How to use tool:
A Reframing Matrix is a simple technique that helps you to
look at business problems from a number of different
viewpoints. It expands the range of creative solutions
that you can generate.
The approach relies on the fact that different people with
different experience approach problems in different ways.
What this technique helps you to do is to put yourself
into the minds of different people and imagine the
solutions they would come up with.
We do this by putting the question to be asked in the
middle of a grid. We use boxes around the grid for the
different perspectives. This is just an easy way of laying
the problem out - if it does not suit you, change it.
We will look at two different approaches to the reframing
matrix - you could, however, use this approach in many
different ways.
The 4 Ps Approach
This relies on looking at a problem from different
perspectives within a business. The 4 Ps approach looks at
problems from the following viewpoints:
-
Product perspective: is there something wrong with the
product?
-
Planning perspective: are our business or marketing plans
at fault?
-
Potential perspective: if we were to seriously increase
our targets, how would we achieve these increases?
-
People perspective: why do people choose one product over
another?
An example of this approach is shown below:
The 'Professions Approach'
Another approach to using a reframing matrix is to look at
the problem from the viewpoints of different specialists.
The way, for example, that a doctor looks at a problem
would be different from the approach a civil engineer
would use. This would be different from a sales manager's
perspective.
Key points:
The Reframing Matrix is a formal technique used to look at
problems from different perspectives. It helps to expand
the number of options open to you for solving a problem.
You draw up a reframing matrix by posing a question in a
box in the middle of a piece of paper. You then draw a
grid around it. Each cell will contain approaches to the
problem, seen from one perspective.
One way of using the technique is the '4 Ps' approach.
This looks at the problem from the following viewpoints:
Product, Planning, Potential and People. Another set of
perspectives is to ask yourself how different
professionals would approach the problem. Useful
professions to consider would be medical doctors,
engineers, systems analysts, sales managers, etc.
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