Creative Problem Solving White Paper - The STOP Model
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The STOP model provides a structured approach for addressing challenges in life or business, emphasizing creative problem solving through four steps: Simplify, Talents, Others, and Plan. A case study illustrates its application in overcoming stagnant sales by identifying root causes and promoting collaboration between sales and marketing teams. By leveraging individual talents and outside support, the model encourages the development of actionable plans to drive growth and solve complex issues.
Creative Problem Solving White Paper - The STOP Model
- 1. STOP Model | Page 1 When you come to a crossroads in life or business and have to make a decision, how do you STOP, take inventory, and determine how to best solve the challenge facing you? The STOP Model provides you with a model to follow to move you through creative problem solving. The following case study will walk you through a business situation and how the STOP Model was applied to help this organization work through to a solution. Case Study Our client came to us with the following challenge: We have no sales growth halfway through the year! LET’S PUT THE MODEL TO THE TEST! STOP Model Step 1 is S = Simplify to scrutinize and spot the challenge(s) you want to solve. Being that the first step in the STOP Model is: S = Simplify to scrutinize and spot the challenges you want to solve. How do you uncover what’s the real challenge? So often the top-of-mind problem that is weighing on your STOP MODEL WHITE PAPER shoulders isn’t even the real problem. Our prescription is for you to drill down, ask the 5 whys? THE 5 WHY PROCESS You have no sales growth halfway through the year. 1. Why is that? Our sales representatives aren’t hitting their numbers. 2. Why is that? We added a few new products this year and we thought that would provide us a boost to sales and re-energize our sales team – but it’s not working. 3. Why is that? Our new product demonstrations and launch of marketing materials are taking longer than expected. 4. Why is that? Our sales and marketing teams aren’t on the same page with priorities on our take-to-market strategy. 5. Why is that? Our marketing team has been so focused and consumed by the new product launch that all other marketing efforts have gone on the back burner. So, after asking the 5 whys to drill down, the original broad challenge was thrown out. We learned that the real reason that sales are flat might be due to the new product launch and the sales and marketing teams have not exchanged the information they need to do their jobs well, be in sync with each other and make sales. What could the value be to this company to solve this real challenge versus reacting to the first challenge/problem that was mentioned? A reaction to sales are down and our reps aren’t hitting their numbers, could be to make staffing changes. With the drill down of the 5 whys, a more strategic problem came to the top to solve. This company can now focus on how to help the organization as a whole experience sales growth this year. They will focus on all of the complexities of the new product launch and get the sales and marketing teams working together. How do you bridge these two important groups working together for the growth of the company?
- 2. STOP Model | Page 2 STOP Model Step 2 is T = Identify the unique talents you bring to the table. In Step 1 of the STOP Model, we simplified our challenge: we need to bring the sales and marketing teams together to provide a strong, new product take-to-market strategy that both groups are excited about and move the dial on sales growth. Step 2 in the STOP Model is T = Talents at the Table: what unique talents does the team bring to the table to solve the challenge? This process requires personal reflection in a team setting where each individual team member needs to be open and honest throughout the process. This conversation is an exploration of talents in general – but also talents that connect directly to the challenge that needs to be solved. FOR THIS TEAM SITUATION, IT IS AN EVALUATION OF EACH INDIVIDUAL TEAM MEMBER. What talents have these team members demonstrated in working through something similar before? Have there been positive examples to reflect back on to pull best practices from? Each individual team member has talents that he/she brings to the table - how do we identify their core competencies and build a unified team? So in this case, the talents needed are stepping up to lead and the ability to communicate effectively to break down silos between two departments. Who has the bigger picture in mind with growth and sales goals? Who represents the voice of the customers and clients purchasing the current product line and those that will purchase the new lines? Who is willing and open to new ideas and can work as a team? Through this exploration you determine who on the teams has talents like these that rise to the top. There are plenty of evaluations out there to assess talents and team strengths. You can get really detailed and spend a lot of time on this area if you choose to, but the real magic is everyone being authentic in their skills and talents they bring to the table as it pertains to the challenge. NEXT, EXPLORE THE TALENTS MISSING FROM THE TEAM. How do we start to evaluate the talent gaps that we have at the table? Who else do we need to ask to help us? During this think tank session - ask the team who they WHITE PAPER would benefit from having on the team – allow the team to think big. They can always cut the list down later! (It’s not a lesson in adding so many people to the table that you move to having to make decisions by committee – it’s a lesson on having the right talents at the table to allow something to move forward as fast as possible.) For this team, it might be a senior leader who can remove roadblocks to accomplish things in a quicker turnaround than the company normally experiences. It could be a client and prospect focus group to bring the voice of the customer to the table. It might be a product engineer who could provide hands on training and information to support the frontline sales team with the skills to sell the new products. There’s no magic to the number of people that are sitting around the table, the magic is in having the needed talent to move forward. Be real about what might be missing and bring the Talent to the Table! Step 3 in the STOP Model is O = Others – Build relationships with the people who can help you. What outside relationships does the team have with people who can help? What other people do you need to bring to the table? WE CONSIDER THE OTHERS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE MODEL – MAYBE EVEN THE SECRET SAUCE! Why walk alone when you can have a tribe of people to walk the journey with you? This part of the model is ever more meaningful when it’s a personal challenge that you are looking to solve! Allow others to help you soar! The saying two heads are better than one applies here. Or, it takes a village to raise a child. Well, as an adult it can take a village of supporters to help you move something important forward too – what’s wrong with that?! When you overlay the “gap talents” of what needs to be in place to accomplish your challenge, you have to go recruit the needed and missing talent. This is where the real fun can begin. Often when we work with individuals or clients through the STOP Model this is where the magic happens. Everyone realizes that they have someone they can bring to the table that would immediately provide value and welcome getting involved. “I applied Dina Simon's STOP model to a new business venture. I was amazed at how simple it made the process, yet how clearly it laid out the strategic overview and action steps needed. I'd highly recommend the approach to any challenge or opportunity someone wants to conquer.” — Kevin Ehlinger, CEO of Think Creative Digital Marketing
- 3. 3440 Federal Drive, Suite 230 | Eagan, MN 55122 612.470.STOP | info@simonsayslead.com | SimonSaysLead.com ©2015 Simon Says Lead® . All rights reserved. As we talked about this team and their challenge we identified people who weren’t typically included in the sales or marketing teams. We suggested the idea of having an engineer at the table that helped develop the new products to allow their input on training the sales team. We suggested having a focus group with clients and prospects. It isn’t rocket science to think bigger picture and involve others, but how often do these people get invited to the table to help a company grow sales and hit their targets as a team? WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THERE ARE TALENTS THAT THE TEAM STILL NEEDS TO BRING TO THE TABLE AND THEY DO NOT HAVE ANYONE IN THEIR NETWORK THAT FITS THE PROFILE? Develop a clear message of what goals and action items are in place and what skills the team is looking for – and go ask for help! People love to help other people when the problem/situation has been clearly stated and a specific request has been made! Those other people might even have the expertise to suggest additional gap talents that are needed. Or, find a consultant that specializes in the talent you need and bring him/her to the team – hire them fast and you will move forward quickly. STOP Model Step 4 is P = Plan – Build a solid plan that will actively move you toward your goal. We come to our final stage of the 4 step process in the STOP Model and that is P = Plan: Build a solid plan that will actively move you toward your goal and then execute the plan. With our case study, you know that we simplified the challenge of the sales and marketing team of an organization that has new products that have launched and sales are down. They have evaluated the talents they have as a team and what other people and resources they need to help them move forward. Now they need to build their plan! So often this is the missing or weakest link. We do a lot of planning to plan in our lives and business, but the execution of a plan is often hard. During the planning process, the person who raises his/her hand to be responsibl line item takes the responsibility not to solve that particular issue – but to ensure that this line item has milestones and timelines and resources to move what needs to be moved forward. WHEN DEVELOPING A PLAN ON HOW TO MOVE A TEAM FORWARD ON SOMETHING, LOOK BACK TO THE TALENTS ON THE TEAM. Does someone on the team have strategic planning or project management skills that would aide this team in putting a solid game plan into place? If not, allow them to have someone outside the team facilitate this part for them. The power of having someone outside facilitate the planning process allows all participants to participate – no one person is worried about the facilitation process and how smoothly it goes. We do this within our own company. Simon Says Lead uses a model called EOS – Entrepreneurial Operating System. The facilitated process and the specific tools allow us to have a framework for how to move forward on key business initiatives. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what you use … but use some framework or method to allow a solid plan to be formed. Once the plan is developed, what are the weekly, monthly, and quarterly check-in dates and deliverables? How is senior leadership receiving information? If this was a critical challenge the company faced and it was put it in the hands of those that could effect the change, allow them to share their process and plan with senior leaders to gain buy-in. Thank you for allowing us to give you an example of the STOP Model through this case study. We hope it provides you with an understanding on how effectively it can be applied to challenges you might be facing in life and in business. WHITE PAPER Dina B Simon Executive Coach | Author | Speaker There are some simple ways to navigate and find solutions to move you forward in times when you think moving forward is not an option. Join us as we teach you how to be Unstoppable! To learn more about the STOP Model and how to Make Unstoppable Simple, purchase her book, “Make Unstoppable Simple, Creative Problem Solving in Life and Leadership” at simonsayslead.com, amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com.