Useful things to remember
Index
Write and refine your problem statement
Do you want to add a new practice?
Suggest a practice01
Write and refine your problem statement
Thanks to the research findings, you will be in the position of reviewing and refining your initial problem statement, or write it down from scratch. Rember that the project A3 is a living document: go back to it and let's update it! :)
It's important to note that at the beginning the problem statement is mostly the representation of your assumption and hypothesis, while at this stage the problem statement will be grounded on real data, insights and contributions from all the people involved in that give process or activity.
Warning: the importance of listening carefully
If the research has been conducted well, it’s highly probable to discover that the initial hypothesis was not 100% true. It could be because it was biased by someone’s perspective, or just missing important elements that are not always clear or visible since the beginning. It’s the beauty of research and its learning process.
Tip: Key question to write a good problem statement
Make sure you’ve got these 5 key elements of a good problem statement:
- Makes a reference to something that the organisation cares about, and links that element to a clear and specific goal or objective.
- Contains a clear articulation of the gap between the current state of affairs and the goal (be sure to identify your goal)
- Mention of key variables: the goal, the current state and the gap are appropriately quantified (e.g. dollars, numbers, time, etc.)
- Be as neutral as possible about possible diagnoses or remedies
- Small-sized for rapid implementation (within 3 months).
(ref. N.P. Repenning)
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02
Clarify the improvement goal
Once you have a clear understanding of the current situation and you have a refined problem statement you can move the right side of the A3 form and to the solution part of the project.
Define which is your improvement goal, the target you want to reach. The question to answer here is:
Remember to be specific and quantify the results you want to obtain.
Tip: the goal is not a solution
There may be different ways to achieve a defined improvement. Most of the time, in order to get to a target end-state, there will be not just one but several interventions to put in place. Clarify first what you want to reach.. then think of the how later!
Warning: Be careful on the scope of the Improvement Goal
Losing momentum, interest and time is normal. That is why it is important to set an improvement goal that can be reached within 3 to 6 months. You will always have time to make a new improvement goal after that. This practice of breaking down also the solution in incremental steps it is useful to show to yourself and other the achievements obtained in a short time period.
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03
Share your findings
It's important to share the things you have learned with the people that are involved in the project, but also with other collegues that might be impacted by the project. Staff meeting could be a good moment to share main findings with everyone.
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