Lotus Diagram
What is it?
The Lotus Diagram is an analytical, organizational tool for breaking broad
topics into components, which can then be prioritized for implementation.
When is it used?
The Lotus process is used when teams or individuals need a process for
organizing and prioritizing components of a larger whole.
Where is it used?
Lotus Diagrams are often used, but not limited to steps 1, 2, 5 and 9 of the
Probletunity Improvement Process.
Why is it used?
Lotus Diagrams:
 Are spatial and interactive
 Promote logical, creative thinking
 Promote prioritizing for action
 Require active brainstorming and analysis for all individuals
 Create an automatic recording device for information
 Are effective with all ages
 Provide an effective communication tool
Sample Uses:
Use Lotus Diagrams:
 With students when dividing tasks for learning projects
 To make an excellent tool for outlining writing projects
 With administrators to outline and prioritize school improvement
processes
 To prepare for creative writing projects
 To analyse major components of historical events, such as the Civil
War, etc.
 To devise strategies of implementation
1. Take a large sheet of paper or a flip chart
sheet and pretend you are going to play a
giant game of Noughts and Crosses or TicTac-Toe. Draw the lines on your chart.
5. Transfer each subtopic to the centre of a
corresponding square. Brainstorm ideas
or causes and place in the surrounding
rectangles.
2. Now proceed to the centre of the sheet
and repeat the process
6. Use the upper left corner triangles to
prioritise the sub-ideas.
3. Choose an aim or topic to study and
clearly write it in the centre of the Lotus
Diagram
4. Use Brainstorming to identify up to eight
(8) major subtopics. Place each of the
eight subtopics in the ovals surrounding
the centre rectangle and draw a circle
around each.
Systems
thinking
1
Quality
learning
Brain
research
5
Ideas of
knowledge
2
Psychology
3
Variation
4
Caution!
If ideas have previously been prioritized, they can
be placed on the Lotus Diagram according to their
appropriate number. If there is no priority, the
numbers on the Lotus Diagram serve only as
locators.
Lotus Diagrams, for individuals, work best on a
standard size page. A larger version, such as a flip
chart sheet, is necessary for teams, so that all can
see and participate in its formations.