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Simple & Pragmatic Problem Solving
#82Chapter 6: Group Creative Option Generation• Group Creative OptionsAnalytical, critical and dialogic ThinkingGroup (structured encounter of two teams) Mode60-90 Minutes (Preceded by 1-week prep)(Medium to time-consuming)

Lion's Den

From the book "Advanced Problem-Solving Toolbox: 115 Creative Plays" | Compiled & Edited by: Mojtaba Goudarzi, Open translation: Mehrshid Goudarzi
Executive Synopsis & Core Logic:

Interactive problem solving session by playing the two symbolic roles of "lambs" (providers of challenges and initial proposals) and "lions" (panel critics and experts from other units) to dissect and enrich the solution.

Operational Parameters & Specifications

Category
Group Creative Options
Dominant Thinking
Analytical, critical and dialogic
Participation
Group (structured encounter of two teams)
Estimated TimeMedium to time-consuming
60-90 Minutes (Preceded by 1-week prep)
Workshop
Input Format
Codified problem statement, status diagrams, initial ideas of the presenting team
Output Format
Idea generation and hammering of solutions
Key Application
Improving call center processes and customer relations, initiating high-risk organizational projects, evaluating investment plans and resolving interdepartmental conflicts.
Core Differentiator:

Formal and clear division of the meeting into two groups with specific tasks (presenter vs. constructive critic) and periodic rotation of roles among different departments of the organization.

Quick Field Example:

support team (Lamb) presents the challenge of long customer queues in the lion's den; IT, HR, and warehouse experts inject the idea of ​​smart triage and coaching into the plan with in-depth critique.

Operational Benefits & Implementation Risks

Advantages & Value Creation:

Exceptionally strong preparation of the delivery team, comprehensive evaluation of the plan before entering the operation phase, breaking closed intra-departmental biases.

Risks & Potential Trade-offs:

The risk of criticism turning into sharp verbal attacks in case of weakness of the facilitator, the possible anxiety of presenters in the face of criticism.

Real-World Organizational & Industry Scenarios

Call Center and Customer Affairs: Presenting the causes of customer dissatisfaction by supervisors to IT and HR managers.
New business development: presentation of export market entry proposal by marketing team to technical and financial engineers.
Hospital management: criticism of the discharge process of patients by doctors and nurses in the presence of insurance and financial managers.

Strategic Rationale & Why to Apply

1Pressure test before the real crisis: Any error that the colleagues take in the lion's nest costs a thousand times less than a failure in the market.
2Strengthening problem comprehension skills: Lambs have to avoid vague sentences and state the problem with "How can we...?" make it transparent
3Involvement of supporting departments: When IT and HR themselves have given the solution lion role, they will support the plan during implementation.
4Culture of Constructive Criticism: Transforms the acceptance of criticism in the organization's taropod from a personal threat to a tool of evolution.

Conceptual Framework & Book Method Description

"Lion's Den" is a structured protocol for evaluating and reinforcing solutions. In this process, a department plays the role of "lambs" and after a week of research, presents its problem statement in the form of detailed questions along with picture posters to the group of "lions" (including experts from other departments). For 20 minutes, the lions criticize the neglected dimensions and provide complementary solutions. In the next monthly meetings, the role of the lamb and the lion are switched between the units.

Step-by-Step Real-World Implementation Scenario

Saving the call center and curbing the waiting time of customers in the lion's nest meeting
1
Step 1: Preparing lambs and formulating the problem statementDuring one week, the customer service team (lambs) collected the queue charts and voices of dissatisfaction and created the poster 'How to reduce the waiting time to under 2 minutes?' drew
2
Step 2: Enter the lion's den and present the initial planAt the quarterly meeting, the lambs presented the plan to the lions (consisting of IT managers, HR training, and data analysis) and proposed additional training.
3
Step 3: Constructive Attack of Lions and Critique AssumptionsHR Lion argued that mere training without ongoing coaching is ineffective; Lion IT proved that 60% of calls are repetitive and do not require a human.
4
Step 4: Incorporating Lions' innovative solutionsLions added 2 foundational solutions: an intelligent voice bot based on automated query response and an experienced peer mentoring program for new personnel.
5
Step 5: Implement the Hammered PlanThe consolidated plan was quickly implemented; Human calls were cut in half and the average wait dropped from 8 minutes to 90 seconds.

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Previous Play (#81)
Intercompany Innovation Groups
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Lotus Blossom Technique
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