The Power of Questions: Unlocking Better Solutions by Understanding Fundamental Tenets
In today’s world of highly-complex programs and technology, success often depends not on having all the answers, but on asking the right questions. Revisiting assumptions and reframing requirements can unlock innovative solutions that deliver meaningful value to customers. At its heart, this process aligns creativity and problem-solving with the mission, often requiring flexibility to achieve outcomes that truly matter.
Start with the Mission
Every program, product, or service exists for a purpose. Whether it’s saving lives, exploring new frontiers, or safeguarding critical infrastructure, the mission must serve as the guiding star for every decision. Yet, teams often become bogged down in rigid requirements that overlook the customer’s needs.
The first step toward delivering real value is understanding the customer's fundamental tenets—the foundation for decision-making. By reframing requirements to align with the mission, teams can focus on what truly matters: helping the customer achieve their goals. This shift—from “What does the customer want?” to “What does the customer need to accomplish?”—opens the door to rethinking how solutions are designed and implemented (Brown, 2020).
Challenge Assumptions
Innovation thrives when we challenge assumptions. Too often, initial requirements prescribe how a need should be met rather than defining what must be achieved (and how well). This rigidity stifles creativity, locking solutions into outdated approaches.
For instance, I’ve worked on programs where constraints were rooted in historical precedents rather than evolving mission needs. This often led to solutions that didn’t fully address the customer’s goals. By questioning these assumptions—asking why specific requirements exist—we uncover opportunities to design more flexible and effective systems.
Be Open to Self-Disruption
Solving problems often starts with leveraging past solutions. This approach can save time, but it can also limit opportunities to explore new technologies, diverse perspectives, and evolving challenges. Striking a balance between applying past wisdom and embracing fresh approaches is essential for fostering innovation.
By questioning our assumptions and acknowledging our biases, we create space for collaboration and discovery. Celebrating moments when new methods outperform historical ones nurtures a culture of continuous improvement and openness to change.
Creativity isn’t limited to brainstorming sessions—it’s critical at every stage of a program. For many missions, reliability is non-negotiable. Yet traditional approaches, like redundancy and fail-safes, often add complexity, size, and cost, making them impractical in constrained environments. Instead, embracing simplicity before redundancy can achieve greater reliability with fewer trade-offs (Leveson, 2020). Encouraging teams to question conventional methods enables the design of systems that meet performance goals while remaining cost-effective.
The key takeaway? Creativity flourishes when we challenge the status quo. It’s not about discarding requirements but understanding which ones are critical—and which can evolve to better support the mission.
Embrace Flexibility
Flexibility in requirements consistently leads to better results. Customer may request specific capabilities that do not align with their operational goals. By collaborating to refine their priorities, we can deliver a solution that improves mission effectiveness while staying within budget and timeline constraints (Brown, 2020). We can also structure our programs this way - overarching performance objectives or key performance parameters rather than excessive shall statements.
This iterative, adaptable approach highlights the value of meeting customers where they are—and understanding where they need to go. Often, this is more impactful than rigidly adhering to initial specifications.
Principles That Deliver Better Solutions
To unlock better solutions, teams should embrace four key principles:
Focus on the Mission: Align every technical decision with the mission’s core objectives.
Challenge Assumptions: Ask questions to uncover hidden opportunities.
Be Open to Self-Disruption: Encourage innovative thinking to balance performance, cost, and reliability.
Embrace Flexibility: Work collaboratively with stakeholders to refine and evolve requirements for optimal outcomes.
By adhering to these principles, teams not only solve complex problems but also build systems that are resilient, adaptable, and aligned with what truly matters.
Conclusion: Asking the Questions That Drive Impact
The true power of questions lies in their ability to reveal new possibilities and shift perspectives. When we open ourselves up to think again and not be so tightly fixed on our beliefs, we can unlock pathways to innovation that might otherwise remain hidden. Success isn’t just about delivering a solution—it’s about delivering the right solution. One that creates meaningful impact, supports the mission, and stands the test of time.
References
Brown, J. (2020). Rethinking Design Thinking: The Power of Questions in Innovation. Journal of Applied Systems Innovation, 4(2), 123-137.
Brown, J. (2020). Flexibility in Engineering Requirements: A Path to Optimal Outcomes. Journal of Engineering Leadership, 12(3), 56-73.
