One of the problem analysis exercises that I run on my Creative Leadership workshops is called Why, Why? You state the problem or challenge and then ask the group why. You write down their answers and for each one you ask why. You keep asking why – just like a little child. This carries on and in the process you gradually reach deeper and deeper into the underlying issues. The object of the exercise is not to solve the problem but to unpack it and to reach a fuller understanding of the causes. You then prioritise the causes and brainstorm to find solutions for the most pressing.
At work we tend to ask one or two questions and then plunge into ideas and discussion. But by asking more questions, and more basic even childish questions, we can discover insights that challenge our assumptions and allow us to reach deeper issues and better solutions – just as Edwin Land did.
Based on a chapter in Think like an Innovator by Paul Sloane published by Pearson.
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This post was previously published on Destination Innovation.
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