Changing perspectives & finding times when the solution is happening or has happened or might happen or can happened Exceptions… Will point to the solution itself, making the problem irrelevant.
Got an Example?
Working with an IT team they kept getting negative customer feedback about their responsiveness to customer requests … the IT team admitted that they struggled with customer requests because the customer did not communicate the changes needed until it was too late in the coding & development phase.
We found several people who did not have this problem.
We asked them, “How are you being responsive to customer needs?”
They told us, “We use a shared scoping document that is completed with the customer & spend more time in the early phases creating trust on what the Solution will look like & we educate ourselves & them using a Rapid PDSA process. Frank has become our Customer Relationship Manager, we shifted some of his workload. He talks with the customer weekly & shares updates, walks through the PDSA process & communicates + connects us with some small next steps.”
We copied the solution that was shared. Within 6 weeks the number of customer complaints decreased by 68%.
A problem that solves itself is no longer a problem
Solution-Finding & Innovation Thinking is more than a set of tools. It is a different way of thinking and approaching your work. Plus, I enjoy finding and phrasing questions that break the stuckness in thinking.
Forced Narrative
Thinking
Looking at what you want to have SOLVED, move the problem and solution into a story with limited options.
Reason
It can be overwhelming to create a frame around a challenge. Forcing other people & yourself to share a narrative story using fixed resources, can break the stuckness & fear of the unknown. Using a limited frame & story structure allows a solution & progress focused move that is concrete & doable. That may be just enough to create a small shift that leads to bigger changes.
Question
For this I like using a set of Rory’s Story Cubes (seen in the picture above).
Roll the story cubes or just use the images on the cubes above.
From the images;
create a narrative about the problem you are facing;
create a narrative about what will be happening when the problem is absent or better or SOLVED;
create a narrative about your immediate steps to see your solution happen.
Solution-Finding & Innovation Thinking is more than a set of tools. It is a different way of thinking and approaching your work. Plus, I enjoy finding and phrasing questions that break stuckness in thinking.
Try the Other Side
Thinking
Looking at what you want SOLVED… a different result happens by using a different surface, angle, or action from a different location.
Reason
We get stuck in the one direction or angle or surface of how we are currently doing things. This stuckness can cause us to push harder on the same thing. When a different, maybe better, result develops from reversing where to seek or initiate action.
Question
What does the other side look like? How might you succeed by using the other side?
Solution-Finding & Innovation Thinking is more than a set of tools. It is a different way of thinking and approaching work. Plus, I enjoy finding and phrasing questions that break stuckness in thinking.
Thinking
Looking at what you want SOLVED … While working with the product, service, person, system, etc… Allowing the consequence of an action to share or display information & useful adjustments.
Reason
Consequences of an action can be measured & evaluated to improve performance.
Question
How will I obtain (gather, capture, understand) & use feedback to improve performance?
Solution-Finding & Innovation Thinking is more than a set of tools. It is a different way of thinking and approaching work. Plus, I enjoy finding and phrasing questions that break stuckness in thinking.
Thinking
Looking at what you want SOLVED … Trying to avoid unproductive use of resources by working around the need to check the system’s status.
Measurement takes resources, time & energy.
Measuring something may effect the system in ways that are not predicable or helpful.
Reason
The need to measure requires resources. These resources drain on securing other resources that may move the system closer to succeeding.
Question
How do I ensure the desired level of performance without checking?
Solution-Finding & Innovation Thinking is more than a set of tools. It is a different way of thinking and approaching work. Plus, I enjoy finding and phrasing questions that break stuckness in thinking.
Changing perspectives & finding times when the solution is happening or has happened or might happen or can happened Exceptions… Will point to the solution itself, making the problem irrelevant.
Got an Example?
Working with an IT team they kept getting negative customer feedback about their responsiveness to customer requests … the IT team admitted that they struggled with customer requests because the customer did not communicate the changes needed until it was too late in the coding & development phase.
We found several people who did not have this problem.
We asked them, “How are you being responsive to customer needs?”
They told us, “We use a shared scoping document that is completed with the customer & spend more time in the early phases creating trust on what the Solution will look like & we educate ourselves & them using a Rapid PDSA process. Frank has become our Customer Relationship Manager, we shifted some of his workload. He talks with the customer weekly & shares updates, walks through the PDSA process & communicates + connects us with some small next steps.”
We copied the solution that was shared. Within 6 weeks the number of customer complaints decreased by 68%.
A problem that solves itself is no longer a problem
Solution-Finding & Innovation Thinking is more than a set of tools. It is a different way of thinking and approaching your work. Plus, I enjoy finding and phrasing questions that break the stuckness in thinking.
Forced Narrative
Thinking
Looking at what you want to have SOLVED, move the problem and solution into a story with limited options.
Reason
It can be overwhelming to create a frame around a challenge. Forcing other people & yourself to share a narrative story using fixed resources, can break the stuckness & fear of the unknown. Using a limited frame & story structure allows a solution & progress focused move that is concrete & doable. That may be just enough to create a small shift that leads to bigger changes.
Question
For this I like using a set of Rory’s Story Cubes (seen in the picture above).
Roll the story cubes or just use the images on the cubes above.
From the images;
create a narrative about the problem you are facing;
create a narrative about what will be happening when the problem is absent or better or SOLVED;
create a narrative about your immediate steps to see your solution happen.
Solution-Finding & Innovation Thinking is more than a set of tools. It is a different way of thinking and approaching work. Plus, I enjoy finding and phrasing questions that break stuckness in thinking.
Thinking
Looking at what you want SOLVED … While working with the product, service, person, system, etc… Allowing the consequence of an action to share or display information & useful adjustments.
Reason
Consequences of an action can be measured & evaluated to improve performance.
Question
How will I obtain (gather, capture, understand) & use feedback to improve performance?
Solution-Finding & Innovation Thinking is more than a set of tools. It is a different way of thinking and approaching work. Plus, I enjoy finding and phrasing questions that break stuckness in thinking.
Changing perspectives & finding times when the solution is happening or has happened or might happen or can happened Exceptions… Will point to the solution itself, making the problem irrelevant.
Got an Example?
Working with an IT team they kept getting negative customer feedback about their responsiveness to customer requests … the IT team admitted that they struggled with customer requests because the customer did not communicate the changes needed until it was too late in the coding & development phase.
We found several people who did not have this problem.
We asked them, “How are you being responsive to customer needs?”
They told us, “We use a shared scoping document that is completed with the customer & spend more time in the early phases creating trust on what the Solution will look like & we educate ourselves & them using a Rapid PDSA process. Frank has become our Customer Relationship Manager, we shifted some of his workload. He talks with the customer weekly & shares updates, walks through the PDSA process & communicates + connects us with some small next steps.”
We copied the solution that was shared. Within 6 weeks the number of customer complaints decreased by 68%.
A problem that solves itself is no longer a problem
Solution-Finding & Innovation Thinking is more than a set of tools. It is a different way of thinking and approaching your work. Plus, I enjoy finding and phrasing questions that break the stuckness in thinking.
Forced Narrative
Thinking
Looking at what you want to have SOLVED, move the problem and solution into a story with limited options.
Reason
It can be overwhelming to create a frame around a challenge. Forcing other people & yourself to share a narrative story using fixed resources, can break the stuckness & fear of the unknown. Using a limited frame & story structure allows a solution & progress focused move that is concrete & doable. That may be just enough to create a small shift that leads to bigger changes.
Question
For this I like using a set of Rory’s Story Cubes (seen in the picture above).
Roll the story cubes or just use the images on the cubes above.
From the images;
create a narrative about the problem you are facing;
create a narrative about what will be happening when the problem is absent or better or SOLVED;
create a narrative about your immediate steps to see your solution happen.
Solution-Finding & Innovation Thinking is more than a set of tools. It is a different way of thinking and approaching work. Plus, I enjoy finding and phrasing questions that break stuckness in thinking.
Thinking
Looking at what you want SOLVED … While working with the product, service, person, system, etc… Allowing the consequence of an action to share or display information & useful adjustments.
Reason
Consequences of an action can be measured & evaluated to improve performance.
Question
How will I obtain (gather, capture, understand) & use feedback to improve performance?
Solution-Finding & Innovation Thinking is more than a set of tools. It is a different way of thinking and approaching work. Plus, I enjoy finding and phrasing questions that break stuckness in thinking.
A client was holding a significant internal networking event that consisted of ~200 employees from around the world all meeting to discuss the future of work, plus how the company and each person can support leadership and development internally.
My client contacted me to help them create some table conversation questions to support the dialog and sharing of examples; below are the questions that they used.
Support in the Workplace:
Share an example of you or another person you know feeling support within the workplace?
What did that support look like? How did you or the other person notice this?
How did you or the other person react to this support?
Who else noticed this happening?
What about your experience do you feel other people should know?
You are sharing this example with your current or future grandchildren, what would you want them to remember – what is the moral of your story?
Leadership
Share a recent example you were a part of or that you noticed happened to someone else of leadership? Was this experience one you would like to have happen more often?
In your example was a focus on the task, the team, the individual?
In your example, you or the other person was motivated by autonomy, mastery, competence?
Within your company (or immediate circle of impact) what behaviors do you feel would make the workplace better? How do you know those behaviors would make a difference, what will you see when difference happens?
Career Paths
Share an example of your own or someone else’s experience moving up or progressing in their career?
How did the person in your example make progress happen?
What part did their employer play in that progress?
In your example(s) decisions were made with a focus on the present, hope for the future, values of the past? Share some context around your response?
How would you behave differently in your current workplace if you knew that failure and stagnation were your future? From those behaviors which are you currently exhibiting, even a little bit?
What will you notice or what progress clues will you see when you are on a better career path?
Creativity and Applied Innovation
Share an example of when you or
someone you know had a creative idea that would help your current manager or
employer?
How was this idea greeted? From
that greeting did that motivate you or the person or demotivate you or the
person?
In your example, the main problem was staff burnout, poor communications,
or lack of resources? Share some context around your answer?
In the past when you found
creative ways to make progress in your work, what did you do, and how did you
make it happen?
With your example(s) how might you
have approached your manager or employer differently to gain more support?
I recently worked with a corporate team, and we were going through solution-focus, coaching, and problem-solving.
A discussion came up about the miracle question.
The miracle question comes from a body of knowledge called solution-focused. The miracle question is helpful after the team, or the person you’re working with identifies their best hopes for the time together.
SOLVEDcards – Situation
We begin by exploring detailed information from the team and the individuals in the team. Working to create a coherent story about the current environment, what is working well, their hopes for the time together, what better looks like in detail for each team member.
SOLVEDcards – Observation
Then we go into Observation questions.
A classic observation question is the Miracle Question.
And the Miracle Question, as initially developed by Steve de Shazer, is framed the following way.
I’m going to ask you kind of a weird question.
“Suppose that you leave this meeting today, or you leave here today, go home, and eat dinner. You do what you usually do in the evening, go to bed at that time, and while you’re asleep, a miracle happens.
[The miracle is that what you want to have happen. For example, we will increase our trust with our customers. The customers will show us higher acceptance of the likelihood of taking our deal.]
And because you are asleep, you are unaware of the miracle happening. You wake up tomorrow morning; you do your routine, you show up at work, what’s the first clue or the first thing you would notice that lets you know the miracle happens?”
The point behind the miracle question is not to create a miracle or not to suspend belief. It’s not even to play magical utopian thoughts. It is to begin identifying what differences will happen when you see the solution and increase progress.
Miracle Question Variation
I made a variation years ago as part of my SOLVEDcards deck.
It happened with a group of airline mechanics.
I was at the client’s location for three days, and they wanted to learn innovation tools. We did some TRIZ tools, and we did some creative problem-solving tools and some solution-focused tools. These mechanics were having particular technical challenges.
On day two of going through the tools, they tried to solve a mechanical problem.
This miracle question variation I use more with corporate teams.
They went through the mechanical challenge, or you would with your team discuss their hopes and what they would like to happen.
Form a detailed description of what better looks like or progress looks like.
Then you would say with the group:
“You write a detailed analysis of your challenge, and you print it out. You leave a copy on your desk today while you leave work.
While you’re away from work, someone finds your analysis and fixes the problem without you knowing. What would be the first concrete thing you notice that showed you it was solved.”
I like this question as a variation because it gives people a concept of understanding that;
A fresh pair of eyes that may not be there, hence observation outside their silo
Widening their spotlight thinking can create new ways to find things.
Thinking about how somebody else makes progress on this. Or how would somebody else solve this challenge puts you in an interactional thinking place where you know other people can help you in the process.
I like this version, the Miracle Question. It works. Try it out. See how it works.
Together, we make progress.
SOLVED CARDS
Make change happen with a problem-solving approach that’s focused on solutions.
Working with a team deep into the root cause must be found to make progress philosophy, we suddenly created this root-cause to solution-cause process.
Five whys or 5 whys
Five whys (or 5 whys) is an iterative interrogative technique used to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a particular problem. The primary goal of the technique is to determine the root cause of a defect or problem by repeating the question “Why?”. Each answer forms the basis of the next question. The “five” in the name derives from an anecdotal observation on the number of iterations needed to resolve the problem.
Five whats and how or 5 whats and how
5 whats and how – from your 5 whys response(s) and your belief that you have sufficient trust in your root cause, build or construct the solution-bank or improvements to the challenge. The primary goal is to state what you would like or should be happening and how you will recognize progress.
What do you want (or should be) happening?
What‘s better or improved since you investigated or ran an experiment on this challenge?
What will be different when this better is happening (or happening more frequently)?
What are you doing differently?
What do you notice when improvement(s) are happening?
How did you and others make this happen?
From the 5 whys, you are digging deeper to investigate or interrogate the challenge and dig into the root cause. Then the 5 whats and how constructs an opportunity or growth of solutions and progress steps. When we combined these two concepts, the team found and described what to move towards and recognize progress, and report to the team.
Working with an IT team they kept getting negative customer feedback about their responsiveness to customer requests … the IT team admitted that they struggled with customer requests because the customer did not communicate the changes needed until it was too late in the coding & development phase. 
