Strategic Thinking
Change Perspectives
Change Perspectives is a creative thinking exercise designed to help teams explore problems or opportunities from different viewpoints. This approach encourages looking at situations through the lens of various stakeholders, which can reveal unexpected insights and solutions.
EFFORT
Medium
The exercise requires preparation and engagement but is not overly resource-intensive.
DIFFICULTY
Moderate
Successfully adopting and advocating for a different perspective can be challenging but is generally manageable with good preparation.
IMPLEMENTATION
Identify the Situation: Choose a specific problem, project, or decision to focus on.
Assign Roles: Assign different roles to team members, such as a customer, competitor, employee from another department, or an external expert.
Research and Preparation: Allow time for participants to research or prepare to authentically represent their assigned perspectives.
Discussion Round: Conduct a discussion where each participant presents their viewpoint on the situation, challenges, and potential solutions.
Collate Insights: Gather all the different perspectives shared and identify common themes and unique insights.
Develop Strategies: Use the collected insights to formulate comprehensive strategies that address the situation from multiple angles.
BENEFITS
Fosters empathy and a deeper understanding of different stakeholders' needs and motivations.
Encourages creative problem-solving by breaking down habitual thinking patterns.
Can lead to more robust and well-rounded solutions by considering multiple aspects of a problem.
CHALLENGES
Participants may struggle to genuinely adopt and convincingly represent perspectives different from their own.
Requires effective facilitation to ensure that each perspective is given equal consideration during discussions.
There is a risk of conflicts arising if opposing viewpoints are strongly defended without a focus on collaborative resolution.
RECOMMENDED TEAM MEMBERS
Product Manager, Marketing, Customer Support
DELIVERABLES
A compilation of insights and recommendations from each represented perspective.
A summary of key themes and actionable strategies developed from the exercise.
Documentation of the session that can be referenced for future problem-solving or strategy sessions.
Change Perspectives is an effective tool for enhancing team empathy and creativity, crucial for tackling complex challenges where diverse stakeholder impacts and contributions are significant.
Stay tuned for an upcoming template.