Taking a look at an issue from totally different angles might aid you uncover an answer you by no means would have seen earlier than.
One other set of important considering instruments for outlining your downside is wanting on the downside by means of new lenses. Can you alter the standpoint? Can you alter context? And may you alter actuality? Let’s have a look at what these imply.
Altering standpoint. How is the issue outlined from the angle of the CEO, of the frontline employees, of shoppers, of adjoining teams? They’re all going to have a look at the issue in numerous methods, and so they’ll outline it in another way relying upon their standpoint. The issue will look very totally different from 10,000 toes versus 50 toes.
By way of altering context, are you able to reimagine the issue in new methods? We have a tendency to return on the downside from our personal useful perspective. If I work in finance, effectively, it’s going to be a finance downside. If someone works in IT, they’ll have a look at the identical factor and say, “No, it’s an IT problem.” So, can you alter the context by way of the way you’re defining the issue?
And may you alter actuality? Ask your self, “What if? What if I removed some of these constraints? What if I had some of these resources? What if I was able to do this instead of that?” By altering actuality, it’s possible you’ll discover a totally different means to outline the issue that permits you to pursue totally different alternatives. By wanting on the downside in new methods, you’re going to get a transparent sense of course round what the true difficulty is, such you could generate some modern and insightful options.
Let me tie again to a collections instance, the place we have been fixing the issue and we noticed it as an company administration difficulty. It was about relationship administration with our collections businesses, and that’s how we have been going to enhance their efficiency. Different folks noticed it as a method downside. Ought to we be outsourcing or insourcing these actions? Different folks noticed the efficiency difficulty as a fee or pricing downside. Had been the commissions and incentives we have been giving these businesses appropriate? Or ought to we modify them to enhance efficiency? Different folks noticed it as a coaching difficulty by way of the frontline employees. Had been we giving them the instruments and methods and coaching that was required for them to carry out successfully? So, wanting on the downside from very totally different factors of view led us to different potential options.
So, I need you to take an issue you’re taking a look at and ask, “Can I change my point of view?” And should you battle with this, should you’re so tied into your useful space, go discover someone from one other group. Clarify the issue to them, ask them how they might outline the issue. Use their perspective to generate that totally different standpoint.
Spending this important thought round wanting on the downside from totally different angles and understanding what facets of it will possibly change might aid you uncover that one actually huge resolution that you simply by no means would have seen together with your very restricted scope. So, spend the time on this important thought, stepping again from the issue, and actually asking, “Is there a different way to define it?”
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