Moderator Behaviors

Moderators of Innovation Central Challenges use questions and encouragement to help others strengthen and clarify their ideas. If you are familiar with the Divergent process of innovation, this is where free thinking and associating should be encouraged. Effective Moderators remain positive and encouraging. 

  • Positive tone encourages creative thinking and open collaboration.
  • The ideas someone submits represent him or her as a person.
  • This phase is around building (divergence) not deciding (convergence) so the more information, the better.
  • Be active to build competence in online collaboration.


Clarifying Ideas

As people develop ideas, the ideas are often fragmented or unfinished. Sometimes the idea authors will need the Moderator’s support in clarifying and strengthening their thinking, and strong moderation helps. Moderators are not only helping the idea author with the idea, they are demonstrating collaborative behaviors by example, and making ideas easier for others to understand.


If the idea is not clear:

  • What is the action associated to your idea?
  • How could you restate your idea if you had to boil it down to one sentence?
  • How would you present your idea if you had to explain it to a child/Martian?


If an idea’s meaning is hidden: 

  • Your idea seems to really be about (describe topic). Did I understand that correctly?
  • What I’m understanding about your idea is that it (describe hidden meaning).
  • That’s interesting, Are you saying (describe)?


If an idea is incomplete:

  • Can you say more about (where it’s missing content)?
  • If (your initial idea) were to happen, what else would you do?
  • (your idea) is very interesting. How would you see it working?
  • To which market/function/circumstances would you apply this solution?
  • How would your idea address (challenge topic)?


Strengthening Ideas

If an idea is really diagnosing a problem, or seems to be a complaint you might ask:

  • How might you solve for what you just described?
  • If you could wish for a magic solution, what would that look like?
  • Imagine you had unlimited funds, time and talent - how would you improve the situation you are describing?


If the idea is not creative enough:

  • How else might you achieve X?
  • What could you substitute, combine, amplify, minify, reverse (SCAMPER)?
  • How might James Bond / Mother Theresa / other interpret this idea?
  • How might you do what you are suggesting 10x faster / cheaper / impactful / etc?
  • If you were the _____ (object, employee, client, etc.), how would YOU like this issue to be addressed?


Give feedback:

  • What I like about this idea is (describe likes).
  • The advantages I see are (describe advantages).
  • I’d love to hear more about how to (describe).