Frame Right Questions

I start the design thinking workshop by asking the participants to define their problems. Invariably, they are mentioned as statements. For example, here are some of them:

• We are unable to increase our sales

• I am not sure whether the customer would like this feature

• We are losing market share

• Our margins are getting squeezed

The words we say mean different things to different people. So, the first thing is to inspect them. For example, are we referring to the overall margin on all products or one particular one? Are we speaking of the gross or net margin? What do we mean by squeezed? What is the target for improving our margin? Each of these words needs deliberation and a specific definition. That is the first thing in gaining clarity on the issue.

Statements are like dead ends. They do not trigger us to think of the way forward. Questions do a better job at this. For example, a problem can be better reframed as:

• How can we increase the net margin on all products above 25%?

But, we need to be careful while framing questions too. The way we define them decides the direction we take in solving the problems. We should not miss the critical elements in stating it. Also, there should not be a hint of a solution in our question. This enables the team to come up with several potential solutions. Selecting one from these several alternatives is another challenge. I shall write about it in some other blog.

Metrics:

1. Define your problems as questions.

2. Examine every word in your statement. Have a common understanding of the critical ones in the problem statement.

3. Reframe the questions, if necessary.

4. Ideate all various possible solutions.

• Subodh

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