push for genuinely terrible scenarios.
• Forgetting to reverse: The brainstorm is fun, but the value is in the reversal. Don’t skip it.
• Reversal too literal: "Don’t answer the phone" reversed as "Answer the phone" is too obvious. Dig deeper: What’s the underlying issue?
• Using it for every problem: It works best for problems where the team is stuck, not as a default method.

Inclusion & accessibility

• The playful tone lowers barriers for participants who feel intimidated by traditional brainstorming.
• Ensure the "worst ideas" don’t target specific people or groups — keep the humour about the system, not individuals.
• Allow both written and verbal contributions.

Variations

• Anti-problem: Frame the reverse as "What is the anti-problem?" and solve that instead.
• Headstand + dot voting: After reversal, vote on which reversed ideas to develop further.
• Headstand for processes: Apply to internal processes: "How could we make our meetings as unproductive as possible?"

When NOT to use this

• When the problem involves real harm or trauma — brainstorming "how to make it worse" can be insensitive.
• When the team needs precise, technical solutions rather than creative reframing.
• When stakeholders would find the approach unprofessional (manage expectations first).

Source & further reading

• de Bono, Edward — *Serious Creativity* (HarperBusiness, 1992)
• Michalko, Michael — *Thinkertoys* (Ten Speed Press, 2006)
• VanGundy, Arthur B. — *101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving* (Pfeiffer, 2005)