Tool 37
What if we didn’t?
What the tool is
This is a technique for testing the validity of a solution by determining whether the benefits of not implementing it outweigh those of implementing it. (See also Cartesian Logic, Tool 7, for a broader perspective.)
When to use it
- When you have a potential solution to a problem but are unsure that it will reap the desired benefits.
What you will need
- A flipchart and marker pens or paper and pens, according to the number of participants.
How to use it
- State the problem and your proposed solution.
- Brainstorm (and write down) each potential benefit of implementing the solution.
- For each benefit, ask ‘What if we didn’t do/didn’t need this?’ and ask, for example, ‘What is the cost of solving ...
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