In most organizations, this may all sound familiar. Sometimes all it takes is one extra option to give us an edge over our competitors or to resolve a difficult-to-solve problem. In addition to using the activities in this book, you can get that competitive edge or solve
that problem by testing problem assumptions. Of course, you can’t test assumptions about every problem. You can test assumptions, however, about problems of strategic importance or problems with potentially serious consequences. The lesson, then, is: be selective.
So how do you test assumptions? Albert Einstein provides one answer: “The important thing is to never stop questioning.” Ask a lot of questions about whatever problem you’re trying to resolve. The more questions you ask, the better you will understand your problems.
One way to enhance the questioning process is to use the basic journalism “five w” questions of who, what, where, when, and why. These questions can help us seek data more efficiently. For instance, you might ask the following questions: Who is the competition? Who are the customers? What does our organization do? What is our mission? Where can we make improvements? Where can we get data about our competition? When should we enter a new market? When are our customers most likely to buy our products? Why do people buy our products? Why do we want to enter a new market?
Ask lots of questions and you’ll understand your organization and its environment better. If you have a better understanding, you’ll get more creative insights on how to improve it. It’s as simple as that.
Taken From : Pfeiffer 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving
