THE DIRECT ANSWER
Start with what you saw. Then name your view, your best guess, and the proof that could show you are wrong.
The short answer
An opinion says what I think. A claim says what I expect to see if my view is right. A good claim also says what proof could change my mind.
I use four steps: fact, view, guess, and test. This lets me speak with force without acting like my view is already proof.
Start with what you saw
A fact is what you saw, heard, counted, or saved. “The team typed the same job data in two tools” can be a fact if you saw the work.
“The team hates the tool” is not the same kind of fact. It adds a view about how people feel. Keep that claim on its own step.
Own the opinion
A view says what you think should matter or change. I may think a tool should cut repeat work, keep a person in charge, or show the odd cases.
Say the view in a plain way. Do not dress it up with made-up facts. A clear view gives people something fair to test.
Turn the view into a guess
A test guess says what you think will happen. If the team stops typing the same facts twice, the task may move fast and the two records may match more often.
Name where the guess may fail. A step can feel slow and still keep the work safe. Limits belong in the plan before the test starts.
Make the claim easy to test
A claim needs a measure, a time, and a fair check. The proof must be able to say no. If no result could change your view, you do not have a real test.
End with a choice: keep, change, pause, or stop. This turns a loud debate into a useful work call.
ORIGINAL WORKSHEET
The four-rung claim ladder
Write each step on its own. This keeps facts, views, guesses, and proof from getting mixed.
- 01 · ObservationWhat did I see, hear, count, or save?Write the plain fact. Do not add a cause or guess.
- 02 · OpinionWhat do I think this fact means?State your view and call it your view.
- 03 · HypothesisWhat do I think will happen next?Name the change you expect and when you expect it.
- 04 · Testable claimWhat proof could show I am right or wrong?Set the measure, time, limit, and choice you will make.
Original evidence: Tim Yslava’s four-step claim ladder. It is a tool for clear thought, not proof of a customer, product, or result.
Four takeaways
- Keep what you saw apart from what you think.
- State your view without calling it proof.
- Write the change you think will happen.
- Set the proof and the next choice before the test.