Design Thinking: A different approach to problem solving

Early in my career, I obtained my Six Sigma Green Belt. Despite the predominantly manufacturing focus of Six Sigma training, I successfully applied its principles to the service industry. However, I noticed that traditional Six Sigma projects often consumed significant time, requiring meticulous process mapping and identification of gaps and opportunities. While it fostered continuous improvement, it kept me confined to the established process, offering limited room for innovation.

During my tenure with a travel company, I encountered a complex issue with a high-profile client. Instead of extensively mapping the current state and identifying areas for improvement, we embraced a different approach, my first exposure to design thinking concepts. This methodology delved less into the minutiae of processes and more into understanding the problem, the user experience, and potential solutions.

Subsequently, my interest in design thinking grew. I participated in a design thinking workshop with Comcast during my MBA, deepening my understanding of the methodology. Recently, I earned a certification in Creativity and Design Thinking from the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford ( d.school ), led by Jeremy Utley , Perry Klebahn and Justin Ferrell . I highly recommend this class!

Working across four different centers of excellence in internal consulting and process improvement roles, I observed that non-Six Sigma-based centers often prioritize faster project completion, with less emphasis on problem clarification and user perspectives. Despite the challenges in integrating design thinking into these types of departments, I stress the importance of pausing to consider problems from the user's perspective. The Design Thinking class underscored the distinction between innovation and continuous improvement, emphasizing the crucial role of innovation in the sustained success of businesses and organizations.

An example of my application of design thinking involves leading a workshop for a team of 20 individuals to address an unaddressed problem related to employee engagement and workplace conncetion in a post-COVID hybrid working environment. The workshop followed key design thinking stages:

1. Empathy: Conducting user interviews to gain a deep understanding of the people involved.
2. Define (the Problem): Clearly articulating the problem before exploring solutions.
3. Ideate (Generate Ideas): Encouraging a creative and collaborative brainstorming approach through various activities to produce different ideas.
4. Prototype: Creating quick, low-effort representations of ideas for early testing and iteration.
5. Test: Iteratively testing solutions with real users to refine and enhance outcomes. We used pilots to test 4 concepts in different regions.

The workshop yielded 40% new programming, achieving 78% of the defined outcomes and allowing for further growth.

In conclusion, when addressing problems, irrespective of their nature, dedicating time to understand users and clearly defining the problem is paramount. Recognizing that multiple viable solutions may exist, testing several options can lead to the identification of the most effective approach, rather than relying on a single solution.

If you are looking to take your department to the next level, I highly encourage you to take the class or read Jeremy and Perry's book Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters!