The Anti-Problem
The Anti-Problem is a problem-solving game in which small teams work on the exact opposite of the problem the group is stuck on, for example how to make sure customers never buy instead of how to sell more. It was published in Gamestorming (Gray, Brown and Macanufo, 2010), which credits the 'Reverse It' game from Donna Spencer's design games collection as its basis. Solving the inverted problem loosens fixed thinking and often shows the group that some of its current practice already serves the anti-problem.
Facilitation script
- 1
Name the real problem, then present the anti-problem you prepared. Explain that teams will solve only the anti-problem and that the goal is a new perspective, not a solution.
5 min - 2
Form teams of three or four, hand out materials and start the round. Teams generate and display as many ways of solving the anti-problem as they can. Encourage exaggeration when a team gets too sensible.
18 min - 3
Teams present their anti-solutions in turn, two to three minutes each. Hold questions and comments until all teams have presented.
10 min - 4
Debrief in plenary: mark the anti-solutions that resemble current practice, discuss what they reveal about the real problem, and note what the group wants to pick up next.
10 min
Tips
Spend your preparation time on the wording of the anti-problem, because a vague inversion produces vague jokes.
Keep the tone playful during the team round and turn serious only in the debrief, where the useful question is which anti-solutions are uncomfortably familiar.
Tell the group at the start that the aim is a fresh view of the problem, not a finished solution, so nobody judges the session by the wrong standard.
Common pitfalls
Inverting the problem loosely, so teams end up listing general bad behaviour and nothing maps back to the real issue
Skipping or rushing the debrief, which leaves the group with an entertaining wall of notes and no insight
Expecting finished solutions from the game and then forcing each anti-solution into a mechanical opposite, which produces obvious answers
Letting teams drift back to solving the real problem halfway through the round, which loses the distance the inversion was meant to create
Using it on a topic where a specific person or team is seen as responsible, so the anti-solutions turn into thinly veiled accusations
Variations
For a short version, skip the team presentations and collect the three strongest anti-solutions per team on one wall. Remote groups can work in breakout rooms on a shared board with one frame per team. If the group wants concrete commitments afterwards, add a second round in which each team picks one anti-solution that is already happening and proposes how to stop it, which moves the session close to Liberating Structures TRIZ.
Where it fits
When to use it
A team has discussed the same problem several times and keeps producing the same three answers
The group is tired or cautious and needs a low-stakes task before it can think freely again
You suspect that existing rules, processes or habits are working against the stated goal and want the group to notice it themselves
A solution brainstorm is planned and you need 30 minutes beforehand to widen the frame
The problem has a clear opposite that can be stated in one sentence
When not to use it
The group needs committed stopping actions with owners; use Liberating Structures TRIZ, which builds that step in
The problem is not yet agreed or has no clear opposite; clarify it first with a problem-framing exercise
You want raw solution ideas for the real problem through bad ideas; Worst Possible Idea stays on the original problem and inverts the ideas afterwards
The topic involves a recent failure or people in the room who feel blamed; exaggerated anti-solutions will read as mockery, so run a blameless review instead
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is The Anti-Problem?▾
The Anti-Problem is a game from Gamestorming in which small teams solve the opposite of the problem their group is stuck on. A team that wants more sign-ups, for example, works out how to guarantee that nobody signs up. Comparing those anti-solutions with current practice gives the group a fresh view of the real problem.
How long does The Anti-Problem take and how many people can play?▾
Plan 30 to 45 minutes for 5 to 20 people working in teams of three or four. About half the time goes to generating anti-solutions, the rest to short team presentations and the debrief. Larger groups need more presentation time or a gallery format.
What is the difference between The Anti-Problem and Worst Possible Idea?▾
Worst Possible Idea keeps the original problem and asks for terrible solutions to it, which are then flipped into usable ideas. The Anti-Problem changes the problem itself: teams look for good solutions to the opposite goal. The first is an ideation technique, the second mainly a way to reframe a problem and expose counterproductive habits.
How is The Anti-Problem different from Liberating Structures TRIZ?▾
Both start from an inverted goal. TRIZ follows a fixed sequence that ends with the group naming what it already does from the failure list and agreeing what to stop. The Anti-Problem is looser and shorter, ends in a discussion, and is meant to produce perspective more than commitments.
What makes a good anti-problem statement?▾
It is the direct opposite of the real problem, short enough to remember and concrete enough to act on. 'How do we make onboarding take as long as possible' works; 'how do we do a bad job' does not. Prepare it before the session and test it on a colleague.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Gamestorming (Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, James Macanufo), based on 'Reverse It' by Donna Spencer.