AI-powered facilitation support for collaborative thinking sessions, workshops, and group problem-solving.
Group Brainstorm quick prompts help the whole group think better together. Unlike other session types where Hedy coaches you individually, Group Brainstorm treats Hedy as a neutral facilitator serving the conversation as a whole. Prompts are organized into five facilitation phases that guide a group from framing the problem through to concrete decisions.
You don't need to follow the phases in order. Jump to whatever your group needs in the moment.
Goal: Open & Frame
When this applies: The session is just starting, or the group has drifted and needs to refocus on what they're actually trying to solve. Use these prompts to make sure everyone is working on the same problem before diving into solutions.
Ideal moments: Session kickoff, when the discussion feels unfocused, when someone asks "wait, what are we actually deciding?"
Define the question
What it does: Asks Hedy to synthesize the discussion so far into a clear, focused question the group is trying to answer.
When to use it:
The group has been talking for a few minutes but hasn't explicitly stated the problem
Multiple related issues are being discussed and you need to pick one to focus on
A new participant joined and needs a quick orientation
What to expect: A concise question that captures the core of what the group is exploring, based on what's been said so far.
Problem statement
What it does: Produces a structured problem statement from the group's discussion, identifying what's happening, who's affected, and why it matters.
When to use it:
The group agrees there's a problem but hasn't articulated it clearly
You want a reference point the group can validate before brainstorming solutions
Success criteria
What it does: Identifies what "done" looks like based on goals and constraints mentioned in the discussion.
When to use it:
Before the group starts generating solutions, to set evaluation criteria
When ideas are being debated and the group needs a shared standard to judge them against
Key constraints
What it does: Lists the boundaries and limitations mentioned (budget, timeline, technical, organizational) so the group keeps them in mind.
Goal: Diverge
When this applies: The group is generating ideas and you want to push thinking further. These prompts help the group explore angles they haven't considered, challenge comfortable assumptions, and make connections across different ideas.
Ideal moments: During active brainstorming, when the group is converging too early, when energy is dropping.
Unexplored angles
What it does: Identifies perspectives, stakeholders, or approaches that nobody in the group has raised yet.
When to use it:
The group has been discussing the same two or three options for a while
You suspect there are important viewpoints missing from the conversation
The group needs a creativity boost
Challenge assumptions
What it does: Surfaces things the group is taking for granted without questioning. Points out "we're assuming X, but is that actually true?"
When to use it:
The group seems to agree too quickly on something
A solution path is being pursued based on unstated assumptions
Opposite argument
What it does: Presents the strongest case against the group's current direction to stress-test ideas.
Connect ideas
What it does: Identifies links between ideas from different speakers that the group may not have noticed.
When to use it:
Several people have shared ideas that seem unrelated but might combine into something stronger
The discussion has covered a lot of ground and you want to find patterns
Hidden assumptions
What it does: Digs deeper than "Challenge assumptions" to find implicit beliefs embedded in the group's language and framing.
Goal: Analyze
When this applies: The group has generated plenty of ideas and needs to make sense of them. These prompts help organize, evaluate, and find the tensions in what's been discussed.
Ideal moments: After a divergent brainstorm, when the whiteboard is full, when the group needs to shift from generating to evaluating.
Organize discussion
What it does: Groups the ideas and points raised so far into logical categories or themes.
When to use it:
The discussion has covered many topics and you need structure
Participants are repeating points and you want to see what's actually been covered
Find tensions
What it does: Identifies contradictions or trade-offs between different positions or ideas in the discussion.
SWOT analysis
What it does: Evaluates the group's leading idea or approach using Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
Evaluate ideas
What it does: Assesses the ideas discussed against the success criteria and constraints identified earlier.
Missing questions
What it does: Identifies important questions the group hasn't asked yet that could change the direction of the discussion.
Goal: Converge
When this applies: The group is ready to narrow down options and make decisions. These prompts help check alignment, compare options, and move toward concrete commitments.
Ideal moments: When time is running short, when the group needs to decide, when you want to check if there's actual consensus.
Check consensus
What it does: Summarizes where the group seems to agree and where there are still differences, based on what people have actually said.
When to use it:
The group seems to be aligned but nobody has explicitly confirmed it
You want to surface quiet disagreements before moving forward
Top options
What it does: Distills the discussion into the strongest 2-3 options with a brief case for each.
Decision criteria
What it does: Proposes criteria for choosing between options based on what the group has valued in the discussion.
Assign ownership
What it does: Lists the action items and decisions that have emerged, and suggests who should own each based on the discussion.
Decisions so far
What it does: Compiles all decisions the group has made during the session into a clear list.
Goal: Process
When this applies: The group needs to step back and look at the session itself: what's been covered, what's been parked, and what still needs attention. Use these at natural breaks or toward the end of a session.
Ideal moments: Mid-session check-ins, wrapping up, when the group is going in circles.
Recap
What it does: Provides a neutral summary of the full session: what was discussed, what was decided, and what's still open.
Parking lot
What it does: Lists topics that were raised but intentionally set aside during the discussion, so nothing gets lost.
Unresolved items
What it does: Identifies questions and disagreements that were raised but not settled, so the group knows what still needs follow-up.
Progress check
What it does: Assesses how far the group has come relative to the session's goals and suggests what to focus on next.
Pro tip: Add your session goals and any background material as session context before starting. For example: "We're deciding between three architecture options for the payments rewrite. The constraint is shipping by Q3." This helps Hedy's facilitation stay grounded in what actually matters to the group.