ALoU

ALOU is a tool that will help the team analyze or refine one or more promising options/solutions. It is most useful when a team is ready to decide which of its options best fits its needs. ALOU will help the team look at the strengths of an option, consider the challenges that go along with that option, and look at the unique features of the option.

How to Use ALOU

On a flip chart or large writing surface, label three pages or columns. Label one as Advantages, another as Limitations and How To Overcome Them, and finally Unique Features. Work with each page or column separately. The team should take each idea it is seriously considering and talk about it within the framework of:

● What are its Advantages? List all advantages first. This is often easy and fun.

● What are some Limitations and how to overcome them? The team members should frame their statements with the sentence stem of “How to…,” “How Might We…,” “Wouldn’t it be nice if…”

○ Note: It is important to frame the limitations or the obstacles positively in terms of how they might be overcome. (This is what the ‘O’ is for!). Statements should be broad, brief and beneficial.

● What are the Unique Features of the idea? What are some potential benefits of using it?

Here is an example of how ALOU might be used by a DI team