Session Brief: Contradiction Analysis

Goal

Artifact: Contradiction Statement

Working Question

Which improvement causes which downside, and which assumption makes the contradiction appear unavoidable?

Context

Scope, trigger, known facts, relevant constraints, existing options or events, and the intended session outcome.

Setup

• Format: Method session
• Duration: 60-120 min
• Mode: Workshop
• Participants: Facilitator; subject-matter experts from the relevant area; one owner for result and follow-up; a named decider for decisions.
• Owner: Facilitator
• Participation mode: Team round, shared work and alignment
• Outcome logic: Finish artifact

Participation Logic

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome Logic

The session works directly toward Contradiction Statement. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

Whiteboard or document for contradiction statement; existing notes, data, decisions, and assumptions; markers for uncertainty, owners, and next steps.

Preparation

Prepare an empty template for the contradiction statement. Keep scope and working question visible. Mark every assumption as an assumption, not as a fact.

Agenda

1. Fix scope (10-20 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Define the trigger, goal, and boundaries of consideration. Collect non-fitting topics on a parking lot. Hint: A tighter scope creates better outcomes than a broad but unfocused sweep. Output: Contradiction Statement

2. Collect raw material (20-40 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Gather and make visible facts, events, options, constraints, and assumptions. Hint: Keep facts and interpretations separate. Mark uncertainties rather than smoothing them out. Output: Abstraction Notes

3. Build structure (30-60 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Fill the contradiction statement step by step, clarify relationships between elements, and make contradictions visible. Hint: Do not evaluate too early. Stabilize the structure first, then draw conclusions. Output: Solution Principles

4. Check and condense (20-40 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Mark gaps, weak assumptions, counterexamples, and critical paths. Check the result for clarity and readability. Hint: If no one can explain the logic in two minutes, the artifact is not ready. Output: Concept Ideas

5. Define next steps (15-20 min) Owner: Owner Action: Document decision, experiment, test, measure, or follow-up with owner and date. Hint: A high-quality artifact without a next action remains knowledge work without impact. Output: Contradiction Statement

6. Publish artifact (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients. Output: Contradiction Statement

Closeout

• Update result artifact: Contradiction Statement
• Define location, version, and review recipients.
• Define owner, next step, and review date.

Contradiction Statement: Contradiction Analysis

Working Question

Which improvement causes which downside, and which assumption makes the contradiction appear unavoidable?

Context

Scope, trigger, known facts, relevant constraints, existing options or events, and the intended session outcome.

Participants

• Owner: Facilitator
• Participants: Facilitator; subject-matter experts from the relevant area; one owner for result and follow-up; a named decider for decisions.

Input

Whiteboard or document for contradiction statement; existing notes, data, decisions, and assumptions; markers for uncertainty, owners, and next steps.

Template

Contradiction Analysis Working Template

Goal

TRIZ-adjacent method that makes technical or organizational contradictions visible and formulates them so they can be solved.

Context

When and for what do we use this method?

Input

Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?

Execution

Short notes along the runsheet.

Output artifacts

• Contradiction Statement:
• Abstraction Notes:
• Solution Principles:
• Concept Ideas:

Assumptions and open questions

• ...

Decision / Next step

Owner, date, and success signal.

Completion Check

• Contradiction Statement is complete enough for review:
• Location:
• Version / status:
• Review by:
• Next step:

Next Step

• Review result
• Mark open questions
• Schedule review or decision