Defining the Problem
The key to a good problem definition is ensuring that you deal with the real problem – not its symptoms. For example, if performance in your department is substandard, you might think the problem is with the individuals submitting work. However, if you look a bit deeper, the real issue might be a lack of training, or an unreasonable workload.
Tools like 5 Whys [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] , Appreciation [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] and Root Cause Analysis [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] help you ask the right questions, and work through the layers of a problem to uncover what's really going on.
At this stage, it's also important to ensure that you look at the issue from a variety of perspectives. If you commit yourself too early, you can end up with a problem statement that's really a solution instead. For example, consider this problem statement: "We have to find a way of disciplining of people who do substandard work." This doesn't allow you the opportunity of discovering the real reasons for under-performance. The CATWOE [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] checklist provides a powerful reminder to look at many elements that may contribute to the problem, and to expand your thinking around it.
Understanding Complexity
When your problem is simple, the solution is usually obvious, and you don't need to follow the four steps we outlined earlier. So it follows that when you're taking this more formal approach, your problem is likely to be complex and difficult to understand, because there's a web of interrelated issues.
The good news is that there are numerous tools you can use to make sense of this tangled mess! Many of these help you create a clear visual representation of the situation, so that you can better understand what's going on.
Affinity Diagrams [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] are great for organizing many different pieces of information into common themes, and for discovering relationships between these.
Another popular tool is the Cause-and-Effect Diagram [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] . To generate viable solutions, you must have a solid understanding of what's causing the problem. Using our example of substandard work, Cause-and-Effect diagrams would highlight that a lack of training could contribute to the problem, and they could also highlight possible causes such as work overload and problems with technology.
When your problem occurs within a business process, creating a Flow Chart [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] , Swim Lane Diagram [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] or a Systems Diagram [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] will help you see how various activities and inputs fit together. This will often help you identify a missing element or bottleneck [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] that's causing your problem.
Quite often, what may seem to be a single problem turns out to be a whole series of problems. Going back to our example, substandard work could be caused by insufficient skills, but excessive workloads could also be contributing, as could excessively short lead times and poor motivation. The Drill Down [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] technique will help you split your problem into smaller parts, each of which can then be solved appropriately.
Problem-Solving Processes
The four-step approach to solving problems that we mentioned at the beginning of this article will serve you well in many situations. However, for a more comprehensive process, you can use Simplex, Appreciative Inquiry or Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). These provide detailed steps that you can use to solve a problem effectively.
Simplex [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] involves an eight-stage process: problem finding, fact finding, defining the problem, idea finding, selecting and evaluating, planning, selling the idea, and acting. These steps build upon the basic process described earlier, and they create a cycle of problem finding and solving that will continually improve your organization.
Appreciative Inquiry [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] takes a uniquely positive approach by helping you solve problems by examining what's working well in the areas surrounding them.
Soft Systems Methodology [Add to My Personal Learning Plan] is designed to help you understand complex problems so that you can start the process of solving them. It uses four stages to help you uncover more details about what's creating the problem, and then define actions that will improve the situation.
Key Points
Using established tools and techniques will help you improve your approach to solving the problems that your team and your organization face. You'll be more successful at solving problems and, because of this, more successful at what you do. What's more, you'll begin to build a reputation as someone who can handle tough situations, in a wise and positive way.
This site teaches you the skills you need for a happy and successful career; and this is just one of many tools a