Assumption reversal

Assumption reversal is a cool little facilitation technique that involves turning assumptions upside down in order to kickstart creative thinking, which can help you to generate new ideas. It is based on the idea that by questioning and reversing assumptions, new perspectives and insights can be gained, leading to new, unexpected and innovative solutions.

This technique is best used as a part of a wider process. It may be particularly useful when dealing with a long-running problem, or where the participants may have entrenched positions or opinions and you feel that they need unblocking to make progress.

To use this technique, you need to

Identify a set of assumptions - Take the group through a process to discover and write down the assumptions that underlie the problem or challenge being addressed.

Flip those assumptions into reverse – Lead the group to turn each assumption on its head, considering what would happen if the opposite were true.

Explore the implications of the new reversed assumptions – Help the group to explore the implications and consequences of each reversed assumption. Consider how it might change the problem or challenge being addressed.

Generate new ideas – Lead the group to generate new ideas and solutions based on the reversed assumptions and their implications.

Let’s look at an example:

Let’s take the example of a regional airport looking to increase revenue,

First, we identify assumptions, for example, “Supersonic air travel is too expensive and difficult.”

Then we reverse it, for example, “What if supersonic air travel was affordable?”

What are the implications of this? These might include;

• A new long-haul market might be created
• Airlines on sub-sonic aircraft may struggle to compete on the long-haul routes
• There will be a surplus of sub-sonic planes all competing for short-haul routes and prices will fall
• There may be more short-haul customers in the future

Now we generate ideas based on the reversed assumption and its implications. Perhaps, as an airport we could

• Seeking to expand short-haul routes available from our location
• Increasing capacity to handle increased passenger numbers
• Rebrand as a hub for interconnecting flights
• Buying local park n ride companies to capitalise on customer numbers increasing
• The list goes on…

Assumption reversal is useful in situations where the group is stuck in traditional ways of thinking or is facing a problem that seems impossible to solve. By challenging assumptions and considering the opposite perspective, new possibilities can be uncovered and solutions can be generated.

It is also a useful technique for encouraging creativity and divergent thinking. So, next time you’re facilitating a workshop and find yourself tussling with an seemingly insoluble problem, consider using assumption reversal and see where the thought process leads your team.