Research & Learning
Keep the observation separate from its possible explanations
Imagine a community library notices fewer attendees at one recurring activity. A team wants to understand the change before redesigning the programme. The following fictional exercise organises the initial questions; it does not establish why attendance changed or replace a suitable research approach.
01
Describe the change before explaining it
Write down what the team observed, including the activity and the period being compared. Identify the source of the attendance record and any gaps that need checking. In the example, a change in how attendance was recorded could affect the comparison, so that question belongs near the starting observation. Avoid expanding the statement into a claim about all library visitors. A precise observation gives everyone the same starting point and makes it easier to see which parts of the discussion are interpretations rather than recorded information.
02
Place alternative explanations beside one another
List several plausible questions: did the schedule change, did communication reach the intended audience, or were other local activities happening at the same time? Draw each as a proposed explanation, using a legend that makes its tentative status explicit. Ask participants what they are assuming and whose perspective is missing. The purpose is to prevent the first appealing explanation from becoming the only one discussed. A tidy diagram should preserve uncertainty rather than conceal it behind a confident arrow or a single preferred story.
03
Choose information that would clarify the next decision
For each open question, note what information might help and how the team could reasonably obtain it. Checking the activity timetable is different from asking visitors about their experience, and neither should be described as answering every question. Identify who will follow up and what decision the inquiry is meant to inform. Keep new observations distinct from interpretations when the map is revisited. The finished document is a record of the starting change, alternative explanations and next inquiries, giving the team a more deliberate basis for further work.