Phase 1: Reframe
MenuOthers' Point-of-View
How might other people view or describe the situation? Before diving into your problem with the usual perspective of someone in healthcare, think divergently and describe things from several different angles. You might gain new insights.
Exercise: Alternative Perspectives
Consider each of the questions below. For each that apply, write down alternative ways of framing the problem. Aim to generate five to seven alternatives in total.
How would frontline staff and providers describe it?
How would senior leaders describe it?
How would payers describe it?
How would patients, friends, families or other "customers" describe what needs to be addressed?
Example
The manager of a hospital nursing unit begins with the problem statement "improve HCAHPS scores" (patient satisfaction survey scores). After considering the other points of view above, she adds the alternative problem statements:
Tips
Remember, this is about creating variety, not about trying to find the right or best problem statement.
Keep up a good pace as you work through these points of view. Avoid long explanations, deep analysis or problem solving at this phase.
While you do not want to get into full idea generation at this point, you also don't want to dampen spirits or lose an idea if it comes up. Capture these for later use.