Rapid assumption scan
Our plans, ideas, and strategies are full of assumptions.
That by itself is not an issue.
Wrong assumptions that we were unaware of are an issue!
Here is a simple question you can ask to quickly surface assumptions:
What needs to be true for this _______ (plan/idea/strategy/statement) to achieve the intended effects?
After you made a list of assumptions, your next step if to check if any of them are critical:
If this assumption is wrong, will our _______ (plan/idea/strategy/statement) work as intended?
No = potentially critical assumption. Spend more time on it.
Above two questions work in a five minute conversation as well as a two hour workshop.
For more on creating strategic clarity and testing assumptions, I suggest:
Clarity before commitment
Four questions to laser-focus on the vital few.
Step-by-step guide for designing Lean Experiments
Designing sound experiments is critical to creating valid and reusable knowledge. This guide will help you achieve that.