A bank of questions for dissecting a situation from multiple angles: who is involved, what the core issues are, where the problem exists, when it occurred, why it matters, and how it can be approached.
Adapted from the Five Ws and H, the circumstances of classical rhetoric (Hermagoras of Temnos; Cicero, De Inventione) made famous by Rudyard Kipling's "six honest serving-men" (Just So Stories, 1902), in its expanded Preliminary Questions form and used as the fact-finding stage of Creative Problem Solving (Alex Osborn, Applied Imagination, 1953; Sidney Parnes, Creative Behavior Guidebook, 1967).
What it is for
The purpose of the Holistic Perspective Toolkit is to provide a comprehensive and structured approach to analyze and understand complex situations. This tool is especially effective for:
- In-depth Analysis. It allows users to dissect a situation from multiple angles, including who is involved, what the core issues are, where the problem exists, when it occurred, why it matters, and how it can be approached. This multifaceted analysis ensures that all relevant aspects are considered.
- Strategic Decision-Making. By offering a clear framework to examine current, past, and potential future states of a situation, the toolkit aids in making informed and strategic decisions. It's particularly useful in business and organizational contexts where decisions can have significant implications.
- Problem-Solving. The toolkit is designed to identify and address problems effectively. By asking the right questions, it helps in pinpointing the root causes of issues and developing viable solutions.
- Adaptability and Customization. The flexibility of the toolkit allows it to be tailored to various scenarios and contexts. Whether it's for business challenges, personal projects, or other areas, the questions can be modified to suit specific needs.
- Comprehensive Understanding. The tool encourages a thorough examination of situations, ensuring that users gain a holistic understanding of the issues at hand. This includes considering the perspectives of different stakeholders, assessing potential risks and rewards, and evaluating the impact of various solutions.
- Effective Communication and Collaboration. By structuring the problem-solving process, this toolkit facilitates better communication and collaboration among team members or stakeholders, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and working toward a common goal.
Overall, the Holistic Perspective Toolkit is an invaluable resource for leaders, managers, consultants, and anyone else who needs to navigate complex situations, make strategic decisions, and solve problems effectively.
Why use it
The Holistic Perspective Toolkit is a versatile tool for analyzing and understanding different aspects of a situation, particularly in terms of its present, past, and potential future states. This method helps in:
- Current State Analysis. It provides a clear view of the situation as it exists now, based on known facts and current conditions.
- Future State Visualization. It assists in envisioning how the situation will evolve once any existing problems are resolved or changes are implemented.
- Past State Reflection. It offers insights into how the situation was in the past, enabling a comparison with the present and future states.
How to use it
The questions are initially framed to explore the present situation. However, you can adjust the wording to reflect past or future contexts. This flexibility allows you to tailor the questions to suit your specific needs, whether you're dealing with issues related to business, personal projects, or any other area. You can also add, modify, or remove questions to make them more relevant to your particular scenario. This adaptable approach ensures that you gain a comprehensive understanding of the situation from all angles, aiding in effective decision-making and problem-solving.
A hundred and forty-two questions, from who to how
The questions are written for the situation as it is now; reword any of them for how it was or how it will be once it is solved. Tick the ones that fit your problem and copy them, or let the figure pick three to start with.
1 question picked0 questions picked
CopiedCould not copy- What collaboration or support is needed from other departments or organizations?
- What collaboration or support is needed from other departments or organizations?
- What collaboration or support is needed from other departments or organizations?
Who
What
Where
When
Why
How
Where it fits
The process recommends it at Finding the Current Facts, the first step of the Learn phase, whose own questions ask you to understand the data through who, what, when, where, why, and how.
Related tools
- Kepner-Tregoe Method
- Mind Mapping (Buzan)
- A3 Thinking (Sobek, Smalley, and Shook)
- Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa)