All tagged problem statements
This is a booklet that describes the process of thinking through a situation, using the TOC Logical Thinking Processes, to show how systems thinking plays an important role in really developing lasting solutions to problems, whether they bedevil the homeowner as in this example, or a business. Thinking is the key in any systems thinking approach!
An article on CIO.com about Why IT project still fail gets me riled up. All the reasons listed are simply solutions in reverse - solutions that get suggested over and over again in various venues. The fact that projects “still” fail might suggest that these problems aren’t the real problem, that they are symptoms of a deeper cause. It’s only once we resolve the deeper cause that the problems will lessen or go away entirely.
I heard a different way to articulate conflicts today on a podcast that might help shed some light or give some different language. Rather than thinking about the actions people want to take as causing the conflict, think of them as positions. And the positions come out of interests. People get entrenched in their positions, as it often seems the only way to meet their needs. But when we articulate the situation more clearly, we can start checking underneath - how does that position satisfy that interest? (How does that action meet your need?) Articulating the conflict often helps us see there maybe there are some things in common as well as understanding the assumptions we have about why our position is “right.” This new terminology adds to the options I have when thinking about these kinds of situations.
Jamie Flinchbaugh has a new book out about problem-solving, People Solve Problems: The Power of Every Person, Every Day, Every Problem. The basic setup is reasonable - we all solve problems all the time, how should we think about it? I like how this isn’t a set of specific directions for problem solving, but rather what any approach to problem solving should have from the individual contributors through to the leaders.
When I heard about Dan Markovitz’ The Conclusion Trap, I knew it was right up my alley. the book gives us a straightforward guide to thinking better about "problems,” rather than jumping to the first solution that comes to mind.
Albert Einstein: “It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.”
Root causes on the mind, clearly. This time an article from the Farnam Street blog talks about the difference between proximate and root causes.
A lot of people struggle to identify the “real” problem they have. Some thoughts about the typical challenges with problem statements and ways around them.
The latest DFJ Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders podcast has a great discussion from Julie Zhou, VP of Product Design at Facebook, about creating great solutions to problems. You need to define the problem well!
How many projects in businesses today are focused on building / implementing a solution without understanding why? Your problem isn't the lack of a solution.
Problem statements aren’t always clear. Jon Miller provides a nice top 10 list of “problems with problem statements” and then I riff on that.