Exploring, selecting and tracking solutions
When faced with a problem, how do you determine the best solution or sets of solutions to move forward with? And what’s the likelihood of achieving your targeted or optimal outcomes?
QStar Solution Zones™ methodology provides a graphical view of alternative solutions, grouped in a way that provides pragmatic insights to assist with the selection then ongoing tracking of the chosen solution or solution set.
It promotes creativity, pragmatism and accountability when individuals or teams are exploring, selecting and tracking solutions.
What are the Zones?
Now Solutions
Now Solutions are merely modifications to the current state and remain friendly with the status quo.
Now Solutions fall into a “Familiar to me” area where optimization is the approach and thus requires the lowest amount of risk and change.
Known Solutions
Known Solutions are familiar solutions that have been accepted within your industry.
These are approaches that are familiar to others like you. They typically have low risk, require moderate change and have correspondingly moderate benefits.
Novel Solutions
Novel Solutions are novel to the industry but often the status quo for other other industries.
Novel solutions are often introduced by someone with an outsider perspective and adopted from other industries. They have been proven to be a successful approach and while significant change is typical the payoffs are high.
New Solutions
New Solutions are unheard-of and new to the world.
These visionary solutions are the most innovative and highest risk and potentially highest reward. Moonshots, Big Bets, Inventions, White Space. Think of it as something Elon Musk would champion.
Solution Zones help you:
Troubleshoot projects that are stuck.
Avoid the “moving goal post problem,” or at least see it coming early on.
Avoid status quo domination.
Visualize both prospective and active projects from a degree of opportunity perspective.
Challenge your leaders and teams to think creatively and pragmatically.
More accurately assess resource allocation requirements.
How do you use the Solution Zones™?
Organizations
problem owners
Whether individual or team based, using Solution Zones for identified problems or issues provides insight into where you should go, then tracks the progress and result.
It’s a great way for leaders to show the problems they are working on from a solution viewpoint. Show zones, objectives, resource allocation needs and others.
Creates a digital history of selected solutions by zones and the track they take from beginning to end for future look back and can be shared with others.
Consultants
solution providers
Consultants use this view to show the path and necessary mindsets and changes that will be required to implement both operational and strategic intiatives and the potential payoff. It’s also used to show industry and category wide solution alternatives and market shares.
Advisors provide insights and views into entire industries, categories or at the individual entity level. Show the possibilities, risks, change management and opportunities possible based on domain knowledge or direct research. Identify, select and track the chosen approach.