Adjusting your zoom can reveal new insights and create broader impact.

When problems seem unsolvable, it may be that you need to apply a different level of “zoom.” Zooming in or out can shift your perspective about a problem or challenge, the obstacles you’re facing, and your way forward.

When Challenge Factory was asked to determine how many people work in Canada’s career services sector, at first it seemed like a straightforward task. As we zoomed in on career practitioners, however, we realized that they work in all different settings, with very different profiles. As we zoomed out, we realized friends and family provide career advice, teachers include career education in their course materials, and financial planners provide work-related advice to clients. We could have continued to focus only on frontline career practitioners. But, instead, we zoomed out and exposed the sector’s entire hidden ecosystem.

When you are trying to answer a research question, solve a business problem, or address a workforce challenge, the questions in the following tool can help you zoom in and out to know where you should focus for impact.