Option Solving Blog

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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