• An infinite solution space can leave teams
stuck in the brainstorming phase without
making progress toward a solution
• Without a straw man to test and discard,
teams could end up wasting valuable time
developing and refining solutions that are
sub-optimal or incorrect
Caveats for using a straw
man
In the context of
problem solving, a
"straw man" is a draft
version of something
that a team can de-
bate, pick apart, and
improve.
proper context, clients can anchor on the
straw man and reference it, even after it
has been discarded. It can also hurt your
Present it as a rough draft
credibility if the client has a culture that
It's critical that a straw man be presented values always being right.
in the proper context - that it is highly
preliminary and meant to be picked This is an iterative process and the intent
apart. Clients, in particular, can be is to discard or improve the straw man -
uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the clients might question why they're paying
hypothesis-driven approach. That makes it so much for something that's so clearly
especially important that the following be wrong
made clear: The team is not assuming that
they already know the answer - a common Don't over-invest time and
knock against consultants is that we act
effort
like we know everything. A straw man
taken out of context would reinforce that
perception.
Because the straw man is a rough draft,
it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend
The straw man is preliminary, incomplete, a lot of time and effort fine-tuning and
and possibly incorrect - without the polishing it. As long as it's developed
enough to make its position clear and
trigger the necessary thinking and debate,
it's ready to go.
Avoid pride of ownership
If you find yourself defending your straw
man too vigorously, take a step back
and make sure you're arguing for the
hypothesis and not for your own work.
The straw man is meant to be attacked and
picked apart - either so it can be discarded
or so that it can be improved. Don't take
it personally. And if you're on the other
end of the process, remember to focus
your critical eye on the straw man, not its
creator.
Dr. Clifford J. Ferguson is the
Managing Partner of Rainmakers,
and Chairman of Glad’s House.
You can commune with him on this
or related matters via email at: Cliff.
[email protected], or
visit their website: Rainmakers.
uk.com.
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