Today I was introduced to a problem solving methodology that the influential Reg Revans is said to have developed.
- Who knows about it?
- Who cares about it?
- Who can do something about it?
I immediately liked it.
I like a guiding structure and I like simplicity. I absolutely love distilling the infinitely complicated into the fundamentally simple.
I have thought about lots of scenarios and this model works for them all!
Who knows about it?
This not only directs you to ‘who knows’, but also to ‘who should know’. So, in asking you to answer the question today, it’s also intimating that the answer might need to be different tomorrow
Who cares about it?
This focuses your attention on priorities and impact. Who cares about this now and who should care about this tomorrow? Think about dependencies and assumptions. What happens when this domino falls
Who can do something about it?
Connections, resources, partnerships, skills and expertise. This question wraps its arms around the first two like a consuming octopus. It glues the other two questions together into action. Without this part, the answers to questions 1 & 2 are just jetsam and lagam in murky waters.