Level 6 · In Practice

6.4Toolbox

Goal: have operational checklists and a memo of the essential methods.

Estimated time: 10 min · If you only have 5 min: read “The essentials in 30s” + the diagram.

The essentials in 30 seconds

Secure: a short checklist (frame, diverge, converge, test, decide) prevents 90% of misses.
Reach for: the right method at the right moment — 5W1H and 5 whys to frame, SCAMPER and brainwriting to generate, matrix to decide.
Rule: one checklist ticked every time beats a long ignored method — adapt, keep the structure.

Sara thread — 1 year on: the checklists at hand

One year on, both checklists below are posted at Sara's: the pre-solving one on her notebook, the key-methods one in her meeting room. What saved her, she says in substance, was not knowing the methods — it was ticking them every time, especially on rush days.

Adapt wordings to your context, keep the structure: it is what prevents omissions and approaches going nowhere.

Ready-to-use references

A good checklist makes an approach fast and complete; a good method memo speeds up choosing the right tool. Adapt them to your context.

Before solving a problem

Is the problem framed (5W1H, cause vs symptom)?
Did I avoid the disguised solution in the statement?
Is it the RIGHT problem (not a consequence)?
Did I reframe as « How might we…? »?
Did I generate widely before judging?
Did I sort and prioritize methodically?
Did I test (prototype) before investing?
Did I decide and build an action plan?

Key methods to reach for

Frame: 5W1H, 5 whys, Ishikawa (5M)
Reframe: « How might we…? » (HMW)
Generate (group): brainstorming (4 rules), brainwriting 6-3-5
Generate (existing): SCAMPER (7 levers)
Unblock: associations, analogies, random word
Innovate (user): Design Thinking, empathy map
Think as a group: the 6 hats (De Bono)
Decide: affinity grouping, dot voting, impact/feasibility matrix

Common misinterpretation: "collecting checklists". No. A checklist is only useful ticked and dated: take the one for your next problem, the others will wait.

Ready-to-say script — pick your method in 30 seconds (30 s)

"Fuzzy problem: 5W1H then 5 whys. Stuck ideas: SCAMPER or random word. Blocked group: brainwriting then six hats. Too many ideas: affinity, vote, matrix. I picked one, I apply it, I check with the checklist."

Copy-paste template — approach tracking before deciding (1 line per item)

PROBLEM: ...
FRAMING (5W1H, RIGHT problem, HMW): ...
DIVERGENCE (method used, quantity): ...
CONVERGENCE (affinity, vote, matrix): ...
TEST (low-fi prototype, user feedback): ...
DECISION (what, who, when): ...
ACTION PLAN dated ...: OK / to rework

Small business / tight budget

Checklists on one page posted on the wall: the essentials (frame, diverge, decide) are enough.

Algeria SME

Include real constraints (peaks, short staff, phone/WhatsApp) in the tracking: who decides, on which channel, by which deadline.

Remote / hybrid

Add a peer-review line to the tracking: at a distance, a second look avoids blind spots.

Cross-cultural

State the right to fail and the divergence rules in writing: what seems obvious is not obvious to everyone.

48h challenge — apply tomorrow

Take 1 problem in progress, run the checklist above and tick where it stands. Fix the missing line before deciding.

Section exit checklist

I have ticked the checklist on a real problem.
I can reach for the right method (frame, generate, decide) at the right moment.
I did the 48h challenge or scheduled its date.

Self-rating 1-5: tooling of my approaches?use of methods?

← Previous : Best practices & pitfalls (V3)Next : Field lessons (V3) →

Check your understanding

Before deciding on a solution, what should Sara check first?

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Tip: keep these references next to the guide's capstone project (your problem-solving toolbox).