A provocative proposition is a statement that bridges the best of “what is” with your own speculation or intuition of “what might be”. It is provocative to the extent to which it stretches the realm of the status quo, challenges common assumptions or routines, and helps suggest real possibilities that represent desired possibilities for the organization and its people.

In many ways, constructing provocative propositions is like architecture. Your task is to create a set of propositions about the ideal organization: what would our organization look like if it were designed in every way, to maximize and preserve the topics we’ve chosen to study.

This document offers tips in crafting and writing provocative propositions that inspire, extend and affirm the organization.