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Five-Why Process
In
most situation, real problems
and root causes are obscured by
apparent problems. The intent of
the "Five-Why" procedure is to
assure that the route causes and
not merely superficial symptoms
are corrected...
More
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Working
Backward to Solve a Problem |
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Build a Prototype
Prototyping can help you tackle
problems when you don't have the
answers. "When the project is
especially complex, prototyping
is a way of making progress when
the challenges seem
insurmountable. Focused
prototyping helps resolve little
critical problems one by one.
Once you get in gear, you'll be
surprised at how easily some of
the solutions appear," advises
Tom Kelly from
IDEO.
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New
Product Development (NPD)
Simulation
Game
Prototyping
Alpha /
Beta Testing |
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Every Solution Breeds New
Problems
All solutions to problems create
new problems, but sometimes
short-sighted strategic
decisions lead to downright
disaster.
Need an example? Many Persian
Gulf countries decided to host
US military bases on their
territories. They hoped to
protect themselves. However, it
was precisely because of these
US military bases that these
countries became targets for
powerful and destructive missile
strikes from Iran after the US
attack on Iran in 2026.
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Strategic Problem Solving
McKinsey uses the following
process.
Make a Chart Every Day
During the
problem-solving process, you
learn something new every day.
Put it down on paper. It will
help you
push your
thinking.
You may use it, or you may not,
but once you have crystallized
it on the page, you won’t forget
it.
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Pluck the Low-hanging Fruit
Sometimes in the middle of the
problem-solving process,
opportunities arise to get an
easy win, to make immediate
improvements, even before the
overall problem has been solved.
Seize those opportunities! They
create little victories for you
and your team. They boost morale
and give you added credibility
by showing anybody who may be
watching that you’re on the ball
and mean business.
Look at the Big Picture
Every now and then, take a
mental step back from whatever
you’re doing. Ask yourself some
basic questions:
→ How does what you’re doing
solve the problems?
→ How does it advance your
thinking?
→ Is it the most important thing
you could be doing right now?
→ If it’s not helping, why are
you doing it?
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