“If budget, time, and politics were off the table — what would you actually build?”
— Opportunity Seeking Skills
i2 Insights: Opportunity Seeking Skills
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Where Aren’t You Looking?
“What industry, discipline, or perspective have you never considered — and what might it teach you about your current challenge?”
— Opportunity Seeking Skills
What Are You Not Questioning?
“What’s one thing your team does ‘because we’ve always done it that way’ — and what would happen if you stopped?”
— Opportunity Seeking Skills
What Problem Are You Not Seeing?
“When was the last time you looked for a problem worth solving — instead of waiting for one to land on your desk?”
— Opportunity Seeking Skills
Borrow Someone Else’s Lens
Find a colleague who sees things differently from you. Ask them: “How would you approach this?” Listen without defending your own view. Just take notes.
Collect Solutions, Don’t Crown One
In your next brainstorm, aim to leave with three viable options instead of one winner. Label them A, B, and C — and resist ranking them until tomorrow.
Ask “What’s Underneath?”
Take a problem you’re working on and ask “why?” three times in a row. Each answer should go deeper than the last. The real issue is usually hiding below the surface.
Zoom Out Before You Zoom In
Before diving into a task, spend 10 minutes mapping out the broader landscape. What adjacent problems exist? What opportunities are you not seeing because you’ve already narrowed your focus?
Go Where You Wouldn’t
Seek inspiration from a completely unrelated field. Read one article, watch one talk, or visit one space that has nothing to do with your current project. Note what sparks.
Stay in the Search
The next time you feel the itch to decide, pause and say: “What haven’t we considered yet?” Give yourself one more round of exploration before committing.