category,method_name,description,facilitation_prompts,best_for,complexity,typical_duration
diagnosis,Five Whys Root Cause,Drill down through layers of symptoms to uncover true root cause by asking why five times,Why did this happen?|Why is that the case?|Why does that occur?|What's beneath that?|What's the root cause?,linear-causation,simple,10-15
diagnosis,Fishbone Diagram,Map all potential causes across categories - people process materials equipment environment - to systematically explore cause space,What people factors contribute?|What process issues?|What material problems?|What equipment factors?|What environmental conditions?,complex-multi-factor,moderate,20-30
diagnosis,Problem Statement Refinement,Transform vague complaints into precise actionable problem statements that focus solution effort,What exactly is wrong?|Who is affected and how?|When and where does it occur?|What's the gap between current and desired?|What makes this a problem?,problem-framing,simple,10-15
diagnosis,Is/Is Not Analysis,Define problem boundaries by contrasting where problem exists vs doesn't exist to narrow investigation,Where does problem occur?|Where doesn't it?|When does it happen?|When doesn't it?|Who experiences it?|Who doesn't?|What pattern emerges?,pattern-identification,simple,15-20
diagnosis,Systems Thinking,Map interconnected system elements feedback loops and leverage points to understand complex problem dynamics,What are system components?|What relationships exist?|What feedback loops?|What delays occur?|Where are leverage points?
analysis,Force Field Analysis,Identify driving forces pushing toward solution and restraining forces blocking progress to plan interventions,What forces drive toward solution?|What forces resist change?|Which are strongest?|Which can we influence?|What's the strategy?
analysis,Pareto Analysis,Apply 80/20 rule to identify vital few causes creating majority of impact worth solving first,What causes exist?|What's the frequency or impact of each?|What's the cumulative impact?|What vital few drive 80%?|Focus where?
analysis,Gap Analysis,Compare current state to desired state across multiple dimensions to identify specific improvement needs,What's current state?|What's desired state?|What gaps exist?|How big are gaps?|What causes gaps?|Priority focus?
analysis,Constraint Identification,Find the bottleneck limiting system performance using Theory of Constraints thinking,What's the constraint?|What limits throughput?|What should we optimize?|What happens if we elevate constraint?|What's next constraint?
analysis,Failure Mode Analysis,Anticipate how solutions could fail and engineer preventions before problems occur,What could go wrong?|What's likelihood?|What's impact?|How do we prevent?|How do we detect early?|What's mitigation?
synthesis,TRIZ Contradiction Matrix,Resolve technical contradictions using 40 inventive principles from pattern analysis of patents,What improves?|What worsens?|What's the contradiction?|What principles apply?|How to resolve?
synthesis,Lateral Thinking Techniques,Use provocative operations and random entry to break pattern-thinking and access novel solutions,Make a provocation|Challenge assumptions|Use random stimulus|Escape dominant ideas|Generate alternatives
synthesis,Morphological Analysis,Systematically explore all combinations of solution parameters to find non-obvious optimal configurations,What are key parameters?|What options exist for each?|Try different combinations|What patterns emerge?|What's optimal?
synthesis,Biomimicry Problem Solving,Learn from nature's 3.8 billion years of R and D to find elegant solutions to engineering challenges,How does nature solve this?|What biological analogy?|What principles transfer?|How to adapt?
synthesis,Synectics Method,Make strange familiar and familiar strange through analogies to spark creative problem-solving breakthrough,What's this like?|How are they similar?|What metaphor fits?|What does that suggest?|What insight emerges?
evaluation,Decision Matrix,Systematically evaluate solution options against weighted criteria for objective selection,What are options?|What criteria matter?|What weights?|Rate each option|Calculate scores|What wins?
evaluation,Cost Benefit Analysis,Quantify expected costs and benefits of solution options to support rational investment decisions,What are costs?|What are benefits?|Quantify each|What's payback period?|What's ROI?|What's recommended?
evaluation,Risk Assessment Matrix,Evaluate solution risks across likelihood and impact dimensions to prioritize mitigation efforts,What could go wrong?|What's probability?|What's impact?|Plot on matrix|What's risk score?|Mitigation plan?
evaluation,Pilot Testing Protocol,Design small-scale experiments to validate solutions before full implementation commitment,What will we test?|What's success criteria?|What's the test plan?|What data to collect?|What did we learn?|Scale or pivot?
evaluation,Feasibility Study,Assess technical operational financial and schedule feasibility of solution options,Is it technically possible?|Operationally viable?|Financially sound?|Schedule realistic?|Overall feasibility?
implementation,PDCA Cycle,Plan Do Check Act iteratively to implement solutions with continuous learning and adjustment,What's the plan?|Execute plan|Check results|What worked?|What didn't?|Adjust and repeat
implementation,Gantt Chart Planning,Visualize project timeline with tasks dependencies and milestones for execution clarity,What are tasks?|What sequence?|What dependencies?|What's the timeline?|Who's responsible?|What milestones?
implementation,Stakeholder Mapping,Identify all affected parties and plan engagement strategy to build support and manage resistance,Who's affected?|What's their interest?|What's their influence?|What's engagement strategy?|How to communicate?
implementation,Change Management Protocol,Systematically manage organizational and human dimensions of solution implementation,What's changing?|Who's impacted?|What resistance expected?|How to communicate?|How to support transition?|How to sustain?
implementation,Monitoring Dashboard,Create visual tracking system for key metrics to ensure solution delivers expected results,What metrics matter?|What targets?|How to measure?|How to visualize?|What triggers action?|Review frequency?
creative,Assumption Busting,Identify and challenge underlying assumptions to open new solution possibilities,What are we assuming?|What if opposite were true?|What if assumption removed?|What becomes possible?
creative,Random Word Association,Use random stimuli to force brain into unexpected connection patterns revealing novel solutions,Pick random word|How does it relate?|What connections emerge?|What ideas does it spark?|Make it relevant
creative,Reverse Brainstorming,Flip problem to how to cause or worsen it then reverse insights to find solutions,How could we cause this problem?|How make it worse?|What would guarantee failure?|Now reverse insights|What solutions emerge?
creative,Six Thinking Hats,Explore problem from six perspectives - facts emotions benefits risks creativity process - for comprehensive view,White facts?|Red feelings?|Yellow benefits?|Black risks?|Green alternatives?|Blue process?
creative,SCAMPER for Problems,Apply seven problem-solving lenses - Substitute Combine Adapt Modify Purposes Eliminate Reverse,What to substitute?|What to combine?|What to adapt?|What to modify?|Other purposes?|What to eliminate?|What to reverse?