Identify Goal
Define Problem
Define Problem
Gather Data
Define Causes
Identify Options
Clarify Problem
Generate Ideas
Evaluate Options
Generate Ideas
Choose the Best Solution
Implement Solution
Select Solution
Take Action
MacLeod offers her own problem solving procedure, which echoes the above steps:
“1. Recognize the Problem: State what you see. Sometimes the problem is covert. 2. Identify: Get the facts — What exactly happened? What is the issue? 3. and 4. Explore and Connect: Dig deeper and encourage group members to relate their similar experiences. Now you're getting more into the feelings and background [of the situation], not just the facts. 5. Possible Solutions: Consider and brainstorm ideas for resolution. 6. Implement: Choose a solution and try it out — this could be role play and/or a discussion of how the solution would be put in place. 7. Evaluate: Revisit to see if the solution was successful or not.”
Many of these problem solving techniques can be used in concert with one another, or multiple can be appropriate for any given problem. It’s less about facilitating a perfect CPS session, and more about encouraging team members to continually think outside the box and push beyond personal boundaries that inhibit their innovative thinking. So, try out several methods, find those that resonate best with your team, and continue adopting new techniques and adapting your processes along the way.
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Updated: Jan 24, 2023
prob·lem-solv·ing noun -the process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But in reality problem-solving is hard. It's almost always more complex than it seems. That's why problem-solving can be so frustrating sometimes. You can feel like you’re spinning your wheels, arguing in circles, or just failing to find answers that actually work. And when you've got a group working on a problem, it can get even muddier …differences of opinions, viewpoints colored by different backgrounds, history, life experiences, you name it. We’re all looking at life and work from different angles, and that often means disagreement. Sometimes sharp disagreement. That human element, figuring out how to take ourselves out of the equation and make solid, fact-based decisions , is precisely why there’s been so much written on problem-solving. Which creates its own set of problems. Whose method is best? How can you possibly sift through them all? Are we to have one person complete the entire problem-solving process by themselves or rely on a larger team to find answers to our most vexing challenges in the workplace ? Today, we’re going to make sense of it all. We’ll take a close look at nine top problem-solving methods. Then we’ll grab the best elements of all of them to give you a process that will have your team solving problems faster, with better results , and maybe with less sharp disagreement. Ready to dive in? Let’s go!
While there are loads of methods to choose from, we are going to focus on nine of the more common ones. You can use some of these problem-solving techniques reactively to solve a known issue or proactively to find more efficient or effective ways of performing tasks. If you want to explore other methods, check out this resource here . A helpful bit of advice here is to reassure people that you aren’t here to identify the person that caused the problem . You’re working to surface the issue, solve it and make sure it doesn’t happen again, regardless of the person working on the process. It can’t be understated how important it is to continually reassure people of this so that you get unfiltered access to information. Without this, people will often hide things to protect themselves . After all, nobody wants to look bad, do they? With that said, let’s get started...
Alex Osborn coined the term “Creative Problem Solving” in the 1940s with this simple four-step process:
Clarify : Explore the vision, gather data, and formulate questions.
Ideate : This stage should use brainstorming to generate divergent thinking and ideas rather than the random ideas normally associated with brainstorming.
Develop : Formulate solutions as part of an overall plan.
Implement : Put the plan into practice and communicate it to all parties.
Source: http://www.davidcooperrider.com/ai-process/ This method seeks, first and foremost, to identify the strengths in people and organizations and play to that “positive core” rather than focus our energies on improving weaknesses . It starts with an “affirmative topic,” followed by the “positive core (strengths).” Then this method delves into the following stages:
Discovery (fact-finding)
Dream (visioning the future)
Design (strategic purpose)
Destiny (continuous improvement)
3. “FIVE WHYS” METHOD
This method simply suggests that we ask “Why” at least five times during our review of the problem and in search of a fix. This helps us dig deeper to find the the true reason for the problem, or the root cause. Now, this doesn’t mean we just keeping asking the same question five times. Once we get an answer to our first “why”, we ask why to that answer until we get to five “whys”.
Using the “five whys” is part of the “Analyze” phase of Six Sigma but can be used with or without the full Six Sigma process.
Review this simple Wikipedia example of the 5 Whys in action:
The vehicle will not start. (the problem)
Why? - The battery is dead. (First why)
Why? - The alternator is not functioning. (Second why)
Why? - The alternator belt has broken. (Third why)
Why? - The alternator belt was well beyond its useful service life and not replaced. (Fourth why)
Why? - The vehicle was not maintained according to the recommended service schedule. (Fifth why, a root cause)
While many people have at least heard of Lean or Six Sigma, do we know what it is? Like many problem-solving processes, it has five main steps to follow.
Define : Clearly laying out the problem and soliciting feedback from those who are customers of the process is necessary to starting off on the right foot.
Measure : Quantifying the current state of the problem is a key to measuring how well the fix performed once it was implemented.
Analyze : Finding out the root cause of the problem (see number 5 “Root Cause Analysis” below) is one of the hardest and least explored steps of Six Sigma.
Improve : Crafting, executing, and testing the solution for measureable improvement is key. What doesn’t get implemented and measured really won’t make a difference.
Control : Sustaining the fix through a monitoring plan will ensure things continue to stay on track rather than being a short-lived solution.
Compared to other methods, you’ll more often find this technique in a reactive problem-solving mode, but it is helpful nonetheless. Put simply, it requires a persistent approach to finding the highest-level cause, since most reasons you’ll uncover for a problem don’t tell the whole story.
Most of the time, there are many factors that contributed to an issue. The main reason is often shrouded in either intentional or unintentional secrecy. Taking the time to drill down to the root of the issue is key to truly solving the problem.
6. DEMING-SHEWHART CYCLE: PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT (PDCA)
Named for W. Edwards Deming and Walter A. Shewhart, this model follows a four-step process:
Plan: Establish goals and objectives at the outset to gain agreement. It’s best to start on a small scale in order to test results and get a quick win.
Do: This step is all about the implementation and execution of the solution.
Check: Study and compare actual to expected results. Chart this data to identify trends.
Act/Adjust: If the check phase showed different results, then adjust accordingly. If worse than expected, then try another fix. If the same or better than expected, then use that as the new baseline for future improvements.
7. 8D PROBLEM-SOLVING
While this is named “8D” for eight disciplines, there are actually nine , because the first is listed as step zero. Each of the disciplines represents a phase of this process. Its aim is to implement a quick fix in the short term while working on a more permanent solution with no recurring issues.
Prepare and Plan : Collecting initial information from the team and preparing your approach to the process is a necessary first step.
Form a Team : Select a cross-functional team of people, one leader to run meetings and the process, and one champion/sponsor who will be the final decision-maker.
Describe the Problem : Using inductive and deductive reasoning approaches, lay out the precise issue to be corrected.
Interim Containment Action : Determine if an interim solution needs to be implemented or if it can wait until the final fix is firmed up. If necessary, the interim action is usually removed once the permanent solution is ready for implementation.
Root Cause Analysis and Escape Point : Finding the root of the issue and where in the process it could’ve been found but was not will help identify where and why the issue happened.
Permanent Corrective Action : Incorporating key criteria into the solution, including requirements and wants, will help ensure buy-in from the team and your champion.
Implement and Validate the Permanent Corrective Action : Measuring results from the fix implemented validates it or sends the team back to the drawing board to identity a more robust solution.
Prevent Recurrence : Updating work procedure documents and regular communication about the changes are important to keep old habits in check.
Closure and Team Celebration : Taking time to praise the team for their efforts in resolving the problem acknowledges the part each person played and offers a way to move forward.
The US Army has been solving problems for more than a couple of centuries , so why not take a look at the problem-solving process they’ve refined over many years? They recommend this five step process:
Identify the Problem : Take time to understand the situation and define a scope and limitations before moving forward.
Gather Information : Uncover facts, assumptions, and opinions about the problem, and challenge them to get to the truth.
Develop Screening and Evaluation Criteria :
Five screening items should be questioned. Is it feasible, acceptable, distinguishable, and complete?
Evaluation criteria should have these 5 elements: short title, definition, unit of measure, benchmark, and formula.
Generate, Analyze, and Compare Possible Solutions : Most fixes are analyzed, but do you compare yours to one another as a final vetting method?
Choose a Solution and Implement : Put the fix into practice and follow up to ensure it is being followed consistently and having the desired effect.
Tim Hurson introduced this model in 2007 with his book, Think Better. It consists of the following six actions.
Ask "What is going on?" : Define the impact of the problem and the aim of its solution.
Ask "What is success?" : Spell out the expected outcome, what should not be in fix, values to be considered, and how things will be evaluated.
Ask "What is the question?" : Tailor questions to the problem type. Valuable resources can be wasted asking questions that aren’t truly relevant to the issue.
Generate answers : Prioritize answers that are the most relevant to solutions, without excluding any suggestion to present to the decision-makers.
Forge the solution : Refine the raw list of prioritized fixes, looking for ways to combine them for a more powerful solution or eliminate fixes that don’t fit the evaluation criteria.
Align resources: Identify resources, team, and stakeholders needed to implement and maintain the solution.
Now that we’ve reviewed a number of problem-solving methods, we’ve compiled the various steps into a straightforward, yet in-depth, s tep-by-step process to use the best of all methods.
1. DIG DEEP: IDENTIFY, DEFINE, AND CLARIFY THE ISSUE
“Elementary, my dear Watson,” you might say.
This is true, but we often forget the fundamentals before trying to solve a problem. So take some time to gain understanding of critical stakeholder’s viewpoints to clarify the problem and cement consensus behind what the issue really is.
Sometimes it feels like you’re on the same page, but minor misunderstandings mean you’re not really in full agreement.. It’s better to take the time to drill down on an issue before you get too far into solving a problem that may not be the exact problem . Which leads us to…
This part of the process involves identifying these three items :
What happened?
Why did it happen?
What process do we need to employ to significantly reduce the chances of it happening again ?
You’ll usually need to sort through a series of situations to find the primary cause. So be careful not to stop at the first cause you uncover . Dig further into the situation to expose the root of the issue. We don’t want to install a solution that only fixes a surface-level issue and not the root. T here are typically three types of causes :
Physical: Perhaps a part failed due to poor design or manufacturing.
Human error: A person either did something wrong or didn’t do what needed to be done.
Organizational: This one is mostly about a system, process, or policy that contributed to the error .
When searching for the root cause, it is important to ensure people that you aren’t there to assign blame to a person but rather identify the problem so a fix can prevent future issues.
3. PRODUCE A VARIETY OF SOLUTION OPTIONS
So far, you’ve approached the problem as a data scientist, searching for clues to the real issue. Now, it’s important to keep your eyes and ears open, in case you run across a fix suggested by one of those involved in the process failure. Because they are closest to the problem, they will often have an idea of how to fix things. In other cases, they may be too close, and unable to see how the process could change.
The bottom line is to solicit solution ideas from a variety of sources , both close to and far away from the process you’re trying to improve.
You just never know where the top fix might come from!
4. FULLY EVALUATE AND SELECT PLANNED FIX(ES)
Evaluating solutions to a defined problem can be tricky since each one will have cost, political, or other factors associated with it. Running each fix through a filter of cost and impact is a vital step toward identifying a solid solution and hopefully settling on the one with the highest impact and low or acceptable cost.
Categorizing each solution in one of these four categoriescan help teams sift through them:
High Cost/Low Impact: Implement these last, if at all, since t hey are expensive and won’t move the needle much .
Low Cost/Low Impact: These are cheap, but you won’t get much impact.
High Cost/High Impact: These can be used but should be second to the next category.
Low Cost/High Impact: Getting a solid “bang for your buck” is what these fixes are all about. Start with these first .
5. DOCUMENT THE FINAL SOLUTION AND WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
Formalize a document that all interested parties (front-line staff, supervisors, leadership, etc.) agree to follow. This will go a long way towards making sure everyone fully understands what the new process looks like, as well as what success will look like .
While it might seem tedious, try to be overly descriptive in the explanation of the solution and how success will be achieved. This is usually necessary to gain full buy-in and commitment to continually following the solution. We often assume certain things that others may not know unless we are more explicit with our communications.
6. SUCCESSFULLY SELL AND EXECUTE THE FIX
Arriving at this stage in the process only to forget to consistently apply the solution would be a waste of time, yet many organizations fall down in the execution phase . Part of making sure that doesn’t happen is to communicate the fix and ask for questions multiple times until all parties have a solid grasp on what is now required of them.
One often-overlooked element of this is the politics involved in gaining approval for your solution. Knowing and anticipating objections of those in senior or key leadership positions is central to gaining buy-in before fix implementation.
7. RINSE AND REPEAT: EVALUATE, MONITOR, AND FOLLOW UP
Next, doing check-ins with the new process will ensure that the solution is working (or identity if further reforms are necessary) . You’ll also see if the measure of predefined success has been attained (or is making progress in that regard).
Without regularly monitoring the fix, you can only gauge the success or failure of the solution by speculation and hearsay. And without hard data to review, most people will tell their own version of the story.
8. COLLABORATIVE CONTINGENCIES, ITERATION, AND COURSE CORRECTION
Going into any problem-solving process, we should take note that we will not be done once the solution is implemented (or even if it seems to be working better at the moment). Any part of any process will always be subject to the need for future iterations and course corrections . To think otherwise would be either foolish or naive.
There might need to be slight, moderate, or wholesale changes to the solution previously implemented as new information is gained, new technologies are discovered, etc.
Want to test your problem-solving skills?
Take a look at these twenty case study scenario exercises to see how well you can come up with solutions to these problems.
Still have a desire to discover more about solving problems?
Check out these 14 articles and books...
1. THE LEAN SIX SIGMA POCKET TOOLBOOK: A QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE TO NEARLY 100 TOOLS FOR IMPROVING QUALITY AND SPEED
This book is like a Bible for Lean Six Sigma , all in a pocket-sized package.
2. SOME SAGE PROBLEM SOLVING ADVICE
The American Society for Quality has a short article on how it’s important to focus on the problem before searching for a solution.
3. THE SECRET TO BETTER PROBLEM SOLVING: HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW
Wondering if you are solving the right problems? Check out this Harvard Business Review article.
Looking for a fun and easy problem-solving book that was written by a McKinsey consultant? Take a look!
5. THE BASICS OF CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING – CPS
If you want a deeper dive into the seven steps of Creative Problem Solving , see this article.
6. APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY : A POSITIVE REVOLUTION IN CHANGE
Appreciative Inquiry has been proven effective in organizations ranging from Roadway Express and British Airways to the United Nations and the United States Navy. Review this book to join the positive revolution.
7. PROBLEM SOLVING: NINE CASE STUDIES AND LESSONS LEARNED
The Seattle Police Department has put together nine case studies that you can practice solving . While they are about police work, they have practical application in the sleuthing of work-related problems.
8. ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS : THE CORE OF PROBLEM SOLVING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION
Need a resource to delve further into Root Cause Analysis? Look no further than this book for answers to your most vexing questions .
9. SOLVING BUSINESS PROBLEMS : THE CASE OF POOR FRANK
This solid case study illustrates the complexities of solving problems in business.
10. THE 8-DISCIPLINES PROBLEM SOLVING METHODOLOGY
Learn all about the “8Ds” with this concise primer.
11. THE PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS THAT PREVENTS GROUPTHINK HBR
Need to reduce groupthink in your organization’s problem-solving process ? Check out this article from the Harvard Business Review.
12. THINK BETTER : AN INNOVATOR'S GUIDE TO PRODUCTIVE THINKING
Tim Hurson details his own Productive Thinking Model at great length in this book from the author.
13. 5 STEPS TO SOLVING THE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR PROBLEM SOLVING INC MAGAZINE
This simple five-step process will help you break down the problem, analyze it, prioritize solutions, and sell them internally.
14. CRITICAL THINKING : A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO CRITICAL THINKING, BETTER DECISION MAKING, AND PROBLEM SOLVING!
There's a lot to take in here, but following some of these methods are sure to improve your problem-solving process. However, if you really want to take problem-solving to the next level, InitiativeOne can come alongside your team to help you solve problems much faster than you ever have before.
There are several parts to this leadership transformation process provided by InitiativeOne, including a personal profile assessment, cognitive learning, group sessions with real-world challenges, personal discovery, and a toolkit to empower leaders to perform at their best.
There are really only two things stopping good teams from being great. One is how they make decisions and two is how they solve problems. Contact us today to grow your team’s leadership performance by making decisions and solving problems more swiftly than ever before!
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To bring the best ideas forward, teams must build psychological safety.
Teams today aren’t just asked to execute tasks: They’re called upon to solve problems. You’d think that many brains working together would mean better solutions, but the reality is that too often problem-solving teams fall victim to inefficiency, conflict, and cautious conclusions. The two charts below will help your team think about how to collaborate better and come up with the best solutions for the thorniest challenges.
Posted on May 29, 2019
Constant disruption has become a hallmark of the modern workforce and organisations want problem solving skills to combat this. Employers need people who can respond to change – be that evolving technology, new competitors, different models for doing business, or any of the other transformations that have taken place in recent years.
In addition, problem solving techniques encompass many of the other top skills employers seek . For example, LinkedIn’s list of the most in-demand soft skills of 2019 includes creativity, collaboration and adaptability, all of which fall under the problem-solving umbrella.
Despite its importance, many employees misunderstand what the problem solving method really involves.
Effective problem solving doesn’t mean going away and coming up with an answer immediately. In fact, this isn’t good problem solving at all, because you’ll be running with the first solution that comes into your mind, which often isn’t the best.
Instead, you should look at problem solving more as a process with several steps involved that will help you reach the best outcome. Those steps are:
Let’s look at each step in a little more detail.
The first step to solving a problem is defining what the problem actually is – sounds simple, right? Well no. An effective problem solver will take the thoughts of everyone involved into account, but different people might have different ideas on what the root cause of the issue really is. It’s up to you to actively listen to everyone without bringing any of your own preconceived notions to the conversation. Learning to differentiate facts from opinion is an essential part of this process.
An effective problem solver will take the opinions of everyone involved into account
The same can be said of data. Depending on what the problem is, there will be varying amounts of information available that will help you work out what’s gone wrong. There should be at least some data involved in any problem, and it’s up to you to gather as much as possible and analyse it objectively.
Once you’ve identified what the real issue is, it’s time to think of solutions. Brainstorming as many solutions as possible will help you arrive at the best answer because you’ll be considering all potential options and scenarios. You should take everyone’s thoughts into account when you’re brainstorming these ideas, as well as all the insights you’ve gleaned from your data analysis. It also helps to seek input from others at this stage, as they may come up with solutions you haven’t thought of.
Depending on the type of problem, it can be useful to think of both short-term and long-term solutions, as some of your options may take a while to implement.
Each option will have pros and cons, and it’s important you list all of these, as well as how each solution could impact key stakeholders. Once you’ve narrowed down your options to three or four, it’s often a good idea to go to other employees for feedback just in case you’ve missed something. You should also work out how each option ties in with the broader goals of the business.
There may be a way to merge two options together in order to satisfy more people.
Only now should you choose which solution you’re going to go with. What you decide should be whatever solves the problem most effectively while also taking the interests of everyone involved into account. There may be a way to merge two options together in order to satisfy more people.
At this point you might be thinking it’s time to sit back and relax – problem solved, right? There are actually two more steps involved if you want your problem solving method to be truly effective. The first is to create an implementation plan. After all, if you don’t carry out your solution effectively, you’re not really solving the problem at all.
Create an implementation plan on how you will put your solution into practice. One problem solving technique that many use here is to introduce a testing and feedback phase just to make sure the option you’ve selected really is the most viable. You’ll also want to include any changes to your solution that may occur in your implementation plan, as well as how you’ll monitor compliance and success.
There’s one last step to consider as part of the problem solving methodology, and that’s communicating your solution . Without this crucial part of the process, how is anyone going to know what you’ve decided? Make sure you communicate your decision to all the people who might be impacted by it. Not everyone is going to be 100 per cent happy with it, so when you communicate you must give them context. Explain exactly why you’ve made that decision and how the pros mean it’s better than any of the other options you came up with.
Employers are increasingly seeking soft skills, but unfortunately, while you can show that you’ve got a degree in a subject, it’s much harder to prove you’ve got proficiency in things like problem solving skills. But this is changing thanks to Deakin’s micro-credentials. These are university-level micro-credentials that provide an authoritative and third-party assessment of your capabilities in a range of areas, including problem solving. Reach out today for more information .
What is problem-solving and how to do it right steps, processes, exercises.
The better your problem-solving skills are, the better (and easier!) your life will be. Organized problem-solving is a killer career skill - learn all about it here.
Whether we’re trying to solve a technical problem at work, or trying to navigate around a roadblock that Google Maps doesn’t see – most people are problem-solving every single day .
But how effective are you at tackling the challenges in your life? Do you have a bullet-proof process you follow that ensures solid outcomes, or... Do you act on a whim of inspiration (or lack thereof) to resolve your pressing problems?
Here’s the thing: the better your problem-solving skills are - the better (and easier!) your life will be (both professionally and personally). Organized problem-solving is a killer career (and life!) skill, so if you want to learn how to do it in the most efficient way possible, you’ve come to the right place.
Read along to learn more about the steps, techniques and exercises of the problem-solving process.
We’re faced with the reality of having to solve problems every day, both in our private and professional lives. So why do we even need to learn about problem-solving? Aren’t we versed in it well enough already?
Well, what separates problem-solving from dealing with the usual day-to-day issues is that it’s a distinct process that allows you to go beyond the standard approaches to solving a problem and allows you to come up with more effective and efficient solutions. Or in other words, problem-solving allows you to knock out those problems with less effort.
Just like with any other skill, there’s an efficient way to solve problems, and a non-efficient one. While it might be tempting to go for the quickest fix for your challenge without giving it much thought, it will only end up costing you more time down the road. Quick fixes are rarely (if ever!) effective and end up being massive time wasters.
What separates problem-solving from dealing with the usual day-to-day issues is that it’s a distinct process that allows you to go beyond the standard approaches to solving a problem and allows you to come up with more effective and efficient solutions.
On the other hand, following a systemized clear process for problem-solving allows you to shortcut inefficiencies and time-wasters, turn your challenges into opportunities, and tackle problems of any scope without the usual stress and hassle.
What is the process that you need to follow, then? We’re glad you asked...
So what’s the best way to move through the problem-solving process? There’s a 5-step process that you can follow that will allow you to solve your challenges more efficiently and effectively. In short, you need to move through these 5 steps:
Let’s look at each of those stages in detail.
The first step might sound obvious, but trust us, you don’t want to skip it! Clearly defining and framing your challenge will help you guide your efforts and make sure you’re focussing on the things that matter, instead of being distracted by a myriad of other options, problems and issues that come up.
For once, you have to make sure you’re trying to solve the root cause, and not trying to mend the symptoms of it. For instance, if you keep losing users during your app onboarding process, you might jump to the conclusion that you need to tweak the process itself: change the copy, the screens, or the sequence of steps.
But unless you have clear evidence that confirms your hypothesis, your challenge might have an entirely different root cause, e.g. in confusing marketing communication prior to the app download.
Clearly defining and framing your challenge will help you guide your efforts and make sure you’re focussing on the things that matter, all the while ensuring that you’re trying to solve the root cause, and not trying to mend the symptoms of it
That’s why it’s essential you take a close look at the entire problem, not just at a fraction of it.
There are several exercises that can help you get a broader, more holistic view of the problem, some of our all-time favorites include Expert Interviews, How Might We, or The Map. Check out the step-by-step instructions on how to run them (along with 5 more exercises for framing your challenge!) here.
When in doubt, map out your challenge, and always try to tackle the bottlenecks that are more upstream - it’s likely that solving them will solve a couple of other challenges down the flow.
You also have to be mindful of how you frame the challenge: resist the urge to include a pre-defined solution into your problem statement. Priming your solutions to a predestined outcome destroys the purpose of following a step-by-step process in the first place!
Steer clear of formulations like:
We need to change the onboarding process... or We need to improve ad copy to increase conversions.
Instead, opt for more neutral, problem-oriented statements that don’t include a solution suggestion in them:
The drop off rate during the onboarding process is too high or Our ad conversion rates are below the norm.
Pro tip: Reframing your challenge as a ‘How Might We’ statement is a great way to spark up new ideas, opening your problem to a broader set of solutions, and is just a great way to reframe your problem into a more positive statement (without implying the possible solution!)
For example, following the onboarding drop-off rate problem we mentioned earlier, instead of framing it as a problem, you could opt for:
How Might We decrease the drop-off rate during the onboarding process?
Find out more about the best exercises for problem framing here!
Now that you have a clear idea of what you’re trying to solve, it’s move on to the next phase of the problem-solving process.
Step 2: ideating a solution.
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and challenge the status quo! This step of the problem-solving process is all about thinking outside of the box, challenging old assumptions, and thinking laterally.
This stage is the one that tends to cause the most overwhelm in teams because it requires just the right balance of creativity and critical thinking, which tends to cause a lot of friction.
Our best advice?
Let go of the pressure to produce a polished, thought-through solution at this stage. You can hash out the details at a later point. Our goal right now is to come up with a direction, a prototype if you may, of where we want to move towards.
Embrace the “quantity over quality” motto, and let your creative juices flow! Now, we’re not saying you should roll with sub-par ideas. But you shouldn’t get too fixated on feasibility and viability just yet .
Your main goal during this step is to spark ideas, kick off your thinking process in the right direction, venture out of the familiar territories and think outside the box.
For the ideation to be the most effective your team will have to feel safe to challenge the norm and wide-spread assumptions. So lay judgment by side, there is no space for “that’s the way it’s always been done” in this step.
For your ideation sessions to be as efficient as possible, we highly recommend to run them in a workshop setting: this helps reduce the usual drawbacks of open discussions in teams (i.e. groupthink & team politics!)
Our favorite exercises to run during this phase include Lightning Demos, Sketching, and variations of Brainstorming. We crafted an entire article on how to run and facilitate these exercises in a separate article, so check it out of you’re going to be running an ideation session anytime soon!
It’s time to decide which of the ideas that you generated in the last step will be the one you’ll implement.
This step is arguably the hardest one to complete smoothly: groupthink, team politics, differences in opinions and communication styles all make it very hard to align a team on a common course of action.
If you want to avoid the usual pitfalls of team decision-making, we recommend you steer clear of open unstructured discussion. While it’s useful in some scenarios, it’s a poor choice for when you need to make a decision, because it tends to reward the loudest people in the room, rather than give way to the best ideas.
It’s crucial you not only commit to a course of action but get full buy-in from the team. If your team members don’t understand the reasons for a decision, or are not fully onboard, the implementation of your decision will be half-hearted, and that’s definitely not what you want!
To achieve that, opt for anonymized, multi-layered voting, and include guided exercises like Storyboarding to prioritize your ideas.
We’ve gathered the list of our top-rated decision-making exercises, along with step-by-step instructions on how to run them in this article!
As a bonus tip, we recommend you involve a facilitator throughout the entire process. They will help align the team, and guide them through prioritizing and de-prioritizing solutions, as well as defining the next steps.
Pro tip : If you’re not the ultimate decision maker on the issue you’re trying to solve, make sure they’re in the room when the call is being made! Having a Decider in the room ensures that the decisions you come to will actually get executed on after, instead of getting shut down by your superiors after.
Step 4: implementing your solution.
Here’s a truth that might be hard to swallow: it doesn’t matter how innovative, creative, or original your idea is, if your execution is weak.
One of our favourite illustrations of how this works in practice comes from the book “ Anything you want ” by Derek Sivers. He reveals that ideas should be treated as multipliers of execution. What this means is that a mediocre, “so-so” idea could be worth millions if executed well, while a “brilliant” idea can completely flop with bad execution.
That’s why this step is crucial if you want to really master the problem-solving process.
What do we mean by execution? Everything that happens after the whiteboards are wiped clean and your team starts to action the outcomes of your sessions, be it prototyping, development, or promotion.
But don’t just take our word for it, look at the example of how execution affected Nintendo’s sales:
In the past few years, Nintendo has come up with 3 products: the Wii, the Wii U and the Switch. Check out their sales figures on the graph below - Wii is the clear-cut leader, followed by Switch, and finally Wii U lagging behind.
The Wii was unbelievably successful - it was a genuinely unique, “brilliant”-level idea and it had a “brilliant” execution (20x $10 million = $200 million). It is one of the fastest selling game consoles of all time and it completely took over the market.
The next product was called Wii U and it was a “great” concept but the execution was absolutely terrible. So even though this product was very interesting and innovative, the end result was 15x $1,000 = $15,000.
Finally, Nintendo took the Wii U concept and tried it again with the Switch. The idea was “so so” as it was already done before, but the execution was “brilliant”. So, 5x $10 million = $50 million! Much better.
Bottom line?
The same idea can either make no dent in the market and damage your share price OR become a market hit and increase your share price dramatically. The only difference between the two scenarios – execution.
So shift your focus from coming up with crazy, innovative, outlandish ideas that will disrupt the market, and concentrate on really nailing down your execution instead.
This is likely the least “workshoppy” step out of the entire problem-solving process because it requires less alignment and decision-making and more..well.. Execution!
But hey, we wouldn’t be called “Workshopper” if we didn't offer you at least one way to optimize and workshopify (yup, we’re making it a thing) your execution process.
Cue in….prototyping.
We’re huge fans of prototyping all big solutions (and testing them!) The main reason?
This saves us time AND money! Prototyping and testing your solutions (especially if they’re time and investment-demanding) is a great way to make sure you’re creating something that is actually needed.
The key with prototyping the right way is to keep it simple. Don’t invest too much time, or resources into it. The goal is to gather data for your future decisions, not to create a near-to-perfect mockup of your solution.
There are LOADS of prototyping forms and techniques, and if you’d like to learn more on the subject you should definitely check out our extensive prototyping guide.
You’re nearly done, woo! Now that you have defined the right problem to tackle, brainstormed the solutions, aligned your team on the course of action, and put your plan into action it’s time to take stock of your efforts.
Seek feedback from all involved parties, analyze the data you’ve gathered, look at the bottom line of your efforts, and take a hard look at your problem: did it get solved? And even more than that, did the process feel smoother, easier, and more efficient than it normally is?
Running a retrospective is a great way to highlight things that went well and that you should keep for your next round of problem.solving, as well as pinpoint inefficiencies that you can eliminate.
But which kind of retrospective should you run? There are loads of options, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by them all, so we gathered our favorite retrospective variations in this article.
And there you have it, you just completed the cycle of problem-solving. We highly recommend you follow through with all the steps, without leaving any out. They all complement and build on each other, and it’s the combination of all 5 of them that makes the process effective.
Now that you have the problem solving process down, you might be wondering…
Do I need any special skills in order to be able to move through that process?
And the answer is… sort of! More in this in the next section.
While your skill set will need to adapt and change based on the challenges you’ll be working on, most efficient problem-solvers have a solid foundation of these key skills:
Not checking every single skill of your list just yet? Not to worry, the next section will give you practical tools on how to level up and improve your problem-solving skills.
Just like with any other skill, problem-solving is not an innate talent that you either have or you don’t. There are concrete steps you can take to improve your skills.
Here are some things that will get you closer to mastering the problem-solving process:
Practice makes perfect, and problem-solving skills are no exception! Seek opportunities to utilize and develop these skills any time you can.
If you don’t know where or how to start just yet, here’s a suggestion that will get you up and running in no time: run a quick problem-solving session on a challenge that has been bothering your team for a while now.
It doesn’t need to be the big strategic decision or the issue defining the future of the company. Something easy and manageable (like optimizing office space or improving team communication) will do.
As you start feeling more comfortable with the problem-solving techniques, you can start tackling bigger challenges. Before you know it, you’ll master the art of creative problem-solving!
Facilitation is one of the essential skills for problem-solving. But here’s the thing… Facilitation skills on their own won’t lead you to a solved challenge.
While being able to shortcut aimless discussions is a great skill, you have to make sure your problem-solving session has tangible outcomes. Using a tried and tested method, a workshop, is one of the easiest ways to do that.
Our best advice is to get started with a tried and tested problem-solving workshop like the Lightning Decision Jam . The LDJ has all the right ingredients for quick, effective problem solving that leads to tangible outcomes. Give it a go!
You may have colleagues who are skilled problem solvers. Observing how those colleagues solve problems can help you improve your own skills.
If possible, ask one of your more experienced colleagues if you can observe their techniques. Ask them relevant questions and try to apply as many of the new found skills i your career as possible.
Having a toolbox of problem-solving exercises to pull from that can fit any type of challenge will make you a more versatile problem-solver and will make solving challenges that much easier for you!
Once you get used to the groove of learning how to combine them into effective sessions or workshops, there’ll be no stopping you. What are some of the most effective problem-solving exercises? Glad you asked! We’ve gathered our favorite ones here, check it out!
And there you have it, you’re now fully equipped for running creative problem-sessions with confidence and ease! Whichever method or exercise you choose, remember to keep track of your wins, and learn as much as you can from your losses!
Anastasia Ushakova
Brand Strategist, Digital Marketer, and a Workshopper.
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August 17, 2023 by MindManager Blog
Whether you run a business, manage a team, or work in an industry where change is the norm, it may feel like something is always going wrong. Thankfully, becoming proficient in the problem solving process can alleviate a great deal of the stress that business issues can create.
Understanding the right way to solve problems not only takes the guesswork out of how to deal with difficult, unexpected, or complex situations, it can lead to more effective long-term solutions.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the 5 steps of problem solving, and help you explore a few examples of problem solving scenarios where you can see the problem solving process in action before putting it to work.
When something isn’t working, it’s important to understand what’s at the root of the problem so you can fix it and prevent it from happening again. That’s why resolving difficult or complex issues works best when you apply proven business problem solving tools and techniques – from soft skills, to software.
The problem solving process typically includes:
While skills like active listening, collaboration, and leadership play an important role in problem solving, tools like visual mapping software make it easier to define and share problem solving objectives, play out various solutions, and even put the best fit to work.
Before you can take your first step toward solving a problem, you need to have a clear idea of what the issue is and the outcome you want to achieve by resolving it.
For example, if your company currently manufactures 50 widgets a day, but you’ve started processing orders for 75 widgets a day, you could simply say you have a production deficit.
However, the problem solving process will prove far more valuable if you define the start and end point by clarifying that production is running short by 25 widgets a day, and you need to increase daily production by 50%.
Once you know where you’re at and where you need to end up, these five steps will take you from Point A to Point B:
In practice, you might not hit a home-run with every solution you execute. But the beauty of a repeatable process like problem solving is that you can carry out steps 4 and 5 again by drawing from the brainstorm options you documented during step 2.
The best way to get a sense of how the problem solving process works before you try it for yourself is to work through some simple scenarios.
Here are three examples of how you can apply business problem solving techniques to common workplace challenges.
Building on our original manufacturing example, you determine that your company is consistently short producing 25 widgets a day and needs to increase daily production by 50%.
Since you’d like to gather data and input from both your manufacturing and sales order departments, you schedule a brainstorming session to discover the root cause of the shortage.
After examining four key production areas – machines, materials, methods, and management – you determine the cause of the problem: the material used to manufacture your widgets can only be fed into your equipment once the machinery warms up to a specific temperature for the day.
Your team comes up with three possible solutions.
After weighing the expense of the first two solutions, and conducting some online research, you decide that switching to a comparable but less expensive material that can be worked at a lower temperature is your best option.
You implement your plan, monitor your widget quality and output over the following week, and declare your solution a success when daily production increases by 100%.
Business training is booming and you’ve had to onboard new staff over the past month. Now you learn that several clients have expressed concern about the quality of your recent training sessions.
After speaking with both clients and staff, you discover there are actually two distinct factors contributing to your quality problem:
You could look for a new conference room or re-schedule upcoming training sessions until after your new equipment arrives. But your team collaboratively determines that the best way to mitigate both issues at once is by temporarily renting the high-quality sound and visual system they need.
Using benchmarks that include several weeks of feedback from session attendees, and random session spot-checks you conduct personally, you conclude the solution has worked.
You’ve invested heavily in product marketing, but still can’t meet your sales goals. Specifically, you missed your revenue target by 30% last year and would like to meet that same target this year.
After collecting and examining reams of information from your sales and accounting departments, you sit down with your marketing team to figure out what’s hindering your success in the marketplace.
Determining that your product isn’t competitively priced, you map out two viable solutions.
Since you’re in a hurry for results, you decide to immediately reduce the price of your product and market it accordingly.
When revenue figures for the following quarter show sales have declined even further – and marketing surveys show potential customers are doubting the quality of your product – you revert back to your original pricing, revisit your problem solving process, and implement the market analysis solution instead.
With the valuable information you gain, you finally arrive at just the right product price for your target market and sales begin to pick up. Although you miss your revenue target again this year, you meet it by the second quarter of the following year.
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In this episode of the McKinsey Podcast , Simon London speaks with Charles Conn, CEO of venture-capital firm Oxford Sciences Innovation, and McKinsey senior partner Hugo Sarrazin about the complexities of different problem-solving strategies.
Podcast transcript
Simon London: Hello, and welcome to this episode of the McKinsey Podcast , with me, Simon London. What’s the number-one skill you need to succeed professionally? Salesmanship, perhaps? Or a facility with statistics? Or maybe the ability to communicate crisply and clearly? Many would argue that at the very top of the list comes problem solving: that is, the ability to think through and come up with an optimal course of action to address any complex challenge—in business, in public policy, or indeed in life.
Looked at this way, it’s no surprise that McKinsey takes problem solving very seriously, testing for it during the recruiting process and then honing it, in McKinsey consultants, through immersion in a structured seven-step method. To discuss the art of problem solving, I sat down in California with McKinsey senior partner Hugo Sarrazin and also with Charles Conn. Charles is a former McKinsey partner, entrepreneur, executive, and coauthor of the book Bulletproof Problem Solving: The One Skill That Changes Everything [John Wiley & Sons, 2018].
Charles and Hugo, welcome to the podcast. Thank you for being here.
Hugo Sarrazin: Our pleasure.
Charles Conn: It’s terrific to be here.
Simon London: Problem solving is a really interesting piece of terminology. It could mean so many different things. I have a son who’s a teenage climber. They talk about solving problems. Climbing is problem solving. Charles, when you talk about problem solving, what are you talking about?
Charles Conn: For me, problem solving is the answer to the question “What should I do?” It’s interesting when there’s uncertainty and complexity, and when it’s meaningful because there are consequences. Your son’s climbing is a perfect example. There are consequences, and it’s complicated, and there’s uncertainty—can he make that grab? I think we can apply that same frame almost at any level. You can think about questions like “What town would I like to live in?” or “Should I put solar panels on my roof?”
You might think that’s a funny thing to apply problem solving to, but in my mind it’s not fundamentally different from business problem solving, which answers the question “What should my strategy be?” Or problem solving at the policy level: “How do we combat climate change?” “Should I support the local school bond?” I think these are all part and parcel of the same type of question, “What should I do?”
I’m a big fan of structured problem solving. By following steps, we can more clearly understand what problem it is we’re solving, what are the components of the problem that we’re solving, which components are the most important ones for us to pay attention to, which analytic techniques we should apply to those, and how we can synthesize what we’ve learned back into a compelling story. That’s all it is, at its heart.
I think sometimes when people think about seven steps, they assume that there’s a rigidity to this. That’s not it at all. It’s actually to give you the scope for creativity, which often doesn’t exist when your problem solving is muddled.
Simon London: You were just talking about the seven-step process. That’s what’s written down in the book, but it’s a very McKinsey process as well. Without getting too deep into the weeds, let’s go through the steps, one by one. You were just talking about problem definition as being a particularly important thing to get right first. That’s the first step. Hugo, tell us about that.
Hugo Sarrazin: It is surprising how often people jump past this step and make a bunch of assumptions. The most powerful thing is to step back and ask the basic questions—“What are we trying to solve? What are the constraints that exist? What are the dependencies?” Let’s make those explicit and really push the thinking and defining. At McKinsey, we spend an enormous amount of time in writing that little statement, and the statement, if you’re a logic purist, is great. You debate. “Is it an ‘or’? Is it an ‘and’? What’s the action verb?” Because all these specific words help you get to the heart of what matters.
Simon London: So this is a concise problem statement.
Hugo Sarrazin: Yeah. It’s not like “Can we grow in Japan?” That’s interesting, but it is “What, specifically, are we trying to uncover in the growth of a product in Japan? Or a segment in Japan? Or a channel in Japan?” When you spend an enormous amount of time, in the first meeting of the different stakeholders, debating this and having different people put forward what they think the problem definition is, you realize that people have completely different views of why they’re here. That, to me, is the most important step.
Charles Conn: I would agree with that. For me, the problem context is critical. When we understand “What are the forces acting upon your decision maker? How quickly is the answer needed? With what precision is the answer needed? Are there areas that are off limits or areas where we would particularly like to find our solution? Is the decision maker open to exploring other areas?” then you not only become more efficient, and move toward what we call the critical path in problem solving, but you also make it so much more likely that you’re not going to waste your time or your decision maker’s time.
How often do especially bright young people run off with half of the idea about what the problem is and start collecting data and start building models—only to discover that they’ve really gone off half-cocked.
Hugo Sarrazin: Yeah.
Charles Conn: And in the wrong direction.
Simon London: OK. So step one—and there is a real art and a structure to it—is define the problem. Step two, Charles?
Charles Conn: My favorite step is step two, which is to use logic trees to disaggregate the problem. Every problem we’re solving has some complexity and some uncertainty in it. The only way that we can really get our team working on the problem is to take the problem apart into logical pieces.
What we find, of course, is that the way to disaggregate the problem often gives you an insight into the answer to the problem quite quickly. I love to do two or three different cuts at it, each one giving a bit of a different insight into what might be going wrong. By doing sensible disaggregations, using logic trees, we can figure out which parts of the problem we should be looking at, and we can assign those different parts to team members.
Simon London: What’s a good example of a logic tree on a sort of ratable problem?
Charles Conn: Maybe the easiest one is the classic profit tree. Almost in every business that I would take a look at, I would start with a profit or return-on-assets tree. In its simplest form, you have the components of revenue, which are price and quantity, and the components of cost, which are cost and quantity. Each of those can be broken out. Cost can be broken into variable cost and fixed cost. The components of price can be broken into what your pricing scheme is. That simple tree often provides insight into what’s going on in a business or what the difference is between that business and the competitors.
If we add the leg, which is “What’s the asset base or investment element?”—so profit divided by assets—then we can ask the question “Is the business using its investments sensibly?” whether that’s in stores or in manufacturing or in transportation assets. I hope we can see just how simple this is, even though we’re describing it in words.
When I went to work with Gordon Moore at the Moore Foundation, the problem that he asked us to look at was “How can we save Pacific salmon?” Now, that sounds like an impossible question, but it was amenable to precisely the same type of disaggregation and allowed us to organize what became a 15-year effort to improve the likelihood of good outcomes for Pacific salmon.
Simon London: Now, is there a danger that your logic tree can be impossibly large? This, I think, brings us onto the third step in the process, which is that you have to prioritize.
Charles Conn: Absolutely. The third step, which we also emphasize, along with good problem definition, is rigorous prioritization—we ask the questions “How important is this lever or this branch of the tree in the overall outcome that we seek to achieve? How much can I move that lever?” Obviously, we try and focus our efforts on ones that have a big impact on the problem and the ones that we have the ability to change. With salmon, ocean conditions turned out to be a big lever, but not one that we could adjust. We focused our attention on fish habitats and fish-harvesting practices, which were big levers that we could affect.
People spend a lot of time arguing about branches that are either not important or that none of us can change. We see it in the public square. When we deal with questions at the policy level—“Should you support the death penalty?” “How do we affect climate change?” “How can we uncover the causes and address homelessness?”—it’s even more important that we’re focusing on levers that are big and movable.
Simon London: Let’s move swiftly on to step four. You’ve defined your problem, you disaggregate it, you prioritize where you want to analyze—what you want to really look at hard. Then you got to the work plan. Now, what does that mean in practice?
Hugo Sarrazin: Depending on what you’ve prioritized, there are many things you could do. It could be breaking the work among the team members so that people have a clear piece of the work to do. It could be defining the specific analyses that need to get done and executed, and being clear on time lines. There’s always a level-one answer, there’s a level-two answer, there’s a level-three answer. Without being too flippant, I can solve any problem during a good dinner with wine. It won’t have a whole lot of backing.
Simon London: Not going to have a lot of depth to it.
Hugo Sarrazin: No, but it may be useful as a starting point. If the stakes are not that high, that could be OK. If it’s really high stakes, you may need level three and have the whole model validated in three different ways. You need to find a work plan that reflects the level of precision, the time frame you have, and the stakeholders you need to bring along in the exercise.
Charles Conn: I love the way you’ve described that, because, again, some people think of problem solving as a linear thing, but of course what’s critical is that it’s iterative. As you say, you can solve the problem in one day or even one hour.
Charles Conn: We encourage our teams everywhere to do that. We call it the one-day answer or the one-hour answer. In work planning, we’re always iterating. Every time you see a 50-page work plan that stretches out to three months, you know it’s wrong. It will be outmoded very quickly by that learning process that you described. Iterative problem solving is a critical part of this. Sometimes, people think work planning sounds dull, but it isn’t. It’s how we know what’s expected of us and when we need to deliver it and how we’re progressing toward the answer. It’s also the place where we can deal with biases. Bias is a feature of every human decision-making process. If we design our team interactions intelligently, we can avoid the worst sort of biases.
Simon London: Here we’re talking about cognitive biases primarily, right? It’s not that I’m biased against you because of your accent or something. These are the cognitive biases that behavioral sciences have shown we all carry around, things like anchoring, overoptimism—these kinds of things.
Both: Yeah.
Charles Conn: Availability bias is the one that I’m always alert to. You think you’ve seen the problem before, and therefore what’s available is your previous conception of it—and we have to be most careful about that. In any human setting, we also have to be careful about biases that are based on hierarchies, sometimes called sunflower bias. I’m sure, Hugo, with your teams, you make sure that the youngest team members speak first. Not the oldest team members, because it’s easy for people to look at who’s senior and alter their own creative approaches.
Hugo Sarrazin: It’s helpful, at that moment—if someone is asserting a point of view—to ask the question “This was true in what context?” You’re trying to apply something that worked in one context to a different one. That can be deadly if the context has changed, and that’s why organizations struggle to change. You promote all these people because they did something that worked well in the past, and then there’s a disruption in the industry, and they keep doing what got them promoted even though the context has changed.
Simon London: Right. Right.
Hugo Sarrazin: So it’s the same thing in problem solving.
Charles Conn: And it’s why diversity in our teams is so important. It’s one of the best things about the world that we’re in now. We’re likely to have people from different socioeconomic, ethnic, and national backgrounds, each of whom sees problems from a slightly different perspective. It is therefore much more likely that the team will uncover a truly creative and clever approach to problem solving.
Simon London: Let’s move on to step five. You’ve done your work plan. Now you’ve actually got to do the analysis. The thing that strikes me here is that the range of tools that we have at our disposal now, of course, is just huge, particularly with advances in computation, advanced analytics. There’s so many things that you can apply here. Just talk about the analysis stage. How do you pick the right tools?
Charles Conn: For me, the most important thing is that we start with simple heuristics and explanatory statistics before we go off and use the big-gun tools. We need to understand the shape and scope of our problem before we start applying these massive and complex analytical approaches.
Simon London: Would you agree with that?
Hugo Sarrazin: I agree. I think there are so many wonderful heuristics. You need to start there before you go deep into the modeling exercise. There’s an interesting dynamic that’s happening, though. In some cases, for some types of problems, it is even better to set yourself up to maximize your learning. Your problem-solving methodology is test and learn, test and learn, test and learn, and iterate. That is a heuristic in itself, the A/B testing that is used in many parts of the world. So that’s a problem-solving methodology. It’s nothing different. It just uses technology and feedback loops in a fast way. The other one is exploratory data analysis. When you’re dealing with a large-scale problem, and there’s so much data, I can get to the heuristics that Charles was talking about through very clever visualization of data.
You test with your data. You need to set up an environment to do so, but don’t get caught up in neural-network modeling immediately. You’re testing, you’re checking—“Is the data right? Is it sound? Does it make sense?”—before you launch too far.
Simon London: You do hear these ideas—that if you have a big enough data set and enough algorithms, they’re going to find things that you just wouldn’t have spotted, find solutions that maybe you wouldn’t have thought of. Does machine learning sort of revolutionize the problem-solving process? Or are these actually just other tools in the toolbox for structured problem solving?
Charles Conn: It can be revolutionary. There are some areas in which the pattern recognition of large data sets and good algorithms can help us see things that we otherwise couldn’t see. But I do think it’s terribly important we don’t think that this particular technique is a substitute for superb problem solving, starting with good problem definition. Many people use machine learning without understanding algorithms that themselves can have biases built into them. Just as 20 years ago, when we were doing statistical analysis, we knew that we needed good model definition, we still need a good understanding of our algorithms and really good problem definition before we launch off into big data sets and unknown algorithms.
Simon London: Step six. You’ve done your analysis.
Charles Conn: I take six and seven together, and this is the place where young problem solvers often make a mistake. They’ve got their analysis, and they assume that’s the answer, and of course it isn’t the answer. The ability to synthesize the pieces that came out of the analysis and begin to weave those into a story that helps people answer the question “What should I do?” This is back to where we started. If we can’t synthesize, and we can’t tell a story, then our decision maker can’t find the answer to “What should I do?”
Simon London: But, again, these final steps are about motivating people to action, right?
Charles Conn: Yeah.
Simon London: I am slightly torn about the nomenclature of problem solving because it’s on paper, right? Until you motivate people to action, you actually haven’t solved anything.
Charles Conn: I love this question because I think decision-making theory, without a bias to action, is a waste of time. Everything in how I approach this is to help people take action that makes the world better.
Simon London: Hence, these are absolutely critical steps. If you don’t do this well, you’ve just got a bunch of analysis.
Charles Conn: We end up in exactly the same place where we started, which is people speaking across each other, past each other in the public square, rather than actually working together, shoulder to shoulder, to crack these important problems.
Simon London: In the real world, we have a lot of uncertainty—arguably, increasing uncertainty. How do good problem solvers deal with that?
Hugo Sarrazin: At every step of the process. In the problem definition, when you’re defining the context, you need to understand those sources of uncertainty and whether they’re important or not important. It becomes important in the definition of the tree.
You need to think carefully about the branches of the tree that are more certain and less certain as you define them. They don’t have equal weight just because they’ve got equal space on the page. Then, when you’re prioritizing, your prioritization approach may put more emphasis on things that have low probability but huge impact—or, vice versa, may put a lot of priority on things that are very likely and, hopefully, have a reasonable impact. You can introduce that along the way. When you come back to the synthesis, you just need to be nuanced about what you’re understanding, the likelihood.
Often, people lack humility in the way they make their recommendations: “This is the answer.” They’re very precise, and I think we would all be well-served to say, “This is a likely answer under the following sets of conditions” and then make the level of uncertainty clearer, if that is appropriate. It doesn’t mean you’re always in the gray zone; it doesn’t mean you don’t have a point of view. It just means that you can be explicit about the certainty of your answer when you make that recommendation.
Simon London: So it sounds like there is an underlying principle: “Acknowledge and embrace the uncertainty. Don’t pretend that it isn’t there. Be very clear about what the uncertainties are up front, and then build that into every step of the process.”
Hugo Sarrazin: Every step of the process.
Simon London: Yeah. We have just walked through a particular structured methodology for problem solving. But, of course, this is not the only structured methodology for problem solving. One that is also very well-known is design thinking, which comes at things very differently. So, Hugo, I know you have worked with a lot of designers. Just give us a very quick summary. Design thinking—what is it, and how does it relate?
Hugo Sarrazin: It starts with an incredible amount of empathy for the user and uses that to define the problem. It does pause and go out in the wild and spend an enormous amount of time seeing how people interact with objects, seeing the experience they’re getting, seeing the pain points or joy—and uses that to infer and define the problem.
Simon London: Problem definition, but out in the world.
Hugo Sarrazin: With an enormous amount of empathy. There’s a huge emphasis on empathy. Traditional, more classic problem solving is you define the problem based on an understanding of the situation. This one almost presupposes that we don’t know the problem until we go see it. The second thing is you need to come up with multiple scenarios or answers or ideas or concepts, and there’s a lot of divergent thinking initially. That’s slightly different, versus the prioritization, but not for long. Eventually, you need to kind of say, “OK, I’m going to converge again.” Then you go and you bring things back to the customer and get feedback and iterate. Then you rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat. There’s a lot of tactile building, along the way, of prototypes and things like that. It’s very iterative.
Simon London: So, Charles, are these complements or are these alternatives?
Charles Conn: I think they’re entirely complementary, and I think Hugo’s description is perfect. When we do problem definition well in classic problem solving, we are demonstrating the kind of empathy, at the very beginning of our problem, that design thinking asks us to approach. When we ideate—and that’s very similar to the disaggregation, prioritization, and work-planning steps—we do precisely the same thing, and often we use contrasting teams, so that we do have divergent thinking. The best teams allow divergent thinking to bump them off whatever their initial biases in problem solving are. For me, design thinking gives us a constant reminder of creativity, empathy, and the tactile nature of problem solving, but it’s absolutely complementary, not alternative.
Simon London: I think, in a world of cross-functional teams, an interesting question is do people with design-thinking backgrounds really work well together with classical problem solvers? How do you make that chemistry happen?
Hugo Sarrazin: Yeah, it is not easy when people have spent an enormous amount of time seeped in design thinking or user-centric design, whichever word you want to use. If the person who’s applying classic problem-solving methodology is very rigid and mechanical in the way they’re doing it, there could be an enormous amount of tension. If there’s not clarity in the role and not clarity in the process, I think having the two together can be, sometimes, problematic.
The second thing that happens often is that the artifacts the two methodologies try to gravitate toward can be different. Classic problem solving often gravitates toward a model; design thinking migrates toward a prototype. Rather than writing a big deck with all my supporting evidence, they’ll bring an example, a thing, and that feels different. Then you spend your time differently to achieve those two end products, so that’s another source of friction.
Now, I still think it can be an incredibly powerful thing to have the two—if there are the right people with the right mind-set, if there is a team that is explicit about the roles, if we’re clear about the kind of outcomes we are attempting to bring forward. There’s an enormous amount of collaborativeness and respect.
Simon London: But they have to respect each other’s methodology and be prepared to flex, maybe, a little bit, in how this process is going to work.
Hugo Sarrazin: Absolutely.
Simon London: The other area where, it strikes me, there could be a little bit of a different sort of friction is this whole concept of the day-one answer, which is what we were just talking about in classical problem solving. Now, you know that this is probably not going to be your final answer, but that’s how you begin to structure the problem. Whereas I would imagine your design thinkers—no, they’re going off to do their ethnographic research and get out into the field, potentially for a long time, before they come back with at least an initial hypothesis.
Hugo Sarrazin: That is a great callout, and that’s another difference. Designers typically will like to soak into the situation and avoid converging too quickly. There’s optionality and exploring different options. There’s a strong belief that keeps the solution space wide enough that you can come up with more radical ideas. If there’s a large design team or many designers on the team, and you come on Friday and say, “What’s our week-one answer?” they’re going to struggle. They’re not going to be comfortable, naturally, to give that answer. It doesn’t mean they don’t have an answer; it’s just not where they are in their thinking process.
Simon London: I think we are, sadly, out of time for today. But Charles and Hugo, thank you so much.
Charles Conn: It was a pleasure to be here, Simon.
Hugo Sarrazin: It was a pleasure. Thank you.
Simon London: And thanks, as always, to you, our listeners, for tuning into this episode of the McKinsey Podcast . If you want to learn more about problem solving, you can find the book, Bulletproof Problem Solving: The One Skill That Changes Everything , online or order it through your local bookstore. To learn more about McKinsey, you can of course find us at McKinsey.com.
Charles Conn is CEO of Oxford Sciences Innovation and an alumnus of McKinsey’s Sydney office. Hugo Sarrazin is a senior partner in the Silicon Valley office, where Simon London, a member of McKinsey Publishing, is also based.
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The 7 steps to problem-solving is a disciplined and methodical approach to identifying and then addressing the root cause of problems. Instead, a more robust approach involves working through a problem using the hypothesis-driven framework of the scientific method. Each viable hypothesis is tested using a range of specific diagnostics and then recommendations are made.
– is a systematic approach to addressing complex challenges and making informed decisions. It provides a structured framework for , , and problems in various contexts, including , , , and everyday life. | |
– The primary purpose of the 7 Steps is to in a logical and organized manner, increasing the likelihood of finding . It helps individuals and teams tackle problems , making the process more efficient and reducing the risk of overlooking critical factors. | |
– : Begin by the problem or challenge. Understand its , its impact on stakeholders, and the . – : and relevant information to and causes. Use various sources and to obtain insights. – : Explore potential solutions and . Encourage and to produce a wide range of options. – : Evaluate the pros and cons of each solution. Consider factors such as feasibility, cost, impact, and potential risks. – : Choose the solution that aligns best with your problem definition and analysis. solutions based on their potential to address the problem effectively. – : Develop an for implementing the chosen solution. Assign responsibilities, allocate resources, and establish a timeline. – : After implementation, assess the results. against predefined criteria and make adjustments if necessary. Document the lessons learned for future reference. | |
– While the 7 Steps provide a structured approach, they are not strictly linear. and can be incorporated, allowing for at any stage based on new insights or changing circumstances. The framework is adaptable to various problem types and complexities. | |
– The 7 Steps to Problem-Solving can be applied to a wide range of challenges, including , , , , and . Its versatility makes it a valuable tool in both professional and personal contexts. | |
– Challenges in problem-solving may include that affect decision-making, , and about outcomes. Being aware of these challenges and applying critical thinking skills can help avoid pitfalls and improve the quality of problem-solving efforts. | |
– Effective problem-solving often involves and with others. , such as , , and , play a crucial role in the success of the 7 Steps, especially when problems involve multiple stakeholders. | |
– Documenting each step of the problem-solving process is valuable for and . It allows organizations and individuals to learn from past experiences and apply insights to future challenges. | |
– The integration of and can enhance problem-solving by providing and of certain tasks. These tools can assist in , , and , improving the efficiency of the 7 Steps. | |
– Considerations related to , , and should be part of the problem-solving process. ensures that solutions align with values, respect diverse perspectives, and consider the broader impact on society and stakeholders. |
Table of Contents
The core argument of this approach is that the most obvious solutions to a problem are often not the best solutions.
Good problem-solving in business is a skill that must be learned. Businesses that are adept at problem-solving take responsibility for their own decisions and have courage and confidence in their convictions. Ultimately, this removes doubt which can impede the growth of businesses and indeed employees alike.
Although many versions of the 7-step approach exist, the McKinsey approach is the most widely used in business settings. Here is how decision makers can move through each of the steps systematically.
First, the scope and extent of the problem must be identified. Actions and behaviors of individuals must be the focus – instead of a focus on the individuals themselves. Whatever the case, the problem must be clearly defined and be universally accepted by all relevant parties.
In the second step, break down the problem (challenge) into smaller parts using logic trees and develop an early hypothesis. Here, economic and scientific principles can be useful in brainstorming potential solutions. Avoid cognitive biases, such as deciding that a previous solution should be used again because it worked last time.
Which constituent parts could be key driving factors of the problem? Prioritize each according to those which have the biggest impact on the problem. Eliminate parts that have negligible impact. This step helps businesses use their resources wisely.
Before testing each hypothesis, develop a work and process plan for each. Staff should be assigned to analytical tasks with unique output and completion dates. Hypothesis testing should also be reviewed at regular intervals to measure viability and adjust strategies accordingly.
In step five, gather the critical data required to accept or reject each hypothesis. Data analysis methods will vary according to the nature of the project, but each business must understand the reasons for implementing specific methods. In question-based problem solving, the Five Whys or Fishbone method may be used. More complicated problems may require the use of statistical analysis . In any case, this is often the longest and most complex step of the process.
Once the results have been determined, they must be synthesized in such a way that they can be tested for validity and logic. In a business context, assess the implications of the findings for a business moving forward. Does it solve the problem?
In the final step, the business must present the solutions in such a way that they link back to the original problem statement. When presenting to clients, this is vital. It shows that the business understands the problem and has a solution supported by facts or hard data. Above all, the data should be woven into a convincing story that ends with recommendations for future action.
Related Concepts | Description | When to Apply |
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The is a systematic approach used to address complex issues, make informed decisions, and find effective solutions to problems. These steps typically include: 1. : Clearly define the issue or challenge that needs to be resolved. 2. : Collect relevant data, facts, and insights to understand the problem’s underlying causes and implications. 3. : Brainstorm potential solutions or approaches to address the problem, considering various perspectives and creative alternatives. 4. : Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each solution based on feasibility, effectiveness, and alignment with goals and constraints. 5. : Choose the most promising solution or combination of solutions that best address the problem and achieve the desired outcomes. 6. : Develop a plan of action and execute the chosen solution, allocating resources, assigning responsibilities, and monitoring progress. 7. : Assess the effectiveness of the implemented solution by measuring outcomes, gathering feedback, and identifying lessons learned for future problem-solving endeavors. provide a structured framework for systematic thinking, collaboration, and decision-making, facilitating the resolution of complex problems and the achievement of desired objectives. | – When faced with complex challenges, issues, or decisions that require a structured approach to problem-solving and decision-making. | |
encompass a variety of approaches and techniques used to analyze problems, devise solutions, and overcome obstacles effectively. These strategies may include: 1. : Break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable tasks or components to facilitate analysis and problem-solving. 2. : Generate ideas, solutions, and alternatives through open-ended discussion, creativity, and collaboration with others. 3. : Identify the underlying causes or contributing factors of a problem to address its fundamental source rather than just treating symptoms. 4. : Construct visual diagrams or flowcharts to map out decision-making processes, options, and potential outcomes to guide informed choices. 5. : Experiment with different approaches, solutions, or strategies through iterative testing and learning from failures to refine problem-solving efforts. 6. : Apply logical reasoning, analysis, and evaluation skills to assess information, identify patterns, and draw well-founded conclusions to solve problems effectively. 7. : Engage with diverse perspectives, expertise, and stakeholders to leverage collective knowledge, insights, and resources in addressing complex problems collaboratively. enable individuals and teams to approach problems systematically, creatively, and efficiently, leading to innovative solutions and improved decision-making outcomes. | – When encountering challenges, obstacles, or issues that require analytical thinking, creativity, and strategic problem-solving to develop effective solutions and achieve desired outcomes. | |
The is a systematic approach used to evaluate options, make choices, and take action in various personal, professional, and organizational contexts. It typically involves the following steps: 1. : Clarify the decision to be made and its significance in achieving objectives or addressing concerns. 2. : Collect relevant data, facts, and insights to understand the decision context, alternatives, and potential consequences. 3. : Assess the strengths, weaknesses, risks, and implications of available options or courses of action using criteria and decision-making tools. 4. : Evaluate the information and analysis to make a choice or commitment based on informed judgment, intuition, or consensus among decision-makers. 5. : Develop a plan of action and execute the chosen decision, allocating resources, setting timelines, and monitoring progress towards desired outcomes. 6. : Review the decision’s outcomes, impacts, and effectiveness, gathering feedback, and adjusting course if needed to improve future decision-making processes. The provides a structured framework for thoughtful analysis, evaluation, and action to make sound decisions and achieve desired objectives effectively. | – When confronted with choices, dilemmas, or opportunities that require careful consideration, analysis, and evaluation to make informed decisions and take appropriate actions. | |
is a problem-solving technique used to identify the underlying causes or factors contributing to a problem or issue, rather than just addressing its symptoms. It involves the following steps: 1. : Clearly articulate the problem or issue that needs to be investigated and resolved. 2. : Gather relevant information, data, and evidence to understand the problem’s context, history, and impacts. 3. : Brainstorm and list possible causes or factors that may contribute to the problem’s occurrence or persistence. 4. : Analyze and prioritize the potential causes based on their likelihood, impact, and relevance to the problem at hand. 5. : Investigate each potential cause in depth, using techniques such as interviews, observations, or data analysis to determine its validity and significance. 6. : Determine the primary or underlying cause(s) that directly lead to the problem’s occurrence or recurrence, considering systemic, human, and organizational factors. 7. : Generate corrective actions or interventions to address the root cause(s) and prevent the problem from reoccurring in the future. helps organizations and individuals address problems systematically, improve processes, and enhance performance by addressing underlying issues rather than treating symptoms. | – When encountering recurring problems, issues, or failures that require deeper investigation and understanding to identify their underlying causes and develop effective solutions. | |
is a holistic approach to problem-solving and decision-making that considers the interrelationships, dynamics, and feedback loops within complex systems. It involves the following principles: 1. : Recognize and explore the connections and interactions among components, elements, or variables within a system. 2. : Analyze the feedback mechanisms and loops that influence system behavior and outcomes over time. 3. : Evaluate the dynamic behavior, patterns, and emergent properties that arise from interactions within the system. 4. : Define the boundaries and scope of the system under study, including its inputs, outputs, and external influences. 5. : Identify key leverage points or intervention opportunities within the system where small changes can lead to significant impacts or outcomes. 6. : Foster a systemic mindset and awareness among stakeholders to recognize the interconnectedness of issues, anticipate unintended consequences, and collaborate effectively in addressing complex challenges. enables individuals and organizations to understand complex systems, anticipate their behavior, and leverage leverage points for effective problem-solving and decision-making. | – When dealing with complex, interconnected problems or challenges that involve multiple stakeholders, variables, and feedback loops, requiring a holistic understanding and approach to address effectively. | |
is a cognitive process of analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information to form reasoned judgments, make informed decisions, and solve problems effectively. It involves the following components: 1. : Challenge assumptions, biases, and preconceptions to gain a deeper understanding of issues and perspectives. 2. : Collect relevant evidence, data, and arguments to support logical reasoning and informed decision-making. 3. : Evaluate diverse viewpoints, opinions, and interpretations to gain insights and consider alternative solutions. 4. : Identify patterns, trends, and connections within information or data to discern underlying relationships and implications. 5. : Make reasoned inferences and draw logical conclusions based on available evidence, analysis, and critical thinking. 6. : Reflect on personal biases, assumptions, and cognitive limitations that may influence thinking and decision-making processes. skills are essential for analyzing complex issues, evaluating evidence, and making informed decisions in various personal, academic, and professional contexts. | – When facing complex problems, ambiguous situations, or conflicting information that require rigorous analysis, logical reasoning, and informed judgment to arrive at well-founded conclusions and effective solutions. | |
is an approach that emphasizes generating innovative solutions to challenges by thinking outside the box, exploring unconventional ideas, and embracing experimentation. It involves the following elements: 1. : Clearly articulate the problem or opportunity that requires creative solutions and identify desired outcomes. 2. : Encourage brainstorming and creative thinking techniques to generate a wide range of ideas, alternatives, and possibilities. 3. : Evaluate and explore unconventional or unexpected solutions that may diverge from traditional approaches or assumptions. 4. : Test and refine potential solutions through experimentation, prototyping, or pilot projects to assess feasibility and effectiveness. 5. : Embrace failure as part of the creative process and iterate on ideas based on feedback, insights, and lessons learned. 6. : Collaborate with diverse stakeholders, perspectives, and disciplines to stimulate creativity, innovation, and synergy in problem-solving efforts. fosters a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous improvement, enabling individuals and teams to address complex challenges with fresh perspectives and imaginative solutions. | – When seeking to break through conventional thinking, explore new possibilities, and develop innovative solutions to complex problems or opportunities that require creativity, imagination, and out-of-the-box thinking. | |
is an approach derived from Lean principles and methodologies, focusing on identifying and eliminating waste, inefficiencies, and non-value-added activities in processes or systems. It involves the following principles: 1. : Identify the value desired by customers or stakeholders and prioritize efforts to deliver value-added outcomes. 2. : Visualize and map out the current state of processes or workflows to identify bottlenecks, redundancies, and areas for improvement. 3. : Analyze problems systematically to identify underlying causes and factors contributing to inefficiencies or defects. 4. : Develop and implement targeted solutions or countermeasures to address root causes and streamline processes. 5. : Establish standardized work practices, procedures, or guidelines to sustain improvements and prevent recurrence of problems. 6. : Foster a culture of continuous learning, experimentation, and adaptation to drive ongoing improvements and optimize performance over time. emphasizes efficiency, effectiveness, and customer value, enabling organizations to enhance productivity, quality, and competitiveness in their operations. | – When aiming to improve operational performance, streamline processes, and eliminate waste or inefficiencies in workflows or systems by applying Lean principles and problem-solving methodologies to identify and address root causes effectively. | |
is a human-centered approach to innovation and problem-solving that emphasizes empathy, creativity, and iterative prototyping to develop solutions that meet users’ needs and preferences. It involves the following stages: 1. : Understand users’ needs, motivations, and pain points through observation, interviews, and immersion in their experiences. 2. : Define the problem or opportunity based on insights gathered from empathizing with users and identifying their challenges or aspirations. 3. : Generate a wide range of creative ideas, concepts, and solutions to address the defined problem or opportunity, leveraging divergent thinking techniques. 4. : Develop rapid prototypes or representations of potential solutions to test and refine ideas, gathering feedback from users and stakeholders. 5. : Evaluate prototypes with users to validate assumptions, gather insights, and iteratively refine solutions based on feedback and observations. 6. : Implement and scale solutions that have been iteratively developed and validated through the design thinking process, ensuring they address users’ needs effectively. fosters innovation, collaboration, and user-centricity, enabling organizations to develop products, services, and experiences that resonate with users and create meaningful impact. | – When seeking to develop innovative solutions, products, or services that are user-centric, intuitive, and impactful by applying a human-centered approach to problem-solving and design. | |
is an iterative, collaborative approach to addressing complex problems and adapting to changing circumstances in dynamic environments. It aligns with Agile principles and methodologies used in software development and project management. Key aspects include: 1. : Break down problems into smaller, manageable tasks or iterations that can be tackled incrementally and adaptively. 2. : Form cross-functional teams that collaborate closely, share knowledge, and work iteratively to solve problems and deliver value. 3. : Embrace feedback, experimentation, and reflection to learn from experiences, iterate on solutions, and improve outcomes over time. 4. : Respond quickly and flexibly to changes, uncertainties, and emerging insights by adjusting plans, priorities, and approaches as needed. 5. : Maintain transparency and visibility into progress, challenges, and decision-making processes to foster trust and alignment among team members and stakeholders. promotes flexibility, responsiveness, and resilience, enabling teams to navigate complexity and deliver value effectively in dynamic environments. | – When confronting complex, rapidly evolving problems or projects that require adaptive, collaborative approaches to problem-solving, decision-making, and value delivery in uncertain or changing conditions. |
Cynefin Framework
SWOT Analysis
Personal SWOT Analysis
Pareto Analysis
Failure Mode And Effects Analysis
Blindspot Analysis
Comparable Company Analysis
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Agile Business Analysis
SOAR Analysis
STEEPLE Analysis
Pestel Analysis
DESTEP Analysis
Paired Comparison Analysis
Related Strategy Concepts: Go-To-Market Strategy , Marketing Strategy , Business Models , Tech Business Models , Jobs-To-Be Done , Design Thinking , Lean Startup Canvas , Value Chain , Value Proposition Canvas , Balanced Scorecard , Business Model Canvas , SWOT Analysis , Growth Hacking , Bundling , Unbundling , Bootstrapping , Venture Capital , Porter’s Five Forces , Porter’s Generic Strategies , Porter’s Five Forces , PESTEL Analysis , SWOT , Porter’s Diamond Model , Ansoff , Technology Adoption Curve , TOWS , SOAR , Balanced
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8-step problem solving process, organizational effectiveness.
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Sometimes when you’re faced with a complex problem, it’s best to pause and take a step back. A break from…
Sometimes when you’re faced with a complex problem, it’s best to pause and take a step back. A break from routine will help you think creatively and objectively. Doing too much at the same time increases the chances of burnout.
Solving problems is easier when you align your thoughts with your actions. If you’re in multiple places at once mentally, you’re more likely to get overwhelmed under pressure. So, a problem-solving process follows specific steps to make it approachable and straightforward. This includes breaking down complex problems, understanding what you want to achieve, and allocating responsibilities to different people to ease some of the pressure.
The problem-solving process will help you measure your progress against factors like budget, timelines and deliverables. The point is to get the key stakeholders on the same page about the ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ of the process. ( Xanax ) Let’s discuss the five-step problem-solving process that you can adopt.
Problems at a workplace need not necessarily be situations that have a negative impact, such as a product failure or a change in government policy. Making a decision to alter the way your team works may also be a problem. Launching new products, technological upgrades, customer feedback collection exercises—all of these are also “problems” that need to be “solved”.
Here are the steps of a problem-solving process:
The first step in the process is often overlooked. To define the problem is to understand what it is that you’re solving for. This is also where you outline and write down your purpose—what you want to achieve and why. Making sure you know what the problem is can make it easier to follow up with the remaining steps. This will also help you identify which part of the problem needs more attention than others.
Analyze why the problem occurred and go deeper to understand the existing situation. If it’s a product that has malfunctioned, assess factors like raw material, assembly line, and people involved to identify the problem areas. This will help you figure out if the problem will persist or recur. You can measure the solution against existing factors to assess its future viability.
Once you’ve figured out what the problem is and why it occurred, you can move on to generating multiple options as solutions. You can combine your existing knowledge with research and data to come up with viable and effective solutions. Thinking objectively and getting inputs from those involved in the process will broaden your perspective of the problem. You’ll be able to come up with better options if you’re open to ideas other than your own.
Implementation will depend on the type of data at hand and other variables. Consider the big picture when you’re selecting the best option. Look at factors like how the solution will impact your budget, how soon you can implement it, and whether it can withstand setbacks or failures. If you need to make any tweaks or upgrades, make them happen in this stage.
The problem-solving process doesn’t end at implementation. It requires constant monitoring to watch out for recurrences and relapses. It’s possible that something doesn’t work out as expected on implementation. To ensure the process functions smoothly, you can make changes as soon as you catch a miscalculation. Always stay on top of things by monitoring how far you’ve come and how much farther you have to go.
You can learn to solve any problem—big or small—with experience and patience. Adopt an impartial and analytical approach that has room for multiple perspectives. In the workplace, you’re often faced with situations like an unexpected system failure or a key employee quitting in the middle of a crucial project.
Problem-solving skills will help you face these situations head-on. Harappa Education’s Structuring Problems course will show you how to classify and categorize problems to discover effective solutions. Equipping yourself with the right knowledge will help you navigate work-related problems in a calm and competent manner.
Explore topics such as Problem Solving , the PICK Chart , How to Solve Problems & the Barriers to Problem Solving from our Harappa Diaries blog section and develop your skills.
Home Blog others What is Problem Solving? Process, Techniques, Examples
Whether tackling a technical issue at work or finding our way around a roadblock unnoticed by Google Maps, problem-solving is a daily occurrence for most people. But how prepared are you to overcome life's challenges? Do you rely on a structured process to ensure successful outcomes, or do you navigate through problems impulsively?
Here's the crux: the strength of your problem-solving skills significantly impacts the ease and success of your life, both professionally and personally. Practical problem-solving is a valuable career and life skill. You're in the right place if you're eager to enhance your problem-solving abilities efficiently.
In this blog post, I will delve into what is problem solving the steps, techniques, and exercises of the problem-solving process. Whether seeking to troubleshoot technical issues or navigate life's complexities, mastering organized problem-solving can elevate your capabilities and lead to more favorable outcomes.
First, let me help you understand what is problem solving. Problem-solving is a comprehensive process involving identifying issues, prioritizing based on urgency and severity, analyzing root causes, gathering pertinent Information, devising and assessing solutions, making informed decisions, and planning and executing implementation strategies.
This skill set also encompasses critical thinking, effective communication, active listening, creativity, research, data analysis, risk assessment, continuous learning, and decision-making abilities. Effective problem-solving strategies mitigate potential losses or damages and enhance self-confidence and reputation. Problem-solving is essential in personal and professional contexts as it allows individuals and teams to navigate obstacles, make informed decisions, and drive progress.
Importance:
Now that we have a clear understanding of the problem solving definition as to what is problem solving let us now navigate the problem solving process. Effective problem-solving is a valuable skill sought after by employers in various fields. Here's a breakdown of a common problem-solving process, presented in a pointwise manner:
The first step in the problem-solving process is clearly defining the issue. This involves gathering relevant Information, observing patterns or trends, and understanding the impact of the problem on stakeholders.
Once the problem is identified, it's essential to analyze its root causes and contributing factors. This may involve conducting research, gathering data, and exploring different perspectives to comprehensively understand the situation.
With a clear understanding of the problem solving methods, brainstorming potential solutions is the next step. Encouraging creativity and considering various alternatives can lead to innovative ideas. Evaluating each solution based on feasibility, effectiveness, and alignment with goals and values is crucial.
After generating a list of potential solutions, it's essential to carefully evaluate each option. This involves weighing the pros and cons, considering potential risks and benefits, and assessing the likelihood of success. Consulting with relevant stakeholders or experts can provide valuable insights during this stage.
Based on the evaluation, one or more solutions are the most viable options. It's essential to prioritize solutions that address the root cause of the problem and have the most significant potential for long-term success. Communicating the chosen solution effectively to stakeholders is crucial for garnering support and buy-in.
Once a solution is selected, it's time to put it into action. This involves developing a detailed action plan, allocating resources, and assigning responsibilities. Effective communication, coordination, and monitoring are essential during the implementation phase to ensure smooth execution and timely resolution of the problem.
After implementing the solution, it's essential to monitor its progress and evaluate its effectiveness over time. This may involve collecting feedback, analyzing performance metrics, and making adjustments as needed. Continuous monitoring and review allow for ongoing improvement and refinement of the problem-solving process.
Here's a breakdown of the 5 problem-solving steps for your understanding:
Example: Let's say customer complaints about slow website loading times have increased.
Example: Potential solutions for slow website loading times could include optimizing images, upgrading server capacity, or implementing a content delivery network (CDN).
Example: Upgrading server capacity might be a very effective solution, but it could be expensive. Optimizing images is a more feasible solution that could yield significant improvement.
Example: The website optimization plan might involve tasks like image resizing, code minification, and implementing caching mechanisms.
Example: After website optimization, monitor website loading times and customer feedback to see if the issue has been resolved. If not, repeat the process, considering new solutions based on the learnings from this attempt.
Remember, problem-solving is an iterative process. Be prepared to adapt your approach as you gather more Information and evaluate the effectiveness of your solutions.
Creative problem solving requires careful consideration at each stage. Here are vital things to focus on:
Let us look at problem solving example scenarios in a typical workplace: , example 1: project deadline challenge .
By following these examples of problem-solving skills, you can effectively tackle challenges and achieve successful outcomes. Also, explore KnowledgeHut’ s best online courses for further skill enhancement.
Effective problem-solving techniques are essential for tackling challenges and achieving desired outcomes. Here are some problem solving tools and techniques commonly used in problem-solving:
By incorporating these problem-solving techniques in the workplace, you can approach problems systematically, generate creative solutions, and develop a well-rounded plan for achieving success.
Conquering challenges is a key to professional success, and practical problem-solving equips you to do just that. By following a structured approach, you can transform from a bystander to a solution-oriented individual. This involves gathering Information to clearly define the problem and identify its root cause. Analyzing the situation from various angles and brainstorming freely unlock creative solutions. Evaluating potential solutions ensures you choose the one that aligns with your goals and is feasible to implement. Clear communication and a well-defined plan are crucial for successful execution. Finally, reflecting on the outcome allows you to learn and continuously improve your problem-solving skills, making you an invaluable asset in any environment.
The best method involves identifying the problem, brainstorming solutions, evaluating options, implementing the chosen solution, and assessing outcomes for improvement.
The principles include defining the problem, generating alternatives, evaluating options, implementing solutions, and reviewing outcomes for continuous improvement.
Different types include analytical problem-solving, creative problem-solving, critical thinking, decision-making, and systematic problem-solving.
The significant elements include understanding the problem, devising a plan, executing the plan, and evaluating the results.
The skills encompass critical thinking, decision-making, and analytical reasoning. These abilities aid in identifying, analyzing, and resolving problems effectively.
Abhresh is specialized as a corporate trainer, He has a decade of experience in technical training blended with virtual webinars and instructor-led session created courses, tutorials, and articles for organizations. He is also the founder of Nikasio.com, which offers multiple services in technical training, project consulting, content development, etc.
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Stumped five ways to hone your problem-solving skills.
Respect the worth of other people's insights
Problems continuously arise in organizational life, making problem-solving an essential skill for leaders. Leaders who are good at tackling conundrums are likely to be more effective at overcoming obstacles and guiding their teams to achieve their goals. So, what’s the secret to better problem-solving skills?
“Too often, people fail because they haven’t correctly defined what the problem is,” says David Ross, an international strategist, founder of consultancy Phoenix Strategic Management and author of Confronting the Storm: Regenerating Leadership and Hope in the Age of Uncertainty .
Ross explains that as teams grapple with “wicked” problems – those where there can be several root causes for why a problem exists – there can often be disagreement on the initial assumptions made. As a result, their chances of successfully solving the problem are low.
“Before commencing the process of solving the problem, it is worthwhile identifying who your key stakeholders are and talking to them about the issue,” Ross recommends. “Who could be affected by the issue? What is the problem – and why? How are people affected?”
He argues that if leaders treat people with dignity, respecting the worth of their insights, they are more likely to successfully solve problems.
Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, 2. unfocus the mind.
“To solve problems, we need to commit to making time to face a problem in its full complexity, which also requires that we take back control of our thinking,” says Chris Griffiths, an expert on creativity and innovative thinking skills, founder and CEO of software provider OpenGenius, and co-author of The Focus Fix: Finding Clarity, Creativity and Resilience in an Overwhelming World .
To do this, it’s necessary to harness the power of the unfocused mind, according to Griffiths. “It might sound oxymoronic, but just like our devices, our brain needs time to recharge,” he says. “ A plethora of research has shown that daydreaming allows us to make creative connections and see abstract solutions that are not obvious when we’re engaged in direct work.”
To make use of the unfocused mind in problem solving, you must begin by getting to know the problem from all angles. “At this stage, don’t worry about actually solving the problem,” says Griffiths. “You’re simply giving your subconscious mind the information it needs to get creative with when you zone out. From here, pick a monotonous or rhythmic activity that will help you to activate the daydreaming state – that might be a walk, some doodling, or even some chores.”
Do this regularly, argues Griffiths, and you’ll soon find that flashes of inspiration and novel solutions naturally present themselves while you’re ostensibly thinking of other things. He says: “By allowing you to access the fullest creative potential of your own brain, daydreaming acts as a skeleton key for a wide range of problems.”
“Admitting to not knowing the future takes courage,” says Professor Stephen Wyatt, founder and lead consultant at consultancy Corporate Rebirth and author of Antidote to the Crisis of Leadership: Opportunity in Complexity . “Leaders are worried our teams won’t respect us and our boards will lose faith in us, but what doesn’t work is drawing up plans and forecasts and holding yourself or others rigidly to them.”
Wyatt advises leaders to heighten their situational awareness – to look broadly, integrate more perspectives and be able to connect the dots. “We need to be comfortable in making judgment calls as the future is unknown,” he says. “There is no data on it. But equally, very few initiatives cannot be adjusted, refined or reviewed while in motion.”
Leaders need to stay vigilant, according to Wyatt, create the capacity of the enterprise to adapt and maintain the support of stakeholders. “The concept of the infallible leader needs to be updated,” he concludes.
“Organisations, and arguably society more widely, are obsessed with problems and the notion of problems,” says Steve Hearsum, founder of organizational change consultancy Edge + Stretch and author of No Silver Bullet: Bursting the Bubble of the Organisational Quick Fix .
Hearsum argues that this tendency is complicated by the myth of fixability, namely the idea that all problems, however complex, have a solution. “Our need for certainty, to minimize and dampen the anxiety of ‘not knowing,’ leads us to oversimplify and ignore or filter out anything that challenges the idea that there is a solution,” he says.
Leaders need to shift their mindset to cultivate their comfort with not knowing and couple that with being OK with being wrong, sometimes, notes Hearsum. He adds: “That means developing reflexivity to understand your own beliefs and judgments, and what influences these, asking questions and experimenting.”
Leaders must be able to communicate problems in order to find solutions to them. But they should avoid bombarding their teams with complex, technical details since these can overwhelm their people’s cognitive load, says Dr Jessica Barker MBE , author of Hacked: The Secrets Behind Cyber Attacks .
Instead, she recommends that leaders frame their messages in ways that cut through jargon and ensure that their advice is relevant, accessible and actionable. “An essential leadership skill for this is empathy,” Barker explains. “When you’re trying to build a positive culture, it is crucial to understand why people are not practicing the behaviors you want rather than trying to force that behavioral change with fear, uncertainty and doubt.”
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The statement that evaluating the solution is the last step of the problem solving process is False.
What is Problem solving process?
Problem solving process can be regarded as an act of defining a problem, then look for the cause of the problem and implementing a solution.
It can be sectioned into steps which are;
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Explanation:
trsut me on this one, also, if you can, please give brainlest
Where do broadside collisions most commonly occur?
I don't really sure this answer
I copy this
What are three things of the growth of the government in Egypt
farming, crafts, and trade
5. Which of the following statements about pedigrees is true? A. Boxes typically represent males and circles typically represent females. B. Pedigrees can only be used to trace the occurrence of dominant traits. C. Shaded shapes typically represent people who do not have a specific trait. D. Pedigrees show all of the allele combinations that are possible in a cross.
Answer: A.) Boxes typically represent males and circles typically represent females
What is a unicameral congress? Plz explain! Thank you!
In government, unicameralism (Latin uni-, "one" and camera, "chamber") is the practice of having a single legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of a single chamber or house.
Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multicameralism. Many multicameral legislatures were created to give separate voices to different sectors of society. Multiple chambers allowed, for example, for a guaranteed representation of different social classes (as in the Parliament of the United Kingdom or the French States-General). Sometimes, as in New Zealand and Denmark, unicameralism comes about through the abolition of one of two bicameral chambers, or, as in Sweden, through the merger of the two chambers into a single one, while in others a second chamber has never existed from the beginning.
The principal advantage of a unicameral system is more democratic and efficient lawmaking, as the legislative process is simpler and there is no possibility of deadlock between two chambers. Proponents of unicameralism have also argued that it reduces costs, even if the number of legislators stays the same, since there are fewer institutions to maintain and support financially. Proponents of bicameral legislatures say that this offers the opportunity to re-debate and correct errors in either chamber in parallel, and in some cases to introduce legislation in either chamber.
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A basic assumption underlying the definition of groupthink is that:
More reasonable decisions are made by groups than by individuals, group members desire peace and harmony within the group.
Which of the following has been the most important effect of the amendments added to the U.S. Constitution since the Civil War? More people volunteer for military service. More people are involved in the political process. More people immigrate to the United States each year. More people are eligible to run for president.
Answer: Based on my information,the most important effect of the amendments that have been added to the Constitution since the Civil War has been that more people immigrate to the United States each year.
more people are involved in the political process.
I took the test.
Which individual has had the greatest influence in our understanding of the way people confront death
Kubler Ross
which creatures did professor lockhart let loose in his classroom?
The creatures that Professor Lockhart let loose in his classroom were Cornish pixies.
The professor released a cage that was full of this creature. This question was gotten from the Harry Porter franchise.
Immediately the pixies were brought out of their cage, they started to act out of control and also wreck havoc. This caused the professor to leave the room fast while asking others to take care of the situation.
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In the modern use of antidepressant medications, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors tend to be the first "line of defense," particularly because they:
Answer: have fewer side effects
Choose one of the quotes from the Tao Te Ching and explain how the quote is an example of Taoist philosophy.
Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.”
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
A representative democracy means the government officials are supposed to? A. Vote in all elections B. Be staunch patriots C. Advocate for authority figures D. Speak for those who elected them
D. Speak for those who elected them
Statuses and their related roles determine the structure of the various groups in society. When these statuses and roles are organized to satisfy one or more of the basic needs of society, the group is called a(n):_________ a. Pastoral society. C. Preindustrial society. B. Social institution. D. Agricultural society. Please select the best answer from the choices provided A B C D.
The term that describes how Statuses as well as roles determine the structure of the various groups in society is B: social institution.
Therefore, social institution is related to status and related role.
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Social institution
I believe the person above me is correct but I can't see the answers on unit test so I am terribly sorry if I am wrong :)
which aspect of the stamp act did the colonists most dislike?
Answer: The Stamp Act was very unpopular among colonists. A majority considered it a violation of their rights as Englishmen to be taxed without their consent—consent that only the colonial legislatures could grant. Their slogan was "No taxation without representation".
When one uses intermediate steps or tasks to reach a goal, he or she is using the heuristic strategy of __________. A. Trial and error B. Working backwards C. Using subgoals D. Problem representation.
According to socio-psychological theory, when one uses intermediate steps or tasks to reach a goal , the person uses the heuristic strategy of using subgoals .
Heuristic strategy is a method in which individuals utilize their mental shortcuts to assist in helping reasoning procedures and problem-solving processes.
A subgoal is a type of goal or is often considered a secondary goal to be achieved towards a more critical or primary goal .
Therefore, when one uses intermediate steps or tasks to reach a goal , he or she is using the heuristic strategy of Using Subgoal .
Hence, in this case, it is concluded that the correct answer is option C. "Using Subgoal."
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Answer:it’s C
Just a true false question mate.
A is false B is false c is true and do is true mate
You believe that studying hard leads to good grades, yet you can't help but watch an episode of your favorite show. This inconsistency is an example of:
This inconsistency in your belief and in your action is what is referred to as cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance can be defined as the conflicting attitude that people may have. This can be described as a situation where a person is having conflicting beliefs and attitudes.
In the question, we can easily see this. The person already knows that to have good grades , they owe it to themselves to study hard. Yet they still keep on watching the television.
This is a conflict in belief and action.
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this Egyptian rulers reign began the time known as the new kingdom
Tutankhamun
Is a chair a frame structure
Yes, but it might be a little different depending on what type.
you are learning a list of items for a test by relating the items to each other and to information that you already have stored in memory. which type of rehearsal are you using?
Are there multiple choice questions?
Sorry if I'm annoying you by asking this through an answer T - T
What is meant by transgender? Can you please give further explanation. Thanks.
People who are transgender have a gender identity that differs from the gender they were assigned at birth. The term "trans" is frequently used as a shorthand for transgender people. A doctor will generally tell us whether we are male or female based on the appearance of our bodies when we are born.
One fact about the Religion Christianity
Christianity is a religion that believes in salvation brought by one true God.
________ can be defined as a set of beliefs that one party holds about the other and how these beliefs are formed from their interactions.
it should be opinion or opinions, other that that i dont know any toher answers.
Providing empathy, trust, and flexibility are all characteristics of a good relationship. Group of answer choices True False
What was proposed in the unamendable constitution ademendment
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as ... Explanation:
Rope, wedge, and stovepipe are all varieties of what?
Rope, wedge , and stovepipe are all varieties of Tornado.
A tornado is an incredibly fast-rotating column of air that makes contact with the Earth's surface, a cumulonimbus cloud, or, very rarely, the base of a cumulus cloud. The main meteorological factors that contribute to tornado potential include instability, which is characterized by warm, moist air below ground level and cooler, dry air above, and wind shear, which is characterized by a change in wind speed or direction with height.
The violently rotating column that air that is in touch with the surface of the ground as well as an airborne cumulonimbus cloud is referred to be a tornado. Tornado: A ferociously whirling column of air that makes contact with the earth and is typically connected to the base of such a thunderstorm. The most dangerous storms in nature are tornadoes. Tornadoes, which are born from strong thunderstorms , can be fatal.
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Why were missionaries sent to the New World? A. to learn about the religious traditions of indigenous peoples B. to learn how to take care of the earth from indigenous peoples C. to convert indigenous people into practicing Roman Catholicism D. to force indigenous people into harsh working conditions Please select the best answer from the choices provided A B C D
the answer is C
I did the dest and got a 100% please mark me brainlest
4 4. Which of these choices best describes what a ratio shows? A. a comparison between two quantities B. family relationships over several generations C. the alleles of parents and offspring for a given trait D. the likelihood or chance that something will happen
Which of the following statements is true about the occupations available to psychologists with a doctoral degree? A. Occupations are limited to social services jobs, mid-level managers, and financial positions. B. Occupations are vast and can include positions in universities, health care, and private industry. C. Occupations are confined to clinical and counseling positions in hospitals, schools, and prisons. D. Occupations are immense but competitive, so psychologists usually work in accounting.
Occupations in psychology are vast that can include positions in universities , health care, and private industry . Option B is correct.
Psychology deals with the study of the behavior of animals and humans in different conditions .
It has a wide range of applications from medical treatment to schools .
They deal with the treatment of mental , emotional, and behavioral disorders such as depression, anxiety , and phobias .
Other occupation areas include rehabilitation , schools, organizations, community, forensics , etc.
Therefore, the psychologist has a wide range of occupations to choose and there is not too much competition .
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B. Occupations are vast and can include positions in universities, health care, and private industry
what are 5 typical gifts that are given to the quinceańera?
Crosses,medals,bibles,scepters,and tiaras,
Children are the future of the country. Why?
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A novel fixed-point iteration approach for solving troesch’s problem.
2. overview of green’s function and iterative method, 2.1. construction of green’s function for troesch’s bvps, 2.2. a concise description of f-green’s iteration method, 3. main results, 3.1. convergence analysis, 3.2. stability analysis, 3.3. numerical computations, 4. conclusions and future work, disadvantages of the proposed iterative method.
Data availability statement, acknowledgments, conflicts of interest.
Click here to enlarge figure
Sr. No. | Iterations | Picard–Green | Mann–Green | F-Green |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 0.3000000 | 0.3000000 | 0.3000000 |
2 | 1 | 0.2884691 | 0.2896222 | 0.2887944 |
3 | 2 | 0.2888032 | 0.2888550 | 0.2887944 |
4 | 3 | 0.2887942 | 0.2887988 | 0.2887944 |
5 | 4 | 0.2887944 | 0.2887964 | 0.2887944 |
6 | 5 | 0.2887944 | 0.2887948 | 0.2887944 |
7 | 6 | 0.2887944 | 0.2887944 | 0.2887944 |
8 | 7 | 0.2887944 | 0.2887944 | 0.2887944 |
9 | 8 | 0.2887944 | 0.2887944 | 0.2887944 |
10 | 9 | 0.2887944 | 0.2887944 | 0.2887944 |
Sr. No. | Iterations | Picard–Green | Mann–Green | F-Green |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 0.6000000 | 0.6000000 | 0.6000000 |
2 | 1 | 0.5837262 | 0.5853536 | 0.5841332 |
3 | 2 | 0.5841438 | 0.5842272 | 0.5841332 |
4 | 3 | 0.5841330 | 0.5841405 | 0.5841332 |
5 | 4 | 0.5841332 | 0.5841370 | 0.5841332 |
6 | 5 | 0.5841332 | 0.5841356 | 0.5841332 |
7 | 6 | 0.5841332 | 0.5841332 | 0.5841332 |
8 | 7 | 0.5841332 | 0.5841332 | 0.5841332 |
9 | 8 | 0.5841332 | 0.5841332 | 0.5841332 |
10 | 9 | 0.5841332 | 0.5841332 | 0.5841332 |
Sr. No. | t | Picard–Green, Err ( ) | Mann–Green, Err ( ) | F-Green, Err ( ) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0.10 | 0.0139 | 0.0125 | 0.0123 |
2 | 0.20 | 0.0270 | 0.0243 | 0.0241 |
3 | 0.30 | 0.0385 | 0.0347 | 0.0345 |
4 | 0.40 | 0.0475 | 0.0428 | 0.0425 |
5 | 0.50 | 0.0532 | 0.0479 | 0.0477 |
6 | 0.60 | 0.0548 | 0.0493 | 0.0490 |
7 | 0.70 | 0.0512 | 0.0461 | 0.0458 |
8 | 0.80 | 0.0415 | 0.0374 | 0.0373 |
9 | 0.90 | 0.0248 | 0.0223 | 0.0221 |
10 | 0.99 | 0.0029 | 0.0026 | 0.0025 |
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Filali, D.; Ali, F.; Akram, M.; Dilshad, M. A Novel Fixed-Point Iteration Approach for Solving Troesch’s Problem. Symmetry 2024 , 16 , 856. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16070856
Filali D, Ali F, Akram M, Dilshad M. A Novel Fixed-Point Iteration Approach for Solving Troesch’s Problem. Symmetry . 2024; 16(7):856. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16070856
Filali, Doaa, Faeem Ali, Mohammad Akram, and Mohammad Dilshad. 2024. "A Novel Fixed-Point Iteration Approach for Solving Troesch’s Problem" Symmetry 16, no. 7: 856. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym16070856
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Learn how to define, generate, evaluate and implement solutions for quality problems using the four-step problem-solving process. Find resources, articles, books, case studies and webcasts on problem solving methods and tools.
Problem-solving is a mental process that involves discovering, analyzing, and solving problems. The ultimate goal of problem-solving is to overcome obstacles and find a solution that best resolves the issue. The best strategy for solving a problem depends largely on the unique situation. In some cases, people are better off learning everything ...
The problem-solving process typically includes the following steps: Identify the issue: Recognize the problem that needs to be solved. Analyze the situation: Examine the issue in depth, gather all relevant information, and consider any limitations or constraints that may be present. Generate potential solutions: Brainstorm a list of possible ...
What is problem solving? Problem solving is a process of finding and implementing a solution to a challenge or obstacle. In most contexts, this means going through a problem solving process that begins with identifying the issue, exploring its root causes, ideating and refining possible solutions before implementing and measuring the impact of that solution.
The first step in solving a problem is understanding what that problem actually is. You need to be sure that you're dealing with the real problem - not its symptoms. For example, if performance in your department is substandard, you might think that the problem lies with the individuals submitting work. However, if you look a bit deeper, the ...
Problem-solving is not a flawless process as there are a number of obstacles that can interfere with our ability to solve a problem quickly and efficiently. These obstacles include: Assumptions: When dealing with a problem, people can make assumptions about the constraints and obstacles that prevent certain solutions.
In insight problem-solving, the cognitive processes that help you solve a problem happen outside your conscious awareness. 4. Working backward. Working backward is a problem-solving approach often ...
Step 1 - Define the Problem. The definition of the problem is the first step in effective problem solving. This may appear to be a simple task, but it is actually quite difficult. This is because problems are frequently complex and multi-layered, making it easy to confuse symptoms with the underlying cause.
Problem solving is the process of achieving a goal by overcoming obstacles, a frequent part of most activities. Problems in need of solutions range from simple personal tasks (e.g. how to turn on an appliance) to complex issues in business and technical fields. The former is an example of simple problem solving (SPS) addressing one issue ...
Problem solving is the process of working through every aspect of an issue or challenge to reach a solution. Decision making is choosing one of multiple proposed solutions — therefore, this process also includes defining and evaluating all potential options. Decision making is often one step of the problem solving process, but the two ...
It starts with an "affirmative topic," followed by the "positive core (strengths).". Then this method delves into the following stages: Discovery (fact-finding) Dream (visioning the future) Design (strategic purpose) Destiny (continuous improvement) 3. "FIVE WHYS" METHOD. The 5 Whys of Problem-Solving Method.
How to Solve Problems. To bring the best ideas forward, teams must build psychological safety. Teams today aren't just asked to execute tasks: They're called upon to solve problems. You'd ...
Instead, you should look at problem solving more as a process with several steps involved that will help you reach the best outcome. Those steps are: Define the problem. List all the possible solutions. Evaluate the options. Select the best solution. Create an implementation plan. Communicate your solution.
There's a 5-step process that you can follow that will allow you to solve your challenges more efficiently and effectively. In short, you need to move through these 5 steps: Defining a problem. Ideating on a solution. Committing to a course of action. Implementing your solution. And finally - analyzing the results.
The problem solving process typically includes: Pinpointing what's broken by gathering data and consulting with team members. Figuring out why it's not working by mapping out and troubleshooting the problem. Deciding on the most effective way to fix it by brainstorming and then implementing a solution. While skills like active listening ...
In this episode of the McKinsey Podcast, Simon London speaks with Charles Conn, CEO of venture-capital firm Oxford Sciences Innovation, and McKinsey senior partner Hugo Sarrazin about the complexities of different problem-solving strategies.. Podcast transcript. Simon London: Hello, and welcome to this episode of the McKinsey Podcast, with me, Simon London.
The 7 Steps to Problem-Solving is a systematic approach used to address complex issues, make informed decisions, and find effective solutions to problems. These steps typically include: 1. Identifying the Problem: Clearly define the issue or challenge that needs to be resolved. 2.
Related: 10 Ideation Techniques for Problem-Solving. 4. Ask for support and feedback. Another way to build your problem-solving strategy is by asking your team for feedback. You can get ideas from mentors or colleagues on how they solve problems, or you can ask for feedback on a draft of your problem-solving process.
If problem is resolved, remove activities that were added previously to contain the problem. Step 8: Continuously Improve. Look for additional opportunities to implement solution. Ensure problem will not come back and communicate lessons learned. If needed, repeat the 8-Step Problem Solving Process to drive further improvements.
The problem-solving process will help you measure your progress against factors like budget, timelines and deliverables. The point is to get the key stakeholders on the same page about the 'what', 'why' and 'how' of the process. Let's discuss the five-step problem-solving process that you can adopt.
Get unlimited access to all our career-boosting content and member benefits with our 7-day free trial. Although problem-solving is something everyone does on a daily basis, many people lack confidence in their ability. Here we look at the basic problem-solving process to help keep you on the right track.
Although problem-solving is a skill in its own right, a subset of seven skills can help make the process of problem-solving easier. These include analysis, communication, emotional intelligence, resilience, creativity, adaptability, and teamwork. 1. Analysis. As a manager, you'll solve each problem by assessing the situation first.
Here's a breakdown of a common problem-solving process, presented in a pointwise manner: 1. Identifying the Problem. The first step in the problem-solving process is clearly defining the issue. This involves gathering relevant Information, observing patterns or trends, and understanding the impact of the problem on stakeholders.
Problems often arise in organizational life. From understanding the root cause of a problem to using the power of empathy, here are five strategies for solving problems.
Problem-based learning (PBL) uses small-group discussions of clinical cases as the stimulus for learning. It is a process that values how students can direct their own learning, fostering the development of problem-solving and life-long learning skills.
The statement that evaluating the solution is the last step of the problem solving process is False.. What is Problem solving process? Problem solving process can be regarded as an act of defining a problem, then look for the cause of the problem and implementing a solution.. It can be sectioned into steps which are;. Identification of the Problem.Do the analyzes the Problem.make a description ...
This paper introduces a novel F fixed-point iteration method that leverages Green's function for solving the nonlinear Troesch problem in Banach spaces, which are symmetric spaces. The Troesch problem, characterized by its challenging boundary conditions and nonlinear nature, is significant in various physical and engineering applications. The proposed method integrates fixed-point theory ...