When to use this combo
You have a complex problem and want to tackle it with a structured, consultant-style approach. You prefer breaking things into parts, testing hypotheses, and eliminating possibilities methodically rather than relying on intuition.
Is this combo right for you?
Use this combo if you're a methodical, analytical thinker who likes structure and process. You're the person who creates spreadsheets for fun, loves decision trees, and feels more comfortable when there's a clear framework to follow. If you think like a consultant or engineer — "let me break this down into parts" — this is your combo.
Step-by-step walkthrough
Use Issue Trees to break the problem down into MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) sub-problems. This ensures you don't miss anything and don't double-count.
Apply Inversion — ask "What would guarantee this problem never gets fixed?" or "What are we doing that makes this worse?" Often the path to a solution is clearer when you identify what to stop doing.
Walk through the Productive Thinking Model six steps to move from understanding the problem to defining success, generating solutions, and building an action plan.