So i was thinking, each of these tools and models has a use, and typically one understands the model and then applies the model in their work.
But as I’m assisting people learn new techniques and models I typically ask them to consider 5 further questions about what they are doing.
This is the second answer to my 5 most important questions session.
So as you are looking at any model or technique ask yourself my 5 What questions
- “So What?” – This focuses on understanding, what the model or technique means to you, can you understand it, are you able apply it, do you know what you need to know about working the model?
- “What’s Next?” – This asks about direction. With the knowledge of the model how will you use it in your business, what will you do with the model. How can this provide focus and direction in your organisation?
- “What’s Wrong?” – Focuses on diagnosing the elements in your business that aren’t working and finding out how you can make them work, and work better,
- “What’s not needed?” – Asks about how to simplify things by removing what’s unnecessary. Can you ue the tool or model to reduce steps in a process or eliminate processes or substitute other quicker simpler ones. This drives productivity higher, enabling people to do more by stop doing the useless.
- “What this means to you is…” – Asks about communication, and how you can communicate these tools or models within your organisation to gain wider understanding, and use. All to often we forget to communicate- strategies, purposes, missions, tools, and we are disappointed when the right things don’t get done. If in doubt over communicate, don’t go on, go back and communicate the same things again and again until they are well learnt.
