Darin Oliver
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FrameworksThe Sleeve

The Sleeve

A framework for looking beneath the problem people name to find the reality hidden inside it.

Overview

The Sleeve helps you see what is shaping the outcome beneath the surface.

A framework for looking beneath the problem people name to find the reality hidden inside it.

The Sleeve helps you see what is shaping the outcome beneath the surface.

The elements

  1. 1

    The stated problem

    The visible issue that is safe, concrete, or socially acceptable to name.

  2. 2

    The hidden driver

    The belief, fear, incentive, or condition actually shaping the outcome.

  3. 3

    The evidence

    Repeated patterns that reveal what the stated explanation cannot.

  4. 4

    The intervention

    The action aimed at the driver rather than the symptom.

How to use it

  1. 1

    Ask what would still be true if the stated problem were solved tomorrow.

  2. 2

    Look for a repeated pattern across different settings.

  3. 3

    Test one deeper hypothesis with a small, observable intervention.

Common pitfalls

  • Assuming every stated problem is false.
  • Using hidden explanations to sound clever rather than become useful.
  • Forcing intimate interpretations without evidence or permission.

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