Approach problems and unknowns the right way

This tool will help you to expose unquestioned assumptions about the problem/challenge, the current situation and opportunities, and our users’ mental models or even the business priorities. By the end of using this tool, you will have one or more definitions of the problem/challenge that can help you and your team to ideate with a wider understanding of the challenge.

You will also generate a few initial ideas and solutions.

Duration: 30 to 90 min (You use this tool for 30 to 90 minutes with your team and find a way to properly describe the challenge)

Recommendation: Everyone should be online concurrently for 30–90 min.

Books to read: Lateral thinking from Edward de Bono.

Step 1: Define the challenge

This is how you currently define the challenge. Try to define the challenge with a short sentence and in a positive way.

Be careful when defining a problem, avoid using the solution you assume it will take to solve it, this tends to limit the ideation process by narrowing the team’s perspective.

Example: Imagine that a ball is stuck high up in the branch of a tree. You don’t have a ladder. Is your problem that you don’t have a ladder?

I don’t have ladder → I need to get a ladder.

If you start from this perspective you’ll likely create a question and start ideating with that perspective in mind only leading your team to questions like:

How can I get a ladder? I can buy it, I can ask the neighbor, I can rent it, etc

In this case, you are limiting your ideation process and is not helping to truly better define the problem itself. Sometimes teams narrow down the challenge or define a challenge that is too uncertain or big of a challenge and end up reducing the ability of the team to explore creative solutions.

A better way to define your problem that may result in more potential solutions:

I need to move the ball from point A to point B → How can I get the ball from point A to B?

The ideal challenge definition will be: How can I move the ball from point A to point B?

Your turn!

Step 2: Break down the challenge into components.

Eg. The ball is 4 meters high → It’s held by some branches so it will require some strength to get it out → How can I reach the ball that is 4 meters high if I am 1.80m tall? → There is 2.2m between the ball and I. → etc

Step 3: Define the problem by using the How might we framework.

How might we move the ball from point A to point B?

Step 4: Create a list of assumptions.

What are your assumptions and how risky are those? High risks assumptions, if proven wrong can mean that our solution fails. Categorize your assumptions based on how much information and the risks.

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