When I first heard the term “strawman” proposal, I could not help but think of the scarecrow accompanying Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Rather than a character from a beloved movie, a Strawman proposal is a very useful business tool in an environment which fosters creative thought.
A Strawman proposal is a preliminary presentation of ideas at the early stages of conceptualization with the intent to “blow away” or tear down certain pieces and replace with better, more efficient, more productive and/or less costly ideas. Basically it serves as a starting point for brainstorming.
It is critical when presenting such a proposal to ensure that the audience understands up front that it is a “strawman” and that the intent is to generate ideas and critique. As such, the audience should understand that information presented is incomplete and not intended to stand on its own merit without alteration. It should also be made clear that the main reason it is an incomplete solution was to disseminate ideas as quickly as possible and without spending significant additional time on ideas that will not ultimately be utilized.
The attempt to prepare an initial presentation that is complete and strong, and therefore not considered a strawman, may result in a presentation which is not timely or result in analysis paralysis for the individual or team that prepares the proposal.
Strawman proposals are very useful and a company would be wise to strengthen its culture to embrace such types of presentations. The environment in which such a proposal is made must be one that does not criticize the presenter for ideas that are not fully developed. The audience receiving the presentation should also feel comfortable sharing their ideas as well.
A Strawman proposal is a preliminary presentation of ideas at the early stages of conceptualization with the intent to “blow away” or tear down certain pieces and replace with better, more efficient, more productive and/or less costly ideas. Basically it serves as a starting point for brainstorming.
It is critical when presenting such a proposal to ensure that the audience understands up front that it is a “strawman” and that the intent is to generate ideas and critique. As such, the audience should understand that information presented is incomplete and not intended to stand on its own merit without alteration. It should also be made clear that the main reason it is an incomplete solution was to disseminate ideas as quickly as possible and without spending significant additional time on ideas that will not ultimately be utilized.
The attempt to prepare an initial presentation that is complete and strong, and therefore not considered a strawman, may result in a presentation which is not timely or result in analysis paralysis for the individual or team that prepares the proposal.
Strawman proposals are very useful and a company would be wise to strengthen its culture to embrace such types of presentations. The environment in which such a proposal is made must be one that does not criticize the presenter for ideas that are not fully developed. The audience receiving the presentation should also feel comfortable sharing their ideas as well.
Please share your ideas on ways to make strawman proposals more effective.
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