Using the SCAMPER Technique to Say "Yes, And"

In my previous article, I described the use of the Tradeoff Triangle as a way to support taking a “Yes, And” approach to dealing with others who make requests and demands of you. As we saw, the Tradeoff Triangle helps you focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t do. This helps you be a YES! Leader by keeping the interaction positive and opening up a range of possibilities with respect to all three sides (Resources, Time, Outcome) of the Triangle.

A valuable technique for helping you consider the full range of possibilities is called SCAMPER, which traces its origin to ideas put forth in the 1950s by the “Father of Brainstorming,” Alex Osborn. SCAMPER is an acronym for seven categories of questions (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Magnify, Put to Other Uses, Eliminate, Reverse) that you can ask yourself about any topic, problem, or idea in order to take a widescreen view of the possibilities.

To recap the scenario from my last article, let’s say a customer asks you to generate a certain Outcome (manufacture one blue marker and one red marker) in a certain Time frame (2 days) with certain stated Resources ($10). You quickly realize that you can’t generate that Outcome with that combination of Time and Resources. Rather than tell the customer “No,” here is how you might apply the SCAMPER technique to test the constraints the customer is placing on you (some of these questions might be asked to the customer, some just to yourself):

SUBSTITUTE: What color could I substitute for blue, red, or both? What would happen if I took an existing marker and just substituted new ink? Why does it need to be a “marker” at all, i.e., what other media could the customer use in order to fulfill the purpose for which he wants the markers?

COMBINE: With what other companies – even competitors – could I join forces to create the requested Outcome? What parts of my marker-fabrication process could I combine, or do simultaneously rather than sequentially, to generate the requested Outcome?

ADAPT: What similar requests have I ever received in the past? How did I deal with them? How can I adapt my experiences and learnings in those situations to the present request? What solutions can I adapt from the experiences of others?

MAGNIFY: How can I think “bigger” about this issue? For example, what would happen if I took a loss on this transaction in the name of securing a loyal long-term customer who might recommend me to others? How could I “expand” the Resources and Time available to me by running more shifts, or hiring short-term help?

PUT TO OTHER USES: If I adapted my process to generate the requested Outcome, how might the new process benefit me in the long run?

ELIMINATE: What parts of the requested Outcome could we eliminate by inquiring more deeply into the reasons behind the request? What parts of the marker-fabrication process could I omit in order to expedite the process?

REVERSE (or REARRANGE): What if the customer and I “switched roles,” that is, what value might the customer be able to provide me (e.g., a barter arrangement) so that I might be able to generate the requested Outcome? How could we “rearrange time,” i.e., work out a plan so the customer could pay part of the cost now and the rest later?

REFLECTIONS FOR THE YES! LEADER

As I checked the literature, I noticed that the SCAMPER technique is usually applied to the creation or improvement of the features of a product, process, or service. When I first thought of “Adapting” SCAMPER to the Tradeoff Triangle context, it struck me that “Combining” the two concepts might be a bit of a stretch. However, I then recalled the old improv adage “Fall first - then, on the way down, decide what you’ll do next,” and decided to just start writing to see where I would go.

Amazingly, as I pored over the SCAMPER questions, my thinking seemed to unfold in rapid order, making this one of the least “labor-intensive” articles I’ve ever written. As I considered the questions in the “P” and “E” parts of the model, new questions for the earlier “S” and “C” parts kept flowing into my head. (I even thought: Hmm, next time why not “Reverse” my approach and use a REPMACS technique?)

I share this personal experience because I think it illustrates the role that asking powerful questions (even of yourself) can play in breaking down entrenched patterns of thought so that new ideas and perspectives can enter the mental playing field.

What entrenched patterns of thought – and behavior – are holding you back and keeping you stuck? What habits and routines are getting in the way of effective thinking and acting? As you look at your life and the world around you, what unquestioned assumptions are narrowing your view of the possibilities available to you and the capabilities that you (and others) possess?

And what would you happen if you applied the SCAMPER technique to those entrenched thoughts and behaviors?