Page 63 - 100 Great Business Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

1\ licu you first use the lishbone diagram, begin with small,
sathlv delinable problems and move to more complex is-
is as you learn the process.

SUMMARY OF STEPS

I Write down the problem and enclose it in a circle on the right side of
the paper.

2. Draw a straight line to the left; this is the "backbone."
3. Draw stems at a 45 degree angle from the backbone.
4. Brainstorm all the causes of the problem and place them at the end of

each of the stems.
5. Draw additional stems and substems as necessary.
6. List more complicated causes at the tail of the fish and less complicated

ones at the head of the fish.

1916. KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

King of the mountain is a children's game in which one
player gets on top of something, such as a stump or a
chair, and the others try to knock him or her off. A simi-
lar game can be used as a problem identification tech-
nique. 16 One or two individuals take a position on what
the problem is, and other members of the group attempt
to knock them off their definitional "mountain." To suc-
ceed in doing so, the challenger must have a better defini-
tion of the problem. Just as in the game, once someone

has knocked another person off the mountain, he or
she must get on top of the mountain. His or her ideas
are then attacked until another challenger succeeds
in becoming "king of the mountain." The survivor,
who might have modified any of the ideas presented

earlier, possesses what is now a group consen-
sus regarding the true nature of the problem.

20/7. REDEFINING A PROBLEM OR
OPPORTUNITY

Redefine a problem in as many ways as you possibly can.
Perhaps this will help you see it in another light. Imagine it
from the perspective of someone who is less familiar with it.
Say the new definition aloud. Perhaps you'll hear something

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