It can be hard to see the
blindingly obvious when we are immersed within a system or a problem. Taking
the time to pause, notice and observe can provide us with both understanding
and inspiration. It might help us avoid solving the wrong problem, or shed
light on other, more important issues. If nothing else, it will leave us with
insights to bring to idea-generation sessions.
Studies of highly creative people indicate that one of the things that they habitually do is pause, notice and observe. They don't assume that they know or understand something, nor do they sit in their offices or conference rooms and talk about problems happening at the front line. Rather, they go directly to the place where a problem is occurring and just watch, listen and ask simple questions. These acts of slowing down, not assuming that you know, and being relentlessly curious help them see beyond the surface to really understand what is going on and how a system works or fails. These behaviors are essential elements of what is known as "design thinking."
Exercise
The intended result of this exercise is confirmation that we are focusing
our energies on a real and important problem, or insights that lead us to
create additional opportunity statements (maybe even completely abandoning the
original statement!).
Tips
Try your best to observe the
process and problems as if you are totally unfamiliar with the environment and
the common issues. If necessary, brings someone with you who truly is totally
unfamiliar and ask them to ask questions and point things out.
Be curious. Be very curious.
Remember these guidelines for
observation, taken from the field of design thinking:
Keep an open mind and observe without judging.
Don't make assumptions about what you see - ask
questions to find out what is going on and what might be behind the behaviors
you observe.
People do not always do what they say they do.
(Say, "Show me.")
People do not always do what they think they do.
(Observe them in real time in the real environment.)
People do not always do what you think they do.
(Make no assumptions, or verify all assumptions via observation.)
Things are not always what they seem. (Ask
people to think aloud as they do something, or ask them how things seem to them,
and be genuinely open to their point of view.)