Affinity Diagram - Gathering & grouping ideas II

How do I do it?
1. Phrase the issue under discussion in a full sentence

"What are the issue involved in planning fun family vacations?"

Tip From the start, reach consensus on the choice of words you will use. Neutral statements work well, but positive, negative, and solution-oriented questions also work.

2. Brainstorm at atleast 20 ideas or issues
 a) Follow guidelines for brainstorming.
 b) Record each idea on a Post-it™ note in bold, large print to make it visible 4-6 feet away. Use at minimum, a noun and verb. Avoid using single words, For to seven words word well.

Tip A "typical" Affinity has 40-60 items; it is not unusual to have 100-200 ideas.

3. Without talking: sort ideas simultaneously into 5-10 related groupings
 a) Move Post-it™ notes where they fit best for you; don't ask, simply move any notes that you think belong in another grouping.
 b) Sorting will slow down or stop when each person feels sufficiently comfortable with the groupings.

Illustration Note: There are 5 to 10 more groupings of ideas in a typical Affinity Diagram

Tip Sort in silence to focus on the meaning behind and connections among all ideas, instead of emotions and "history" that often arise in discussions.
Tip As an idea is moved back and forth, try to see the logical connection that the other person is making. If this movement continues beyond a reasonable point, agree to create a duplicate Post-it™.
Tip It is okay for some notes to stand alone. These "loners" can be as important as others that fit into grouping naturally.

4. For each grouping, create summary or header cards using consensus
 a) Gain a quick team consensus on a word or phrase that captures the central idea / theme of each grouping; record it on a Post-it™ note and place it at the top of each grouping. These are draft header cards.
 b) For each grouping, agree on a concise sentence that combines the grouping's central idea and what all of the specific Post-it™ note add to that idea; record it and replace the draft version. This is a final header card.
c) Divide large groupings into subgroups as needed and create appropriate subheaders.
d) Draw the final Affinity Diagram connecting all finalized header cards with their groupings.

Illustration Note: There are 5 to 10 groupings of ideas in a typical Affinity. This is a partial Affinity.

Tip Spend the extra time needed to do solid header cards. Strive to capture the essence of all of the ideas in each grouping. Shortcuts here can greatly reduce the effectiveness of the final Affinity Diagram.

Variations
Another popular form of this tool, called the KJ Method, was developed by the Japanese anthropologist Jiro Kawakita while he was doing fieldwork in the 1950s. The KJ Method, identified with Kawakita's initials, helped the anthropologist and his students gather and analyze data. The KJ Method differs from the Affinity Diagram described above in that the cards are face-based and go through a highly structured refinement process before the final diagram is created.