Problem Solving (51)?

Skilled
 Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective
solutions
 Probes all fruitful sources for answers
 Can see hidden problems
 Is excellent at honest analysis
 Looks beyond the obvious and doesn't stop at the first answers

Unskilled
 Not a disciplined problem solver
 May be stuck in the past, wed to what worked before
 Many times has to come back and rework the problem a second time
 May be a fire-ready-aim type
 May get impatient and jump to conclusions too soon
 May not stop to define and analyze the problem
 Doesn't look under rocks
 May have a set bag of tricks and pull unfit solutions from it
 May miss the complexity of the issue and force fit it to what he/she is most
comfortable with
 Unlikely to come up with the second and better solution, ask penetrating
questions, or see hidden patterns

What can I do to improve?

Overused
 May tend toward analysis paralysis
 May wait too long to come to a conclusion
 May not set analysis priorities
 May get hung up in the process and miss the big picture
 May make things overly complex
 May do too much of the analysis personally

Address the overused skill and use appropriate compensators.

Some Causes
 Disorganized
 Get emotional
  Impatient
 Jump to conclusions
 Perfectionist, need too much data
 Rely too much on historical solutions

Some Remedies
1. Defining the problem. Instant and early conclusions, solutions, statements,
suggestions, how we solved it in the past, are the enemies of good problem solving.
Studies show that defining the problem and taking action occur almost simultaneously for
most people, so the more effort you put on the front end, the easier it is to come up with a
good solution. Stop and first define what the problem is and isn't. Since providing
solutions is so easy for everyone, it would be nice if they were offering solutions to the
right problem. Figure out what causes it. Keep asking why, see how many causes you can
come up with and how many organizing buckets you can put them in. This increases the
chance of a better solution because you can see more connections. Be a chess master.
Chess masters recognize thousands of patterns of chess pieces. Look for patterns in data;
don't just collect information. Put it in categories that make sense to you. Ask lots of
questions. Allot at least 50% of the time to defining the problem.

2. Results oriented impatience. The style that chills sound problem solving the most is
the results driven, time short and impatient person. He/she does not take the time to
define problems and tends to take the first close enough solution that comes along.
Studies have shown that on average, the solution somewhere between the second and
third one generated is the best. Impatient people don't wait that long. Slow down.
Discipline yourself to pause for enough time to define the problem better and always
think of three solutions before you pick one.

3. Watch your biases. Some people have solutions in search of problems. They have
favorite solutions. They have biases. They have universal solutions to most situations.
They pre-judge what the problem is without stopping to consider the nuances of this
specific problem. Do honest and open analysis first. Did you state as facts things that are
really assumptions or opinions? Are you sure these assertions are facts? Did you
generalize from a single example? One of your solutions may in fact fit, but wait to see if
you're right about the problem. More help? - Read Six Thinking Hats by Edward de
Bono.

4. Get out of your comfort zone. Many busy people rely too much on solutions from
their own history. They rely on what has happened to them in the past. They see
sameness in problems that isn't there. Beware of "I have always..." or "Usually I...."
Always pause and look under rocks and ask yourself, is this really like the problems I
have solved in the past?

5. Asking others for input. Many try to do too much themselves. They don't delegate,
listen or ask others for input. Even if you think you have the solution, ask some others for
input just to make sure. Access your network. Find someone who makes a good sounding
board and talk to her/him, not just for ideas, but to increase your understanding of the
problem. Or do it more formally. Set up a competition between two teams, both acting as
your advisors. Call a problem-solving meeting and give the group two hours to come up
with something that will at least be tried. Find a buddy group in another function or
organization that faces the same or a similar problem and both of you experiment.

6. Perfectionist? Need or prefer or want to be 100% sure? Want to wait for all of the
information to come in. Lots might prefer that. Beware of analysis paralysis. A good rule
of thumb is to analyze patterns and causes to come up with alternatives. Many of us just
collect data, which numerous studies show increases our confidence but doesn't increase
decision accuracy. Perfectionism is tough to let go of because most people see it as a
positive trait for them. Recognize your perfectionism for what it might be – collecting
more information than others do to improve your confidence in making a fault-free
decision and thereby avoiding risk and criticism. Try to decrease your need for data and
your need to be right all the time slightly every week until you reach a more reasonable
balance between thinking it through and taking action.

7. Incrementalism. Sometimes the key to bigger problem-solving is to make them into a

series of smaller problems. People who are good at this are incrementalists. They make a
series of smaller decisions, get instant feedback, correct the course, get a little more data,
move forward a little more, until the bigger problem is under control. They don't try to
get it right the first time. Learn to break down problems into pieces and parts and solve
them one at a time.

8. Learn some more problem-solving skills. There are many different ways to think
through and solve a problem. ° Ask more questions. In one study of problem solving,
seven percent of comments were questions and about half were answers. We jump to
solutions based on what has worked in the past. ° To get fresh ideas, don't speedboat,
look deeply instead. Tackle the most vexing problem of your job – carve out 20% of your
time – study it deeply, talk with others, look for parallels in other organizations and in
remote areas totally outside your field. ° Complex problems are hard to visualize. They
tend to be either oversimplified or too complex to solve unless they are put in a visual
format. Cut the problem up into its component pieces. Examine the pieces to see if a
different order would help, or how you could combine three pieces into one. ° Another
technique is a pictorial chart called a storyboard where a problem is illustrated by its
components being depicted as pictures. ° A variation of this is to tell stories that illustrate
the +'s and -'s of a problem, then flow chart those according to what's working and not
working. Another is a fishbone diagram used in Total Quality Management. ° Sometimes
going to extremes helps. Adding every condition, every worse case you can think of
sometimes will suggest a different solution. Taking the present state of affairs and
projecting into the future may indicate how and where the system will break down. ° Are
you or others avoiding making the tough points? In almost any group, there are topics so
hot they can't be mentioned, let alone discussed. A technique, pioneered by Chris
Argyris, can bubble them to the surface. Everyone takes three index cards and writes
down three undiscussables. (Names are not used; the assumption is that the position has
an effect on behavior, and even if people think the issue is personal, they are asked to see
it in system or group terms.) The cards are then shuffled and each person receives a
different three back. The cards are read, charted, and themes are arrayed for discussion.
For more techniques, read The Art of Problem Solving by Russell Ackoff and Lateral
Thinking by Edward de Bono.

9. Avoiding risks? Develop a philosophical stance toward mistakes and failures in

problem solving. After all, most innovations fail, most proposals fail, most change efforts
fail, and the initial solutions to complex problems do not work. The best tack when a
solution doesn't work is to say, "What can we learn from this?" and move on. The more
tries, the more feedback and the more chances to find the best answer. More help? – See
#2 Dealing With Ambiguity.

10. Disorganized? Problem solving involves using rigorous logic and disciplined
methods. It involves going through checklists, looking under rocks, and probing all
fruitful sources for answers. If you're disorganized, you need to set tight priorities. Focus
on the mission-critical few. Don't get diverted by trivia. More help? – See #47 Planning
and #50 Priority Setting.

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