Imagining life after the problem is solved

When a team is stuck, it’s natural to start interrogating the situation: What’s happening? What caused the problem? Is it part of a pattern we’ve seen before? These are great questions, but sometimes they can lead the team to root causes that feel big and daunting.

If you find yourself paralyzed after you’ve analyzed a problem, try asking a different question:

What will be different when we don’t have this problem anymore?

As soon as you can imagine the world post-problem, your brains will kick into solution mode. You’ll feel renewed optimism, and you’ll start to generate ideas for what you can actually change to achieve that ideal future state.