Option Solving Blog

We used option solving recently to help a group of business executives resolve their optimum play for launching their new product AB. They opted for Option B: Pursue a Beta test with known customers. However, they weren’t entirely clear on the best approach to do this, so they agreed to Peel the Onion and search for a sub-optional solution.

With this in mind and already being familiar with the option solving technique, they created a fresh question as follows: “What is our optimum play for launching a new product based upon Option B – Pursue a Beta campaign with known customers; considering 1) it’s a well-proven, extraordinary product, 2) we have limited financial resources, 3) have limited people resources, and 4) we have limited current customer plays?” They used the same considerations because they matched the situation.

Using this redefined question, they drafted two yin and yang “bookends” to aid their creativity toward producing a range of viable options. The new bookends they chose were: “Use shot-gun approach” and “Give a financial incentive for participation.” Such option-framers help to focus participants’ brilliant intuitive minds, which can easily be distracted, so as to figure out their most likely and realistic options – see our Latest Worked Example.

Since they were challenged to come-up with at least five realistic options for their ultimate consideration, they produced six. This stretched their thinking in the broadest sense and induced further creative ideas.  Look at our Latest Example and you will see that their six options – one of them is: “Option D – Email special invitation to focused listing with an inducement offer.”

Now they had their “pictogram” drawn out, indicating their range of launch options, they set it aside to allow for some emotional distancing. Emotional distancing would allow their intuitive minds to sub-consciously ponder their six options, while doing other things, and enable them to be more objective when they returned to it.

When they reviewed this pictogram at the moment they returned to it – since their intuition enjoys pictures – their intuitive choice quickly came to mind. At this point, they followed-through on their option-decision, while everything was still fresh and top-of-their-minds. Hence they figured out a specific game-plan to implement it. Which option would you have chosen, if you were in their shoes?

If you have an example of your own, please share it with this blogger, through the COMMENTS area.  Thanks Option Solving. (NOTE: Next posting will be in two weeks time: “What should be the optimum amount of time for participants to ponder survey questions?” Let’s have your COMMENTS or go to peter@ileadershipsolutions.com to connect with the blogger. Also consider buying the book: “Smart Decisions: Goodbye Problems, Hello Options” through amazon.com)

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Two weeks ago we used option solving to help a group of business executives resolve their pricing dilemma for product AB. Now they have to figure out their best approach to launching that product based upon limited people and other resources. We invited them to defer to option solving once more for assisting them in figuring out their optimum market approach.

Since they were already familiar with the option solving technique, they immediately settled down to figuring out their question as follows: “What is our optimum play for launching a new product AB; considering 1) it’s a well-proven, extraordinary product, 2) we have limited financial resources, 3) have limited people resources, and 4) we have limited current customer plays?” There were other considerations, but they decided to work with these key four choices, so that more wouldn’t overly complicate their dilemma question.

With their question in place, they set-about drafting two yin and yang “bookends” to aid their creativity on more reasonable options. The bookends they chose were as follows: “Just hang out the shingle” and “Major marketing blitz.” Use of such option framers are designed to focus participants’ brilliant intuitive minds, since they can easily be distracted, on figuring out their most likely and realistic options – see our Latest Worked Example.

Now they were challenged to dig-up at least five realistic options for their ultimate consideration.  We’ve found in practice with option solving that by producing a minimum five options, it stretches our broadest and most creative ideas.  Look at our Latest Example and you will see that they arrived six options – one of them is: “Option A – Offer free access for a period of time.”

With their “pictogram” now in place, indicating their range of marketing options, they turned it over and set it aside to allow for some emotional distancing. Such an activity would allow time for their intuitive minds to scan their other life experiences for similar situations. Again, they broke off for a couple of hours to address other matters and then returned to their set-aside pictogram to reconsider it.

Emotional distancing is the time that their intuitive minds would sub-consciously ponder those six options. By scanning this pictogram when they returned to it – since their intuition enjoys pictures – their intuitive choice quickly emerged. They immediately set their decision in motion, while everything was still fresh and top-of-their-minds, and figured out a more specific game-plan to implement it. Which option would you have chosen, if you were in their shoes?

If you have an example of your own, please share it with this blogger, through the COMMENTS area.  Thanks Option Solving. (NOTE: Next posting will be in two weeks time: “Peeling the Onion: What is the optimum play for launching new product AB?” Let’s have your COMMENTS or go to peter@ileadershipsolutions.com to connect with the blogger. Also consider buying the book: “Smart Decisions: Goodbye Problems, Hello Options” through amazon.com)

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