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Criterion
A3 Problem-Solving workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
A3 Problem Solving
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
Paper illustration of Riskiest Assumption Test with a method-specific labelled workspace.
Product Discovery
Riskiest Assumption Test
Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
Purposedifferent
For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together.In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures.When an idea hinges on one critical unknown, it prioritizes testing that exact piece of uncertainty first. It separates problem, assumption, solution, and evidence. The result is captured as a prioritized list of assumptions, a test plan, and a result report.Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowMediumLow
Timedifferent
45-90 min20–45 min1-2 Wochen pro Iteration45-90 min
Participantsdifferent
2-5Small cross-functional group2-62-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause AnalysisRisk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption logPrioritized Assumption List, Test Plan, Results ReportAssumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan
Tagsno overlap
LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryAssumptions
AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery
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