Lightning Decision Jam: A Clear and Structured Process to Help Teams Find Creative, Effective, and Shared Solutions

One of the main challenges of using creative thinking is the ease with which focus and concentration can be lost, leading to overly open, often unstructured, and unproductive discussions.
The result is that instead of generating creative ideas, teams encounter stalled projects, a loss of momentum, and increased timelines and budgets.

The Lightning Decision Jam (LDJ) is an excellent exercise, created by Ajsmart, which helps teams rapidly (in about 2 hours) and effectively determine the direction to take by identifying key problems and potential solutions.

It’s an inclusive and democratic process that allows everyone to express their opinions, propose ideas, and collectively decide on which priorities to focus.

The LDJ is inspired by the core principles of the Design Sprint:

🔹 Work together, alone
🔹 Tangible outcomes over endless discussions
🔹 Starting is more important than being right
🔹 Don’t rely on creativity alone

The process always concludes with one or more actions to be taken in a short time frame to test the identified solutions.

When Can LDJ Be Useful?

LDJ is perfect whenever a group needs to make decisions, solve problems, or tackle new challenges. It can be applied to a wide range of topics, including:
✅ Complex business processes
✅ Internal communication challenges
✅ Improving work environments
✅ Optimizing sales or procurement workflows
✅ Event planning
✅ Designing a new website

What do you need to run an LDJ workshop?

• ✔️ Post-its in various colors and sizes
  ✔️ Markers
  ✔️ Dot notes (colored voting stickers)
  ✔️ A timer (strict time management is key)
  ✔️ An energizing playlist
  ✔️ A wall or glass board for organizing post-its

Can the LDJ be done remotely?

Absolutely! LDJ can be facilitated virtually using interactive platforms like Mural or Miro. However, a warm-up session is essential to help participants familiarize themselves with the platform and avoid distractions during the core workshop.

The phases of the LDJ process

1️⃣ Start with what’s working well in the project—what’s driving progress and motivation?
2️⃣ Identify obstacles and roadblocks—what’s slowing things down or causing delays?
3️⃣ Vote on the biggest challenges and reframe them into “How Might We…” (HMW) questions.
4️⃣ Prioritize the HMW questions and focus efforts on solving the most critical ones.
5️⃣ Brainstorm solutions and position them on a matrix evaluating impact vs effort.
6️⃣ Identify immediate next steps to make the solution actionable.

LDJ is a fast and effective method that helps organizations streamline complex projects, overcome obstacles, and generate innovative solutions—all in just two hours!

📩 Want to learn more? Contact me, and I’ll be happy to provide all the details!

#designthinking #LDJ #LightningDecisionJam