How do you develop better ideas and solutions?

It seems such a straightforward question.

How do you develop better ideas or solutions?

By better I mean:

  • better than what exists at the moment
  • better than what the customer or user expects
  • better than what the competition might be offering

Here is my model (see the image).

The starting point is your existing or current ideas.

Make these explicit.

Ask yourself – what is working? What should we retain or leverage?

Then you can use any of the 6 Switches (i.e. problem, perspective, outcome, focus, questions or rules) to create a new set of ideas.

Now try and connect what is working from you current ideas with the best of your new ideas.

By doing so you can develop a better idea.

A better idea combines what you know is working with what could work in the future.

In this way you can improve and innovate in a safer, less risky way.

The goal of a better idea, solution or customer experience is to constantly try and push the boundaries of performance, productivity, learning and growth.

Check out the 6 Switches Canvas. It’s simple, practical and free.