What are some of the key principles and practices of design thinking for collaborative problem solving?

Really often in my practices I met something I call "false SMART" on this stage of problem solving process. For example, a client came with a problem like "sales managers work is not effective". When we start clarification process and it comes to "M" letter, which stands for Measure, the answer might sound like "oh, yeah, 5 sales managers do not work efficiently!". And yes, it might look like a measuring - we did ad a digit, aren't we? But the real purpose of "M" is to figure out how exactly we measure effectiveness of these managers, no matter how many of them are presented. It might be counted in sales amount or in time spent on one deal or...many variations here, and we need to decide witch one suits our goal now.

True leadership in design thinking begins with a deep dive into the problem space, leveraging not just technological insights but a holistic view of the impact on society and industry. It's about forecasting future trends and aligning our strategies to preemptively address them, ensuring that our solutions are sustainable and forward-looking. Think beyond the immediate issue to understand the larger ecosystem in which it resides.

We can also use internal company's data and external industry data as well as interviewing customers, distributors and other stake holders to provide more insights to the problem framing.

It is very dangerous to count storming ideas as second step right after defining a problem. Majority of really complex problems need to be analysed first - decomposition and root cause analysis is obligatory for most of them. Dropping this step may result in generating ideas "in general", without concentration on real causes of the problem. This, later, will definitely result in implementing wrong solution and "curing" symptoms instead of real "disease".

Testing is where innovation meets the road. Employ an iterative approach with robust feedback mechanisms to shape solutions that are not just effective but also resilient and adaptable to future needs. Consider the long-term impact of your solutions on your community and environment, refining them to ensure they contribute positively to both immediate and future scenarios.

While learning from failures is crucial, systematically documenting these failures and the subsequent learnings often goes overlooked. Establishing a knowledge base that captures these lessons can provide an invaluable resource for future projects, preventing repetitive mistakes and accelerating innovation cycles.

Design thinking is not just a method; it's a mindset that can be applied universally—across industries, sectors, and problems. From climate change to healthcare, it empowers us to approach challenges with a fresh perspective and a commitment to finding solutions that are as creative as they are effective. Customize this approach to fit the unique demands of each scenario for optimal results.