The “Project Cartoon” Root Cause
Variations of this cartoon have circulated in offices since the 1960’s or 1970’s and were also called the “Tree Swing Picture”. In all forms, even industries, the lesson remains the same of the game of siloed telephone that results in a snowball of missteps. The root cause is never really explored though is it?
The cell missing from the cartoon that could align the organization around the right goal was in the hands of the person talking to the customer. You see, the customer didn’t describe their pain, problem, or opportunity. The customer described a solution (a swing).
If you sell swings, take the money and you’re done. If you create products or solve problems, you can’t rally around a solution handed to you. Dig deeper and identify the problem!
The problem you’re solving is a charter for action while the picture of success shifts from shipping something to delivering a solution to a problem.
Don’t walk away from a customer without understanding their needs.
The “5 whys” is one of many great conversational techniques to dig deeper and identify problems when talking to a customer.
- When you hear a customer describe a solution, ask “why do you need to be able to…” or “why do you need a…”
- When you hear a customer describe a symptom of a problem, ask “why is … happening” or “why can’t you…”.
Repeat these questions to the responses until you find the root cause, or a deeper problem, and you’ll unlock greater value than what is on the surface of the conversation!
Summary
When you hand the design/solutioning reigns to your customers, success becomes a matter of taste. When you solve a problem for your customers, success is testable and value can be proven in the market. That brings you one crucial step closer to the right product, at the right price, placed in optimal channels, and promoted to the right market segment!
Further reading
- If you’re working on new products check out how to Prioritize a backlog like an entrepreneur
- Wondering how to maximize the creativity of your team? Learn more about Building trust to learn as a team
- Will web browser history repeat? Read about Microsoft Edge Chromium and the Full Circle
- Want to keep the conversation going? Reach out on LinkedIn
