Rose, Thorn, Bud template

A way to identify things as positive, negative, or promising

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Rose, Thorn, Bud

Rose, Thorn, Bud template FAQs

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Use this template to better understand a situation by identifying what is working, what’s not going well, and areas that could be improved.

The exercise involves listing out the problem, the positive aspects of the problem (the rose), the negative aspects of the problem (the thorn), and possible solutions to the problem (the buds).

The rose, thorn, bud exercise can be used by individuals or groups, and it is a helpful way to generate new ideas and perspectives on a problem in real-time.

The rose, thorn, bud template helps you:

Define the central topic or problem
Brainstorm with your team to identify what is going well, what isn’t working, and opportunities for improvement
Organize and identify themes across your feedback for further analysis
Get aligned on next steps

How to use the rose, thorn, bud template

To facilitate a successful rose, thorn, bud exercise, you should:

Step 1: Gather a diverse group of stakeholders

In order to gather a broad array of insights and ensure that you’re not missing any key points, it’s vital to include stakeholders across the whole spectrum of your project.

Step 2: Introduce the problem

Begin by providing everyone with a clear outline of the issue at hand, and any appropriate context, so that your team is aligned on the problem you’re trying to solve. Handle any questions upfront so that your brainstorming session can be as productive as possible.

Step 3: What is going well? (Rose)

Next, have your team brainstorm ideas about what is going well — encourage everyone to be as thorough as possible. The goal of this process is to capture as much related feedback as possible, so broad engagement is key.

Pro tip: Make sure each participant only includes one idea per sticky note — this helps avoid confusion and makes it easier to organize your feedback.

Step 4: What’s not going well? (Thorn)

Now it’s time to talk about the bad stuff — what are some things that have been negatively affecting your team or your processes? Again, collect as much feedback as possible so that the final stage of your brainstorming can have maximum impact.

Step 5: Opportunities for improvement (Bud)

This is where you ask your team members to think through the ideas they may have had to address issues they’ve encountered with your current process. Inspiration for this could come from both of the first two parts of this brainstorming session — if it’s going well, could it be even better? If it’s not going well, what are some ways that broken processes could be fixed?

Step 6: Organize your feedback and align on action items

Once you've gathered your feedback, organize it by clustering the ideas by topic, helping you analyze any consistent themes and reveal potential next steps and action items.

Tips for running a rose, thorn, bud template exercise

Make your rose, bud, thorn exercise even more impactful by:

Color-coding your feedback to make it easy to scan (our template suggests pink sticky notes for roses, blue for thorns, and green for buds)
Using features like private mode to avoid groupthink and encourage individual ideation, and timer to keep things moving
Organizing and analyzing your feedback by identifying and grouping themes together, facilitating the creation of actionable next steps

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Rose, Thorn, Bud template FAQs

What is the rose, thorn, bud technique?

The rose, thorn, bud technique is a problem-solving and brainstorming tool that can be used in a variety of settings. The name comes from the idea of considering a problem as a rose (something that is beautiful but also has thorns), a thorn (something that is painful or difficult), and a bud (something that has the potential to grow or improve). By looking at a problem from all three perspectives, it can be easier to identify possible solutions. For example, if someone is feeling stressed about an upcoming event, they might identify the thorn of not having enough time to prepare. However, they can also see the rose of being able to enjoy the event once it's over and the bud of learning from any mistakes that are made. By considering all three perspectives, it can be easier to find a balance and come up with creative solutions.

What is meant by design thinking?

Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that emphasizes creativity and collaboration. The goal of design thinking is to come up with clever solutions to complex problems. The process usually involves brainstorming sessions, sketching out ideas, and prototyping. Design thinking can be applied to any problem, big or small. For example, you could use design thinking to come up with a new way to organize your closet. Or you could use it to solve a global problem, like climate change. No matter what the problem is, design thinking can help you find an innovative solution.

What other activities are similar to a rose, thorn, bud exercise?

The rose, thorn, bud exercise is a reflection exercise used to gain insights and perspectives on an experience or situation. Here are some activities that are similar to the rose, thorn, bud exercise:

Start, Stop, Continue: This exercise involves reflecting on three categories: what to start doing, what to stop doing, and what to continue doing. It is similar to the bud, thorn, rose exercise in that it involves reflecting on both positive and negative aspects of a situation and identifying ways to improve.
Appreciative Inquiry: This is a method of inquiry that focuses on what is going well in a situation or organization, rather than what needs to be fixed. It is similar to the rose, thorn, bud exercise in that it focuses on identifying the positive aspects of a situation.
SWOT Analysis: This is a structured method of analyzing a situation or organization by identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It is similar to the rose, thorn, bud exercise in that it involves reflecting on both positive and negative aspects of a situation and identifying ways to improve.
Journaling: Journaling is a reflective practice that involves writing down thoughts and feelings about a situation or experience. It is similar to the rose, thorn, bud exercise in that it encourages reflection and self-awareness.
Mind Mapping: Mind mapping is a technique that involves visually organizing ideas and information. It can be used to reflect on a situation or experience and identify patterns and connections. It is similar to the rose, bud, thorn exercise in that it encourages reflection and identification of key themes.