Tool 67: Different Point of View

AKA

Outsiders View

Classification

Planning/Presenting (PP)

Tool description

The different point of view tool is ideal for a team to use to acquire a second opinion or an outsider's view to verify that a potential solution to a problem has been well thought out. Another application of this tool is to predict how other people may react to a team's proposal or what may be asked during a team's presentation.

Typical appliation

• To allow further clarification of the problem.

• To solicit more information to gain further insight into issues, concerns, or consequences.

• To determine if important issues have been overlooked.

• To consider the view or input of people outside the team.

Problem-solving phase

	Select and define problem or opportunity
	Identify and analyze causes or potential change
→	Develop and plan possible solutions or change
	Implement and evaluate solution or change
	Measure and report solution or change results
→	Recognize and reward team efforts

Typically used by

	Research/statistics
2	Creativity/innovation
	Engineering
3	Project management
	Manufacturing
4	Marketing/sales
5	Administration/documentation
	Servicing/support
	Customer/quality metrics
1	Change management

links to other tools

before

• Double Reversal

• Reverse Brainstorming

• Delphi Method

• Focus Group

• Presentation

after

• Thematic Content Analysis

• Gap Analysis

• Team rating

• Solution Matrix

• Response Matrix Analysis

Notes and key points

• Suggested groups to provide different points of view are users, customers, process owners, subject matter experts, people affected by a change, and people who are responsible for the work unit or implementation activities.

Step-by-step procedure

• STEP 1 The team has developed a proposed solution to a problem, an action plan, or a process improvement opportunity. See example Changing the Parts Data Base Update Procedure.

• STEP 2 The team determines the people whose points of view may differ on the basis of position, work duties, interests, etc. A copy of the proposal is distributed to selected people or groups as shown in the example.

• STEP 3 Different points of view are collected from the selected people and groups.

• STEP 4 The next activity requires the team to complete a thematic content analysis to identify common strands of thought, clusters of similar ideas, recommendations for revisions, or agreement on possible action items.

• STEP 5 Having identified essential revisions based on the different points of view, the team completes the revised work and presents a finalized proposal or action plan for implementation.

Example of tool application

Changing the Parts Database Update Procedure