How to Define a Problem

is quoted as having said that if he had one hour to save the world he would spend fiftyfive minutes defining the problem and only five minutes finding the solution. This quote does illustrate an important point: before jumping right into solving a problem, we should step back and invest time and effort to improve our understanding of it. Here are strategies you can use to see problems from many different perspectives and master what is the most important step in problem solving: clearly defining the problem in the first place!

Edit Steps
. Rephrase the Problem. !hen an e"ecutive asked employees to brainstorm #ways to increase their productivity$, all he got back were blank stares. !hen he rephrased his request as #ways to make their jobs easier$, he could barely keep up with the amount of suggestions. !ords carry strong implicit meaning and, as such, play a major role in how we perceive a problem. %n the e"ample above, &be productive' might seem like a sacrifice you're doing for the company, while &make your job easier' may be more like something you're doing for your own benefit, but from which the company also benefits. %n the end, the problem is still the same, but the feelings ( and the points of view ( associated with each of them are vastly different. )ds by *oogle

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4lay freely with the problem statement, rewording it several times. .or a methodical approach, take single words and substitute variations. &%ncrease sales'5 Try replacing &increase' with &attract', &develop', &e"tend', &repeat' and see how your perception of the problem changes. ) rich vocabulary plays an important role here, so you may want to use a thesaurus or develop your vocabulary.

6. 6 Expose and Challenge Assumptions. 7very problem ( no matter how apparently simple it may be ( comes with a long list of assumptions attached. 8any of these assumptions may be inaccurate and could make your problem statement inadequate or even misguided.

The first step to get rid of bad assumptions is to make them e"plicit. !rite a list and e"pose as many assumptions as you can ( especially those that may seem the most obvious and &untouchable'. That, in itself, brings more clarity to the problem at hand. 7ssentially, you need to learn how to think like a philosopher. ,ut go further and test each assumption for validity: think in ways that they might not be valid and their consequences. !hat you will find may surprise you: that many of those bad assumptions are self9imposed ( with just a bit of scrutiny you are able to safely drop them. /ead up on How to ,e a :keptic. .or e"ample, suppose you're about to enter the restaurant business. -ne of your assumptions might be &restaurants have a menu'. !hile such an assumption may seem true at first, try challenging it and maybe you'll find some very interesting business models ;such as one restaurant in which customers bring dish ideas for the chef to cook, for e"ample<.

=. = Chunk p. 7ach problem is a small piece of a greater problem. %n the same way that you can e"plore a problem laterally ( such as by playing with words or challenging assumptions ( you can also e"plore it at different #altitudes$.
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%f you feel you're overwhelmed with details or looking at a problem too narrowly, look at it from a more general perspective. %n order to make your problem more general, ask questions such as: #!hat's this a part of5$, #!hat's this an e"ample of5$ or #!hat's the intention behind this5$.
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)nother approach that helps a lot in getting a more general view of a problem is replacing words in the problem statement with hypernyms. Hypernyms are words that have a broader meaning than the given word. ;.or e"ample, a hypernym of &car' is &vehicle'<. ) great, free tool for finding hypernyms for a given word is !ord@et ;just search for a word and click on the &::' label before the word definitions<. ) good question worth asking is whether the AproblemA youBre defining is really just a symptom of a deeper problem. .or e"ample, a high heating bill might be the AproblemA and an obvious solution would be to check to see if your heating system is broken, or needs updating for better efficiency. ,ut maybe the bigger problem is that the people in your house use heat wastefully, and whyBs that5 ,ecause they donBt perceive the negative consequencesC they donBt have to pay the bill themselves, perhaps, so theyBre not conscious of how wasting heat will affect them.

D. D Chunk !o"n. %f each problem is part of a greater problem, it also means that each problem is composed of many smaller problems. %t turns out that decomposing a problem in many smaller problems ( each of them more specific than the original ( can also provide greater insights about it. &2hunking the

problem down' ;making it more specific< is especially useful if you find the problem overwhelming or daunting.
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:ome of the typical questions you can ask to make a problem more specific are: #!hat are parts of this5$ or #!hat are e"amples of this5$. Eust as in &chunking up', word substitution can also come to great use here. The class of words that are useful here are hyponyms: words that are stricter in meaning than the given one. ;7.g. two hyponyms of &car' are &minivan' and &limousine'<. !ord@et can also help you finding hyponyms.

0. 0 #ind $ultiple Perspecti%es. ,efore rushing to solve a problem, always make sure you look at it from different perspectives. Fooking at it with different eyes is a great way to have instant insight on new, overlooked directions.
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.or e"ample, if you own a business and are trying to &increase sales', try to view this problem from the point of view of, say, a customer. .or e"ample, from the customer's viewpoint, this may be a matter of adding features to your product that one would be willing to pay more for. /ewrite your problem statement many times, each time using one of these different perspectives. How would your competition see this problem5 +our employees5 +our mom5 )lso, imagine how people in various roles would frame the problem. How would a politician see it5 ) college professor5 ) nun5 Try to find the differences and similarities on how the different roles would deal with your problem.

G. G se Effecti%e &anguage Constructs. There isn't a one9siHe9fits9all formula for properly crafting the perfect problem statement, but there are some language constructs that always help making it more effective:
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)ssume a myriad of solutions. )n e"cellent way to start a problem statement is: #%n what ways might %I$. This e"pression is much superior to #How can %I$ as it hints that there's a multitude of solutions, and not just one ( or maybe none. )s simple as this sounds, the feeling of e"pectancy helps your brain find solutions. 8ake it positive. @egative sentences require a lot more cognitive power to process and may slow you down ( or even derail your train of thought. 4ositive statements also help you find the real goal behind the problem and, as such, are much more motivating. .or e"ample: instead of finding ways to &quit smoking', you may find that &increase your energy', &live longer' and others are much more worthwhile goals. .rame your problem in the form of a question. -ur brain loves questions. %f the question is powerful and engaging, our brains will do everything within their reach to answer it. !e just can't help it: -ur brains will start

working on the problem immediately and keep working in the background, even when we're not aware of it. %f you're still stuck, consider using the following formula for phrasing your problem statement: #%n what ways ;action< ;object< ;qualifier< ;end result<5$ 7"ample: %n what ways might % package ;action< my book ;object< more attractively ;qualifier< so people will buy more of it ;end result<5

J. J $ake 't Engaging. %n addition to using effective language constructs, it's important to come up with a problem statement that truly e"cites you so you're in the best frame of mind for creatively tackling the problem. %f the problem looks too dull for you, invest the time adding vigor to it while still keeping it genuine. 8ake it enticing. +our brain will thank ;and reward< you later.
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-ne thing is to &increase sales' ;boring<, another one is &wow your customers'. -ne thing is &to create a personal development blog', another completely different is to &empower readers to live fully'.

K. K Re%erse the Problem. -ne trick that usually helps when you're stuck with a problem is turning it on its head. %f you want to win, find out what would make you lose. %f you are struggling finding ways to &increase sales', find ways to decrease them instead. Then, all you need to do is reverse your answers.
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&8ake more sales calls' may seem an evident way of increasing sales, but sometimes we only see these &obvious' answers when we look at the problem from an opposite direction. This seemingly convoluted method may not seem intuitive at first, but turning a problem on its head can uncover rather obvious solutions to the original problem.

L. L Gather #acts. %nvestigate causes and circumstances of the problem. 4robe details about it ( such as its origins and causes. 7specially if you have a problem that's too vague, investigating facts is usually more productive than trying to solve it right away.
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%f, for e"ample, the problem stated by your spouse is #+ou never listen to me$, the solution is not obvious. However, if the statement is #+ou don't make enough eye contact when %'m talking to you,$ then the solution is obvious and you can skip brainstorming altogether. ;+ou'll still need to work on the implementation, though!< )sk yourself questions about the problem. !hat is not known about it5 !hen did it last work correctly5 2an you draw a diagram of the problem5 !hat are the problem boundaries5 ,e curious. )sk questions and gather

facts. %t is said that a well9defined problem is halfway to being solved: you could add that a perfectly9defined problem is not even a problem anymore! )ds by *oogle

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!hat most of us don't realiHe ( and what supposedly 7instein might have been alluding to ( is that the quality of the solutions we come up with will be in direct proportion to the quality of the description of the problem we're trying to solve. @ot only will your solutions be more abundant and of higher quality, but they'll be achieved much, much more easily. 8ost importantly, you'll have the confidence to be tackling a worthwhile problem. How much effort you invest in defining the problem in contrast to how much effort you invest in solving your actual problem is a hard balance to achieve, though one which is attainable with practice. 00 minutes of defining a problem versus 0 minutes acting is not necessarily the best proportion. The point is that we must be aware of how important problem defining is and correct our tendency to spend too little time on it.

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Purpose *hy +o" &ook #or"ard Go On

)his is your initial rough cut proposal to gain funding to address a problem, 't "ill be modified later as more detailed information becomes a%ailable, !etermine problem-s significance and priority

Purpose

)o pro%ide a preliminary idea of "hat the problem is )o see "hat you "ant to do about it )o determine the amount of effort and resources to de%ote to it

Choosing the right problem to sol%e is the half"ay mark to success,

*hy.

)his is the first step to"ard getting funding, !ecisionmakers at e%ery stage of the budget process confront a plethora of problems clamoring to be sol%ed, )hey "eed out the ones that are poorly defined or that aren-t a priority, Carefully defining the problem "ill focus your efforts and reduce "aste,

*ithout a clear definition of the problem/ no one can take actions to sol%e it,

+o".

!efine the Problem

(e a"are of "hat is happening in the area to help define the problem-s context and identify the root causes,

At this point/ remember you need to seek official sanction to address the problem, 0eep in touch "ith sponsors and decisionmakers to make sure that you can continue to pursue the problem and find funding sources, See if you can help others 1ustify their in%ol%ement by sho"ing the significance/ the current and future impacts of the problem/ and the potential benefits of sol%ing the problem, At this stage/ you simply need a ballpark/ conceptual definition you can shape and redefine later, )his does not mean that you are taking a "ild guess/ nor does it mean that you are seeing only part of the picture, Clearly defining the problem no" "ill build a foundation that "ill be immensely %aluable later, Communicate E%eryone sees the problem differently/ so pull in a "ide range of perspecti%es from all stakeholders at all le%els, &isten to existing partnerships22 they "ill ha%e an idea about your proposal and related problems, Get in%ol%ed in defining the problem early, )his "ay you "ill be able to determine ho" people percei%e the priorities and needs22"hat is important to them, Extrapolate from "hat you kno", Compare your action "ith other similar problem2sol%ing efforts, *here there are similarities/ see ho" far they go, *here there are differences/ think about "hat these differences might mean for the study 3e,g,/ if this particular selenium problem in%ol%es an additional source of selenium or affects commercial recreation on a reser%oir "here the other study didn-t/ then "hat affect might that ha%e.4 Ob1ecti%es "ill change and de%elop as the process progresses, (ut starting out "ith an idea of "here you are going "ill help focus the proposal and allo" others to react to something concrete22thus pro%iding better/ more useful input early in the process, #ind standards or measurements that mean something, &ay out some clear planning ob1ecti%es5 "hat/ "hen/ "here, )he more specific the measurements and timeframes/ the better, 3)hese can al"ays change later "hen you get more information,4

Refine the Ob1ecti%es

&ook at Constraints

Examining constraints at this early stage "ill help shape the study and steer clear of fatal fla"s, Check out existing

regulations, &ook at the constraints on similar actions, Chances are they "ill apply to your process as "ell,

!etermine the Priority

Priorities determine funding and actions, *hile the Administration and the Congress "ill make the final call on funding and priority/ your first cut "ill pro%ide a useful perspecti%e, #igure out ho" important the problem is and ho" it relates to funded initiati%es, )he more significant/ the higher the priority and the more likely the funding, !ocument the findings so decisionmakers can determine "hether to pursue the proposal, )his should include5 )he o%erall picture, !efine the problemshed, !etermine "hat the demands are on the resources and ho" you "ill meet those demands, Consider both the local context and the interrelationships "ith other influences/ actions/ and problems on a "ider scale, 6eeds to address, !efine the problem in terms of the number of people "ho may be in%ol%ed 3and "ho may gain or lose4, *ill the solution address one need or many. Some descriptions "ill be general 3e,g,/ ri%er basin management/ "ater use allocation4 "hile others may be 7uite specific 3e,g,/ impro%e flo"s in Alfalfa 6ational *ildlife Refuge/ po"er re"inds4, ni7ue aspects, E%ery decision is dri%en by uni7ue/ finite facts, Cookbook approaches and automatic assumptions can pro%e deadly at this point, Consciously looking for "hat is different about this problem "ill help you identify key issues/ concerns/ and resources early, #uture pro1ections, )o manage resources effecti%ely/ look at the long term, )alk to demographers/ economists/ and other experts to predict "hat the resources and demands "ill be,

!etermine the Significance !ocument

Reclamation-s role, )o sho"case this problem as a priority that Reclamation needs to fund/ sho" ho" the problem relates to our mission, Ask yourself5 if "e sol%e this problem here/ "ill "e 1ust create one in another area. 3e,g,/ if "e build le%ees and dams here for flood control/ "ill the floods simply mo%e do"nstream.4 0eep this 7uestion in your hip pocket 22you-ll probably "ant to re2ans"er it throughout the process, )ake yet another look to make sure that "hat you ha%e defined actually is significant, 'f not/ be "illing to say so, 't may be that a special interest group has a specific agenda or that circumstances ha%e changed, You might "ant to refer it to other local agencies "ho can deal "ith it on a smaller le%el or to a partnership dealing "ith similar problems, Al"ays look around and see if this small problem is part of a larger issue "ithin the "atershed, 'f it is significant/ keep going to get partners/ funding/ and authority, Emphasi8e "hy addressing the problem is important by sho"ing the depth and breadth of the need that the solution "ould meet, se the proposal to explain "hy resources should be spent to address these problems/ needs/ and opportunities to help decisionmakers effecti%ely set priorities, $ake sure the people "ho identified the problem kno" the status of actions,

&ook #or"ard

Guide | Take a Tour | Start Your Decision Process |Index to Guide | Guide Site Map | Guide Help

!ecision Analysis

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Purpose *hy +o" Go On

Purpose

Apply a systematic thought process to understand data and actions rele%ant to finding a solution to a problem, Produce information in a useful form to find or refine a solution,

*hy.

!ecision processes are complex and messy22but necessary to get to a balanced/ "orkable solution, )o manage the process/ decision analysts and facilitators organi8e information as it comes in, )his helps to5

Create a systematic thought process, E%eryone makes Sho" the e%ol%ing relationships of an analytical decisions/ and decisionmaking process, "e take it for granted, 't is so !ocument rationales for analytical methods/ e%aluation automatic/ "e factors/ and decisions don-t reali8e ho" much "e are doing, Recogni8e "hat you are doing to

de%elop good habits of decision making,

+o"

!on-t count the number of steps )he decison process pro%ides a frame"ork to organi8e the you take up the input, Steps in the process ser%e as categories for mountain, information 3 se "hiteboards/ flip charts/ or the decision process "orksheets to keep track4, )o become familiar A%oiding the "ith the steps/ go through the process yourself first22as a cliffs is "hat team member or on an indi%idual decision, )his "ill help counts, sho" "hat goes "here, 36ote that the number of steps is not sacred22some books say 9 steps/ others :/ and still others ;<, =ust follo" a logical/ "ell thought out approach,4 !ecision processes are simultaneous22rather than lock2step "ith discrete/ separate phases, *hen you learned to dri%e/ sing a you learned about each step separately22but many steps #rame"ork are applied simultaneously/ and all flo" together into one smooth motion, &ike"ise/ information for many different steps comes in simultaneously/ and it may become confusing, sing the steps as a frame"ork to sho" "hat information goes "here allo"s the group to see immediately that there are gaps "hich need to be filled in before implementation, *hile decision analysis is a constant process/ bringing it out in the open at critical 1unctures can a%oid conflicts and keep participants on track5 'nitial %enting Potentially affected indi%iduals and groups ha%e been ste"ing about the problems for a "hile before the process is formally started, 'nitial sessions "ill probably %ent many fears and frustrations, 'n the midst of this/ many needs / goals / resources > constraints / and options "ill be %oiced, Some indi%iduals may e%en feel they ha%e the solution in

An experienced facilitator can guide the group through a process to determine "hat needs to be done and "hat "ill be necessary to complete the process, )he group then becomes a unit "orking together to sol%e the problem22 rather than an aggregate of indi%iduals "ithout focus,

hand, Recording these "ill help participants see that a lot has already been done to de%elop and e%aluate effecti%e solutions22and "hat more needs to be done, At each meeting Summari8ing the decision analysis prior to and at the beginning of each meeting pro%ides an analytical statement of "here the group is and "here it is going, )eam leaders can briefly state accomplishments and status of tasks to logically lead into "hat is to be accomplished at the meeting, )aking stock +a%ing a list of "hat has been done at each step helps 7uickly determine ho" changes "ill affect the process and "hat needs to be done to accommodate these changes, )his information and insights can then help update the action plan, )he decision process is not a linear/ neat package, 'n fact/ it isn-t e%en one process, Rather as in dri%ing/ one process to identify and handle problems or changes starts "hile in the midst of another, Smaller processes determine one aspect of analy8ing data/ documenting and communicating effecti%ely/ or refining a component/ "hile larger processes co%er the o%erall solution, #urther/ the process does not go directly from point A to point (, At times/ it seems as though you ha%e skidded back to a ?pre%ious step,? Actually/ you are repeating an action but "ith a broader/ clearer understanding of issues and participants, 6e" players 3interest groups/ core team members/ politicians/ and others4 enter the process at %arious points@ ne" data lead to different e%aluations )hink of the process as a spiral as you re%isit these steps at a more comprehensi%e/ ?higher? le%el,

Going in Circles

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+urdles Chart

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Chart Go On

+urdles Chart

+urdles
&oss of funding

*ays to 1ump o%er them

!etermine if the pro1ect "arrants further support, 'f not/ re%isit the problem@ if so/ explain the situation, 'f the pro1ect is acti%ely supported/ participants can ask Congress for funding and seek other funding sources,

se the hurdles chart in con1unction "ith reality checks and Propose a direction and purpose for regular stock the study, ncertain taking to directions for the determine "hat study Ask participants to re%ise it, may be delaying your

process22and "hat you might do about it,

Get management 3e,g,/ Regional !irector/ Commissioner/ Secretary/ Congress4 agreement on the modified proposal, $ake sure the authority and mission allo" for proposed directions, Communicate, $ultiple agencies "ith conflicting $ake sure e%eryone understands policies and other issues and perspecti%es, priorities Reach agreements on basic ob1ecti%es and ground rules, See if politics and priorities can change, nfocused management or leadership Re7uest clarification from leadership by drafting a statement of goals and actions for leaders to re%ise,

Communicate "ith each group to !ifferent groups assess the le%el of a"areness and at different stages understanding, of understanding Spend time to educate all groups and promote group interaction so that most are at the same le%el, Parties entering in at different stages in the study (e prepared to bring each group or indi%idual up to speed as they become in%ol%ed, 0eep a basic information packet 3including your action plan4 current and pro%ide it to e%eryone in%ol%ed, *rite out "hat you see as the priorities and ask management>leadership>other partners to clarify these priorities,

Conflicting or uncertain priorities

ncertain moti%ation/ competing for team members time and attention,

Set a schedule for completion of tasks and confirm it "ith all participants, !etermine program-s o%erall priority "ith decisionmakers *ork "ith super%isors to schedule resources !etermine "hat can be done on a catch2as2castch2csan basis 3and regularly remind team members of these secondary tasks4 Employ team building techni7ues,

&oss of morale or purpose among Clarify ob1ecti%es, participants Celebrate successes so far, (reak the tasks do"n into doable parts, se inno%ation 3bring donuts/ informal appreciati%e a"ards/ ?round tuits /? etc,4 Communicate22figure out "hy people 6onparticipation are not participating, (riefly explain "here "e are/ "here "e are going/ and "hy, Re7uest participation, Replace nonparticipants if possible, Communicate "ith the super%isors of internal nonparticipants to ascertain the difficulty, Clarify conse7uences of nonparticipation for both core team members and external players, $ake it clear that the process "ill continue,

&ocked into a solution before analysis

Go back and clearly establish the need and purpose for the process 3e,g,/ is the action really to build a dam or to pro%ide a "ater supply.4 Redefine ob1ecti%es to be meaningful and realistic "ithin the problem-s context, Go to the decisionmakers/ team members/ and other participants to confirm the modified ob1ecti%es

nrealistic ob1ecti%es

$ore than one %ision of the ob1ecti%e

nify the participants around one or more ob1ecti%es, Clearly communicate "hat each participant sees as the ob1ecti%e, Re%ie" the authority and context, Remember that you can-t address e%ery need,

nrealistic constraints

Propose changing the constraints 3e,g,/ propose changing regulations or la"s4, Explain "hy constraints are unrealistic and benefits that may arise from lifting constraints or compromising to "ork around constraints, Get ?buy in? from participants,

na%ailable resources

Re7uest resources from decisionmakers22explain "hy you need them, Obtain resources through leadership>management or by adding other groups, )hink about partnerships or groups addressing similar issues,

Conflicting definitions of terms

Create a glossary of terms for all participants, se interacti%e meetings to re%ise and agree on these definitions, Cuestion assumptions, #or example/ ?natural resources? / ?aesthetics?/ and ?"ater 7uality ? mean %ery different things to different groups22 yet each group assumes the other means the same thing they do,

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!efining the Problem

Solvin problems be ins wit! understandin t!em"

Fogin to 2omment ; Fogin 3 /egister < /ss :end )rticle 4rint )uthor )rchive

) few years ago, we had a mysterious scratching sound in our attic. 8y 09year9old daughter was terrified, and everybody's sleep was being interrupted on a nightly basis. #!e need to do something about the noise in our attic,$ % told my daughter. #@o!$ she cried. #Mon't go into the attic. %t's too scary.$ % talked to my daughter, and it was obvious that the vagueness and seeming enormity of the problem terrified her. :he didn't understand the problem, thus it was overwhelming. %n my daughter's mind, the sound in the attic could be bats, snakes, ghosts, vampires, or big hairy monsters. % took my daughter's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeHe. #%'m a little scared, too,$ % told her. #,ut if we can learn more about the problem, % bet we can solve it.$ 8y daughter seemed dubious, but she agreed to help me investigate the situation. !e went into the attic with a flashlight, stabbing the beam of light into the dark and dusky corners. %t didn't take long for us to figure out the nature of our problem. !e saw tiny eyes and furry little faces staring at us. #They're just squirrels,$ my daughter giggled. #They snuck into the attic.$ #% guess the scratching doesn't scare you anymore,$ % said. #@o,$ she said, #it's not scary. !e know what the problem is. %t's not scratching soundsC it's squirrels.$ 8y daughter had made a profound discovery about problem9solving. :he knew how to define a problem. )rmed with that knowledge, she was prepared to help solve it. !e have to define e"actly what the problem is. ,ig hairy problems are scary and unsolvable. !e also have to move beyond the immediate symptoms of the problem and e"plore the deeper details. %t's -P to start with a big hairy problem, but we have to quickly sharpen our focus. -nly then can we really understand what we're facing and begin solving it. The diagram in figure illustrates the process of defining a problem. !e start with the vague and symptomatic and move toward the specific and factual.

Specific details instead of s#mptoms

:ymptoms ;such as the scratching sound in the attic< are the raw materials of a problem statement, but they're only the start. %t's usually necessary to do some preliminary investigation to determine e"actly what the problem is. Eust as my daughter and % went into the attic with the flashlight, you may need to e"amine your process, inspect products, talk to customers, and analyHe data. There's a fine line between defining the problem and determining causes. %n the attic e"ample, one could argue that by stating the problem as #squirrels in the attic,$ % actually began root cause analysis. :hould we have backed up a step and stated the problem as #scratching sounds in the attic5$ The issue is one of perspectives and how far we should push beyond symptoms. Muring problem definition, you generally want to get one step beyond the symptoms. )ny more than one step and you've probably ventured into determining causes. -ne step beyond the symptoms, and we're simply nailing down specificsC we'll be much better prepared to take effective action when the time comes. The action we take with symptoms can be much different than the action we take with a well9defined problem. 2onsider the e"ample in figure 6.

%n both cases, we're basically dealing with the same problemC we're just choosing a different starting point. %n the first e"ample, we're starting with the symptom as our problem statement, and this leads to drastically different solutions. %n the second e"ample, the problem statement goes beyond the symptom and gets specific. 2rafting a problem statement is one of the most important steps in problem9solving. %f it's done carelessly, the resulting problem9solving is doomed. :pend the time and the effort to nail down the problem statement in specific, factual terms. The process of developing a problem statement is an evolution in many respects, as illustrated in the diagram in figure =.

D !riting problem statements that move beyond symptoms is relatively easy. :imply define the facts along these angles, and you'll have a workable problem statement:

D +o" "as the problem first reported. This is the unfiltered problem statement, e"actly as it came to you. %n many cases it will be one or more symptoms, and it may not even be accurate. 4roblems reported by customers are often so brief as to be unusable, such as #no good$ and #doesn't work.$ D *ho experiences the problem. .ew problems are universal. 8ost only affect certain people, depending on a variety of factors. %t's important to know who e"periences the problem. The people identified are usually the ones we need to interview to gain a deeper understanding of the facts related to the problem. D *hat exactly is the problem. Here is where some preliminary investigation comes in handy. .ind out what is happening beyond the raw symptoms. Take nothing for granted and attempt to independently verify all facts. %f the problem was reported as #doesn't work,$ you will want to find out e"actly what that means. D *hen does the problem occur. %f we can pinpoint when the problem is happening, we are much closer to understanding its causes. %nterviews and data analysis are often key to determining the timing of problems. D *here does the problem occur. 8ost problems are localiHed to a specific place or set of places. !hat those places are will often indicate the causes and dictate how the problem must be solved. Peep in mind that #where$ can refer to a location within a facility or a location on a product ;such as with a product defect<. D +o" often does the problem occur. .requency of occurrence helps clarify the scope and magnitude of a problem. )rmed with information about frequency, we have a much better idea of the resources that will be needed to attack the problem. D *hy does it matter. 4roblems never e"ist in a vacuum. .or a problem to e"ist, a standard, requirement, or e"pectation must be violated. %t's very helpful to know what standard that is. :ometimes that standard itself turns out to be false and the problem simply goes away.

$liminate bias
%f we try hard to stick to the facts, we'll likely have a problem statement that is free of bias and prejudices. !e may believe the problem is that, #The idiots in the stockroom can't manage their inventory,$ but such a biased problem statement will not lead to any meaningful problem9solving. 2heck your problem statement by asking the following questions: D 2ould anyone perceive something as a personal attack5 D )re any personalities specifically mentioned5 D Moes anything sound biased or prejudicial5

%f the answer to any of these questions is yes, then the problem statement must be revised before proceeding. The best problem statements make no assumptionsC they simply document the current state.

%eep suspected causes out of t!e problem statement

:mart people like to get ahead of the ballgame. )fter all, time and resources are in short supply, so it makes sense to combine steps and increase your mileage. This approach often backfires when it's applied at the problem9definition stage. 4eople are tempted to write the suspected root cause of the problem into the problem description. %n other words, they jump ahead and short9circuit the entire problem9solving process. %t's all well intentioned, of course, but it needs to be avoided at all costs. Take a look at figure D. )nytime you see these words in a problem statement, beware of assumptions being made.

@ow is not the time for guessing at the cause of our problem. !e will do that at a later stage. )ll we need now is to define the specifics of our problem as factually as possible.

Met!ods for definin t!e problem

There's a certain amount of investigation that must occur to arrive at the problem statement. The challenge at this stage is to simply determine the facts. .ind the facts and write them clearly. %f you do a good job of defining the problem from all angles, the remaining steps of problem9solving are often easy. The methods we'll discuss include: D -bserving the problem yourself D %nterviewing D )nalyHing data D 4hotographing the problem

-bserving the problem yourself This is the single best way to understand a problem. .ind out where the problem e"ists and go see it yourself. ,y seeing the problem first9hand, the facts of the situation are not filtered through someone else's perceptions. The act of observation can mean a couple of different things: D Actually obser%e the problem occurring. )n e"ample is running a machine that always overheats. !e can start the machine and watch as it becomes hot. D Obser%e the effects of the problem. )n e"ample is e"amining the motor of the machine that overheated. %t may be impossible to watch the machine overheat ;as it may be completely broken<, but we can certainly observe the results.

Mepending on the nature of the problem, one of these conditions may be impossible to witness. That's often the case with direct observation. %n the case of a plane crash, for instance, the problem can only be observed once. %f you weren't lucky enough ;or unlucky enough< to be on the scene, then you couldn't have observed it. This is why interviewing becomes valuable. +ou may not be able to observe the problem, but there are people who did observe it, and they will probably be willing to talk to you.

Interviewin
%nterviews build on the symptoms that have already been reported. The interviewer must guide the interviewee through all the questions necessary to move away from raw symptoms and factually describe the situation. -ne of the challenges of interviewing is soliciting specific details. 4eople often speak in broad generalities, but this is no help in developing a problem statement. )nytime someone describes a problem in absolute terms, you need to drill deeper and arrive at specifics. :ome of the words to watch out for include the following: D #)lways$ D #7verywhere$ D #7verybody$ D #2ompletely$ !hen faced with absolute terms such as these, gently challenge the thinking of the interviewee. %f the interviewee says that the problem happens all the time, ask him if the problem happens at midnight. %f the interviewee says that the problem happens everywhere, ask her if it happens in the front office. @arrow the focus to what the

interviewee really knows to be true. 8ake sure that the interviewee understands that you're interested in hearing about his or her personal e"periences, not a restatement of what he or she heard from other people. +ou may encounter people with strong opinions about the problem. %n particular, you are likely to hear speculation about the potential causes of problems. %t's nice that people want to be helpful, but what are needed are facts about the problem, period. Thank people for their help and steer them back to the task at hand. +ou may want to make a list of people who seem to have deep insights about the problemC we may be able to use them later in the #determine causes$ step of problem9solving.

&nal#'in data
Mata are recorded information, typically in the form of numbers or measurements. 4arado"ically, some of the most closely held beliefs are the most flawed. The old quality control adage is useful to keep in mind as you define your problem: #%n *od we trust. )ll others must bring data.$ Mata generally fall into two categories: D Primary data. These are data that are collected for a specific purpose, such as problem9 solving. These data didn't e"ist until we began collecting them. D Secondary data . These are data that already e"ist. They have been collected for some purpose unrelated to the problem that we're facing, but we can still use them.

!henever possible, you should make use of e"isting data ;i.e., secondary data<. %t relieves you of the burden of collecting your own data and enables you to focus on the analysis, which will help shape your problem statement. 8ost organiHations are not lacking in dataC they just need to be located, organiHed, and analyHed. .igure 0 provides e"amples of data that could help us refine our problem statement.

P!oto rap!in t!e problem

) photograph can communicate comple" information at a glance. %t can also put you on the scene of the action, in cases where it would be very e"pensive or logistically impossible to see the problem yourself. 7ven if you are able to see a problem first9hand, a photograph can help you communicate it to others in a way that words can't. The beauty of digital photos is that they can be shared instantly, considerably e"panding the range of problem9solving. !hen photographing a problem, keep the following points in mind: D Get permission to take photographs. This is needed when you are on someone else's property, such as that of a customer or supplier. :ome organiHations are very sensitive about the presence of cameras. D Photograph from different angles and perspecti%es . Eust as you want different viewpoints with your interviews, you want different viewpoints with your photographs. ) photograph with an unusual perspective can often reveal a detail that gets missed by many astute inspectors. D 'ndicate the scale. Mepending on the conte"t, it can be difficult to know the siHe of something in a photograph. This is especially true with close9up photography. %f there could be any doubt about the siHe of something being photographed, include a reference item ;such as a penny< or a scale ;such as a ruler< within the photo frame. D se a tripod for close2up photography. 8ost cameras are prone to produce blurry close9ups unless they are held very still during e"posure. )n alternative can be using a flash, but this often causes reflections and overe"posures with close9ups. Nse a variety of methods to define your problem. 8i" and match them with the objective of writing a problem statement that truly defines the obstacle. The output of this step serves as the input of the ne"t step, so do whatever is necessary to produce a good

product. ) poorly conceived problem statement results in an effective solution only by luck.

&bout T!e &ut!or

(rai (oc!ran
2raig 2ochran is a project manager with *eorgia Tech's 7nterprise %nnovation %nstitute. 2ochran is the author of The Seven Lessons: Management Tools for Success; Problem Solving in Plain English; S! "##$ in Plain English; %ustomer Satisfaction: Tools& Techni'ues& and (ormulas for Success; The %ontinual mprovement Process: (rom Strategy to the )ottom Line; and )ecoming a %ustomer-(ocused !rgani*ation& all available from 4aton 4ress.

T!e Power of Definin t!e Problem H)*++++++++

by Mwayne :pradlin Q J:11 )8 :eptember 60, 61 6 !ell9defined problems lead to breakthrough solutions. !hen developing new products, processes, or even businesses, most companies arenBt sufficiently rigorous in defining the problems theyBre attempting to solve and articulating why those issues are important. !ithout that rigor, organiHations miss opportunities, waste resources, and end up pursuing innovation initiatives that arenBt aligned with their strategies. How many times have you seen a project go down one path only to realiHe in hindsight that it should have gone down another5 How many times have you seen an innovation program deliver a seemingly breakthrough result only to find that it canBt be implemented or it addresses the wrong problem5 8any organiHations need to become better at asking the right questions so that they tackle the right problems.

Here are three stories of organiHations in very different fields that did a spectacular job of defining the problem. This in turn attracted the right kind of innovators and led to breakthrough solutions.

Definin a *esearc! Problem ,!ttp-..www"experiment+resources"com.definin +a+ researc!+problem"!tml/

Mefining a research problem is the fuel that drives the scientific process, and is the foundation of any research method and e"perimental design, from true e"periment to case study. /ead more: http:33www.e"periment9resources.com3defining9a9research9 problem.htmlRi"HH6Jr7F"*MN %t is one of the first statements made in any research paper and, as well as defining the research area, should include a quick synopsis of how the hypothesis was arrived at. -perationaliHation is then used to give some indication of the e"act definitions of the variables, and the type of scientific measurements used. This will lead to the proposal of a viable hypothesis. )s an aside, when scientists are putting forward proposals for research funds, the quality of their research problem often makes the difference between success and failure.

Structuring the Research Problem

Fook at any scientific paper, and you will see the research problem, written almost like a statement of intent. Mefining a research problem is crucial in defining the quality of the answers, and determines the e"act research method used. ) quantitative e"perimental design uses deductive reasoning to arrive at a testable hypothesis. Sualitative research designs use inductive reasoning to propose a research statement.

!efining a Research Problem

.ormulating the research problem begins during the first steps of the scientific process. )s an e"ample, a literature review and a study of previous e"periments, and research, might throw up some vague areas of interest. 8any scientific researchers look at an area where a previous researcher generated some interesting results, but never followed up. %t could be an interesting area of research, which nobody else has fully e"plored. ) scientist may even review a successful e"periment, disagree with the results, the tests used, or the methodology, and decide to refine the research process, retesting the hypothesis. This is called the conceptual definition, and is an overall view of the problem. ) science report will generally begin with an overview of the previous research and real9world observations. The researcher will then state how this led to defining a research problem.

)he Operational !efinitions

The operational definition is the determining the scalar properties of the variables. .or e"ample, temperature, weight and time are usually well known and defined, with only the e"act scale used needing definition. %f a researcher is measuring abstract concepts, such as intelligence, emotions, and subjective responses, then a system of measuring numerically needs to be established, allowing statistical analysis and replication.

.or e"ample, intelligence may be measured with %S and human responses could be measured with a questionnaire from & 9 strongly disagree', to &0 9 strongly agree'. ,ehavioral biologists and social scientists might design an ordinal scale for measuring and rating behavior. These measurements are always subjective, but allow statistics and replication of the whole research method. This is all an essential part of defining a research problem.

Examples of !efining a Research Problem

)n anthropologist might find references to a relatively unknown tribe in 4apua @ew *uinea. Through inductive reasoning, she arrives at the research problem and asks, &How do these people live and how does their culture relate to nearby tribes5' :he has found a gap in knowledge, and she seeks to fill it, using a qualitative case study, without a hypothesis. The ,andura ,obo Moll 7"periment is a good e"ample of using deductive reasoning to arrive at a research problem and hypothesis. )necdotal evidence showed that violent behavior amongst children was increasing. ,andura believed that higher levels of violent adult role models on television, was a contributor to this rise. This was e"panded into a hypothesis, and operationaliHation of the variables, and scientific measurement scale, led to a robust e"perimental design. /ead more: http:33www.e"periment9resources.com3defining9a9research9 problem.htmlRi"HH6Jr7T8= J

*esearc! Paper 0uestion

T!e Purpose of t!e Paper
-ne of the major parts of developing any research paper is defining the research paper question.

/ead more: http:33www.e"periment9resources.com3research9paper9 question.htmlRi"HH6Jr.6rpwp .or an e"periment9based project, this question naturally leads onto a hypothesis. .or a more review9based paper, such as an essay, it will lead to a thesis statement. !hen trying to define the research paper purpose, you should brainstorm a few ideas, which will help you to develop a research question that is relevant, interesting and novel. :ome ideas are:

!hat are the most important research questions in my discipline, and are there any particular areas that are ripe for further e"ploration5 !ill my research lead to a greater understanding, and fill a gap in current knowledge5 Has my literature review turned up a wealth of relevant information in this area5 )m % replicating a previous study5 %f % am, in what ways am % improving and refining the research5 %s this research at the cutting edge of science or is it in an area that is fading out of fashion5 %s my research question going to have a meaningful impact upon the field5

-bviously, for a short9term research project, you do not have to answer yes to all of these questions or be as rigorous. .or a dissertation or thesis, these are just some of the questions, and for research scientists submitting a proposal, affirmative answers to these questions are the bare minimum for receiving a research grant.

6arro"ing !o"n the Research Paper Cuestion

) general research question will usually be based around BwhyB or BhowB a certain phenomenon is happening. )n e"ample of a good general research statement could be: B!hy are the forest resources declining in the )maHon rainforest5B This statement is based around a review of the literature, which shows that the )maHon rainforest coverage is declining rapidly. )s a result, you can legitimately use that as a good starting point, a basic assumption upon which to build your research project. !hilst many researchers have postulated reasons for this, there is no clear consensus about what factor, or combination of factors, is contributing to the environmental and

ecological damage. @ow you need to narrow down the broad question, ideally moving towards a hypothesis or thesis question. .or e"ample, looking at the above general question, you could arrive at: B%s intensive agriculture the major cause of deforestation in the )maHon5B B%s the logging industry the major cause of deforestation in the )maHon5B B%s *lobal !arming the major cause of deforestation in the )maHon5B -nce you have a good research paper question, you can then begin to generate a testable hypothesis or research question, and construct your paper around this. )t the end of the research, you will be able to refer your results and discussion back to the research paper question, adding a little more information to the store of human knowledge. /ead more: http:33www.e"periment9resources.com3research9paper9 question.htmlRi"HH6Jr.Jbkg6

http:33www.rockfordkingsley.org32areerFife:trategie s34roblem:olving3:tepTwoMefinethe4roblem3tabid3= L13Mefault.asp"

Step 1- %now T!at a Problem $xists

This first step is the most important and is frequently overlooked in the problem solving process. Mo we always know that a problem e"ists5 @ot always! Take for e"ample carbon mono"ide and high blood pressure. 2arbon mono"ide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that, in certain concentrations, can be harmful to humans and animals. !e could be in a room containing lethal concentrations of carbon mono"ide and not know it! %t is because we cannot detect this gas that we install carbon mono"ide detectors in our homes and places of work. !hat about problems at work5 Have you ever known someone who thought he was doing a fantastic job when in reality that person's performance was substandard5 %n fact, when the section supervisor later informed by the person of his performance deficiencies that person had no idea that there was a work problem. How often do people go through their daily lives thinking everything is -k when, in reality, there are problems that should be addressed5 2an you think of other problems that may go undetected by people5 2ould people have problems with their careers, finances, health and not realiHe it5 S!are #our examples in our discussion forum" Pnowing that a problem e"ists also means that the problem really does e"ist! Have you ever had the #check your engine light$ go on in your car's dashboard5 -nly to find out later that it was a false alarm. -r what about worrying that you may have written a check for which you didn't have enough money in your checking account5 However, when you got home your checked your bank statement and noticed that you forgot to record a deposit in your transaction register. +ou had sufficient funds in your account to cover the check. +ou e"perienced a false9positive in your problem definition process. Have you ever had other false9positives what it comes to defining a problem5 (lick !ere and let us know2

Step Two- Define t!e Problem

-nce you have decided that a problem e"ists, the ne"t step is to define the problem. %n this regard, be careful! +ou could end up defining the symptom as the problem. 2areful consideration is needed if you are going to correctly define the problem. .or e"ample, you are looking for a job. +ou submit your resume to a number of companies advertising positions in your field. +ou feel confident that you will get at least one interview! -ne week goes by, and then another two weeks, it is now two months since you applied for the positions and you have not been contacted for an interview. +ou begin to wonder #what did % wrong5$ #!hy did % not get an interview5$ 2learly you have encountered an undesirable situation U no interviews. How then do you define the problem5 The fact that you did not get a single interview is an outcome, not a problem. +ou may consider the following questions: #8aybe my resume did not effectively highlight my achievements in the field and the skills that % have that may benefit a company5$ 2ould this be the problem5 4ossibly! ,ut maybe not! !ere your skill sets aligned with the job descriptions in the various positions5 %f your skills sets were not aligned then maybe the problem was that you applied for the wrong positions! -r, were your skill sets outdated5 8aybe you need additional training in order to better align your talents with the current employment requirements of your field5 Mefining the problem can be tricky. +ou need to evaluate the situation and, if necessary, get guidance as to e"actly what is the problem. %f you fail to correctly define the problem you may continue to get the same undesirable outcomes. %n the above mentioned case, the individual will continue to fail to get job interviews. :o, once you have determined that a problem e"ists, take time to ensure that you have effectively defined the problem. Take a look at the outcomes that you are receiving and the outcomes that you would like to get. Then, step by step break down the process you used and consider what needs to be fi"ed. 8ake sure that you have identified the root problem. Then, clearly state the problem in a manner that is action oriented! .or e"ample, in the case outlined in this essay, the individual found that his resume did not effectively highlight his skill sets. He, then, defined the problem as follows: #The second section of my resume listed my skill sets but did not translate how these skill sets produced outcomes that benefited my previous employers.$ The problem is defined and suggests strategies that could be taken to resolve the problem ;e.g., for each skill include an accomplishment that contributed to the success of a previous employer<. !hat action words would you use in such statements5

Step T!reeGat!er Information &bout T!e Problem

I. Understanding the Process
)t this point in the problem solving process you have verified that a problem e"ists and you have defined the problem. +ou are now thinking: +,hat course of action should ta-e to effectively solve the problem./ This is a reasonable and logical question to ask, and the tendency would be to charge forward with some strategy to rid your life of the problem. However, before you do anything, please consider the following heuristic U # thin- before you leap!$ +ou must take action to solve the problem, but the action does not involve the immediate implementation of a problem solving strategy. %nstead, the action you must take involves the gathering of information concerning the problem. ,efore you do anything else you must do your homework about the problem. ,ecome a #4%$ U a problem investigator! ,,, Read $ore About nderstanding the Process

II. Determining The Reliability of Information

)s you begin to research your problem you will quickly take note of the overwhelming amount of information that is available on the %nternet, through database searches, and through local libraries. )t some point you will have to make a decision as to which information to include as part of your research on a problem5 2learly, you want to include information that is up9to9date and accurate with respect to your particular problem. %t is in this regard that the following guidelines are offered for your consideration

Step 3ourDevelop Strate ies To Solve T!e Problem

I. Obstacles To Problem Solving
)fter you have gathered, sorted through, and studied information about your problem, you are now ready to develop strategies to solve the problem. .or most problems you will have a number of strategies to choose fromC therefore, it is imperative that you choose wisely. The strategy that will take the least amount of time and financial resources to fully e"ecute may not be the strategy that yields the most desirable outcome. %n some cases it would be prudent to seek professional guidance to help you decide on the most effective strategy for your particular situation. %n any discussion involving problem solving strategies, it is important to consider potential obstacles to problem solving. -bstacles to problem solving may prevent you from fully conceptualiHing the nature of a problem which, in turn, can influence strategic decisions you make about the problem. There are two obstacles to problem solving that should be considered: ;a< fi"ation and ;b< confirmation bias. #ixation .i"ation is the inability to see a problem from a new perspective. )t some point during our lives, each of us has e"perienced fi"ation in one form or another. Have you ever been so focused on a problem that you were locked into the same thought patterns even though those thoughts failed to provide a solution for the problem5 There are a number of reasons why we e"perienced fi"ation. 4robably the most common reason is that we approached the problem with a set of beliefs and assumptions that locked us in to a certain pattern of thinking. ) set of beliefs and assumptions is called a paradigm.

!ebster's @ew !orld Mictionary ;Dth 7dition< defines paradigm as follows: #I a< a pattern, e"ample, or model b< an overall concept accepted by most people in an intellectual community, as those in one of the natural sciences, because of its effectiveness in e"plaining a comple" process, idea, or set of data.$ ) paradigm is a school or framework of thought. 4aradigms provide us with a set of beliefs and assumptions that play an important role in the way we perceive and interpret events in our lives. 4aradigms enable us to cognitively structure our world and serve as a template to solve problems and to make decisions. 7"amples of paradigms include: .eng :ui, ,ehaviorism, and #life is good$. There are millions of paradigms covering all aspects of our lives. !hat are your paradigms5 )re they serving you well5 !hile paradigms provide us with a framework for dealing with the circumstances of our lives, they can present significant obstacles to problem solving. ,ecause of the paradigms we adopted for our lives, it is likely that we have developed preconceived notions about events or problems. %t is these preconceived notions that may prevent us from considering other options that may lead us to effective solutions for our problems. .or a moment, think of a time when you could not solve a problem. +ou kept thinking about the problem but none of your thoughts led you to a solution for the problem. Hours and maybe days went by with no significant progress in solving the problem. +ou kept going over the problem but you could not come up with a workable solution. -ut of frustration you #walked away$ from the problem, and you didn't think about it for a period of time. Then, one day, when you were not thinking about the problem, an idea occurred to you as to how you could resolve the problem. +ou immediately wrote your thoughts down on a piece of paper and you realiHed that the problem was now solved. +ou just had an #)h9ha!$ moment. !hy did you have an #)h9ha!$ moment5 !hy were you able to come up with a solution after you have put the problem aside and were no longer thinking about it5 The answer is when you were working hard to solve the problem you remained fi"ated on one or a few approaches to solving the problem. Those approaches were based on a paradigm you had about the problem. !hen you stepped away from the problem and stopped thinking about it, you broke the #thought fi"ation$ that you were in and your mind was freed to consider other perspectives. %n more technical terms, by allowing yourself a #time9out$ from

the problem, you were able to consider other perspectives that were not consistent with your original paradigm. +ou were able to modify the paradigm or adopt a whole new paradigm. This process is called making a paradigm shift. 2alling a #time9out$ from a problem is an effective way to overcome fi"ation. ,ut, what if you come back to the problem and get locked into the same thought patterns you had prior to the #time9out$5 %f this occurs you may want to speak to someone about your approach to the problem. :omeone you trust and who will provide you with objective feedback. %t is also important to mention that even though this person will provide you with objective feedback, it is vital that you receive that feedback with an open mind and that you are not locked into the train of thought that resulted in fi"ation in the first place. Peeping an open mind and being objective are key components to avoiding fi"ation during the problem solving process. Confirmation (ias 2onfirmation bias is the tendency to search for and collect information that confirms our beliefs or ideas. %n any problem solving situation we should remain as objective as possible and consider all relevant information whether or not we agree with the perspectives represented by the information. :ometimes, however, we fail to appropriately consider information that contains perspectives on a problem that is contrary to what we believed about the problem. -ne reason this can happen is because of fi"ation ;see above<. ) second reason for confirmation bias is because we are in a rush and we don't want to spend a lot of time reviewing information. )fter all, as the saying goes 9 #time is money$! Therefore, in an attempt to save time, commonly used strategies are implemented without fully evaluating alternative points of view. :uch an approach can save time and money. However, if the decision maker was wrong and the strategy did not yield the desired results, a different approach to the problem must be taken and a significantly greater amount of time and money would have to be spent solving the problem. %n today's fast9paced, #get it done now$ world there is pressure to move forward with the problem solving process as fast as you can. ) more prudent and ultimately cost3effective approach would be to slow down, do your homework, and move forward with a high degree of confidence that you have #covered your bases$ and that you are moving in the right direction. Take a lesson from the tortoise in his famous race with the hare. The race does not always go to the swiftest, it goes to the effective strategist who has carefully considered all relevant information, and has applied that information to an

approach that is consistent and employs strategies devoted to outcomes assessment.

Step 3ourDevelop Strate ies To Solve T!e Problem

II. Problem Solving Strategies
There are standard strategic practices for solving problems in most fields, and readers of this article should review such practices before implementing any problem solving plan. !hat will be addressed here are some of the more general strategies that can be used to solve any problem. )rial and Error ) trial and error problem solving strategy is typically used when there is no logical solution to the problem or when no other problem solving rule applies to the situation. %n this strategy, the individual sorts through the elements of a problem in an attempt to reach an acceptable solution. .or each unsuccessful trial information is learned that will help to guide the individual to the solution of a problem. Trial and 7rror is most effective in those situations where there are a limited number of options to solve a problem. (rainstorming ,rainstorming sessions can be conducted either individually or as part of a group. !hen we brainstorm we list as many possible ideas to a problem that we can think of within a given amount of time. )ll of the ideas pertaining to a problem's solution are written down without evaluating the reasonableness of each idea. -nce the brainstorming session has concluded, the individual or group will sort through the list of ideas and will select those that are most relevant for the problem. ,ecause brainstorming sessions require that an individual or a group list ideas as they come to mind, such sessions can lead to creative solutions to problems.

+euristics Heuristics are rule9of9thumb strategies that allow us to make judgments and to effectively solve problems. .or e"ample, the heuristic #i before e e"cept after c$ provides a valuable guide to assist in the spelling of words such as receive and hierarchy. -ther rule9of9thumb strategies are: #a stitch in time saves nine,$ the old carpenters rule U #measure twice cut once,$ and #an apple a day keeps the doctor away.$ Heuristics have particular value in helping the problem solver to rapidly come reasonably close to a solution of a problem. However, the use of heuristics in the problem solving process can result in more errors than if the user implements a strategy involving algorithms. Algorithms )lgorithms are logical, step9by9step procedures for solving problems. 2ookbooks, for e"ample, provide step9by9step instructions as to how to prepare a particular meal. )lgorithms are also used in many technical and #how9toA manuals as well as in assembly instructions. 'nsight Have you ever contemplated a problem and could not arrive at a reasonable solution5 Then, after spending time thinking about the problem, gathering a bit more information, and discussing the problem with friends you gain a new perspective on the problem that leads you to finding an effective solution. That is insight. %nsight is when you have an #)h9ha!$ moment. 7ach of us has e"perienced sudden flashes of inspiration into a situation. %nsights are valuable to solving problems. %f you e"perience difficulty in formulating an effective problem solving strategy, step away from the problem or seek some objective advice about the problem. +ou just may gain a new perspective on the problem and may e"perience an #)h9ha$ moment! #inal Comments .or most situations there are a number of strategies that can be used to solve problems. :ome strategies would be specific to the problem or field of concernC while other strategies would be more generic. !hichever strategy you select for the problem, the strategy must be methodologically sound and offer a logical course of action. )s was mentioned in the prior section, choose your strategy wisely. Moes the strategy make sense for the problem you are addressing5 Has the strategy been used to solve similar problems5 %f so, what were the

outcomes5 These are just a few of the questions that you should consider before you formally adopt and implement a strategy to solve a problem.

!id You En1oy )his Essa

Step 3iveSelectin Strate ies To Solve T!e Problem

@ow that you have identified strategies for the resolution of your problem, you must pick one or more of these strategies. %n some cases, deciding which strategy or strategies to use will be an easy decision. These strategies may be standard for a particular problem whether in business or in an individual's personal life. %n other instances, however, because of the comple"ity of the problem or other special considerations, the best strategy or strategies to use may not be obvious and will require additional thought and planning. %n this regard, the following will provide some considerations that may help you decide which strategy or strategies to use when solving a particular problem. Resources 6eeded )o 'mplement a Strategy )ll problem solving strategies require the use of resources for their effective implementation. Time and money are two of these resources, and they may help you to develop a short list of strategies to use. How much time will it take to implement a strategy5 How much will it cost5 :trategies may vary in the time and money it will take to arrive at an effective conclusion to a problem. !hen considering the time and financial resources it will take to implement a strategy, don't be quick to select the strategy or strategies that promise to quickly and cheaply help you resolve a problem! 8ake sure such strategies are addressing your defined problem and not a symptom of the problem. Eust because strategies on the surface appear to be quick, easy, and cheap to use, you should proceed with caution! There may be hidden costs which, at a later date, may cause you regret your choice!

-n the flip side of the coin, strategies that are costly to implement could leave you financially strapped and not able to complete the strategic process. /emember, any project may encounter obstacles and it may cost time and money to overcome these obstacles. Have you heard or read about someone who had a great plan but ran out of money in the e"ecution of that plan5 2hoose your strategy or strategies wisely. !hether or not you solve a problem may be a matter of time and money! Pick Strategies )hat Are $ethodologically Sound The problem solving strategy or strategies that you pick must be methodologically sound and offer a logical course of action. ,eware of shortcuts or strategies that #sound fishy$. )lways keep in mind that these are +-N/ problemsC whether they are related to business or your personal life. +ou want the problems resolved effectively and, if possible, permanently. :trategies that offer quick fi"es may lead to other, more comple", issues in the future. :o, what are methodologically sound strategies5 These are strategies that provide logical step9by9step procedures. 7ach step in the process logically follows a step, and each step logically leads to the ne"t step. :uch strategic processes or plans are well thought9out and enable the user to optimally define the resources needed to effectively implement and complete the processes. .urther, because these processes are effectively planned, the step9 by9step actions can be logically e"plained in the event that something goes wrong. The review of a well thought9out strategic process will enable you to identify, in a cost3effective manner, what went wrong and what corrective actions you need to take. Summary .or most problems, there are a number of strategies that we could take to resolve problems. :ome strategies offer quick fi"es and require little up9front costs. !hile these strategies may look appealing, it is important to keep in mind that there may be substantial hidden costs, and that the promised quick fi" may not be a fi" at all! %nstead, it may be more beneficial to select strategies that are methodologically sound and provide documented step9by9step procedures. !hile such strategies may take longer to fully implement, and may have higher up9front costs than quick fi"es, they may end up being your most cost3effective strategic options.

Step SixDefinin T!e $xpected 4utcome To & Problem

) frequently overlooked step in the problem solving process involves defining the e"pected outcome of a problem. Mefining an e"pected outcome is important because you need to objectively state the idealiHed result that will be obtained once you implement your problem solving strategy. ,y defining your e"pected outcome before you implement your problem solving strategy you will have a benchmark that can be used to determine if you are on the right track to solve your problem, and to evaluate the final outcome to your problem.
Think of an e"pected outcome this way, you are the 2aptain of a cruise ship and you have been assigned the task ;i.e., problem< to navigate the ship to 4ort #V$ in seven days. +ou define the problem and you gather information pertaining to the problem ;e.g., weather reports and data on sea currents<. ,ased on the information that you have gathered you determine that it will be unlikely that the ship will reach 4ort #V$ in seven days because of rough seas due to a tropical storm and the corresponding need to ensure the safety of all passengers and crew members. +ou ask your navigational engineer to recalculate the route of the ship, and after considering the path of the storm, sea currents, the ship's consumption of fuel, etc. you determine that the ship's e"pected arrival at 4ort #V$ will be in eight days. The ship's arrival in 4ort #V$ in eight days will be the benchmark that will enable you to determine the effectiveness of your revised navigational plan and the decisions that you make in route to 4ort #V$. %n the above e"ample it is important to note that the e"pected outcome when the problem was first presented to the 2aptain ;i.e., reach 4ort #V$ in seven days< was different from the e"pected outcome once the 2aptain went through the problem solving process ;i.e., reach 4ort #V$ in eight days<. %t is for this reason that e"pected outcomes must be operationally defined in :tep :i" of the problem solving process. )ny outcome e"pectations that you had at the beginning of the problem solving process must be objectively reevaluated once you have ; < defined that a problem e"ists, ;6< operationally defined the problem, ;=< gathered information pertaining to the problem, ;D< listed all of the possible strategies that may be used to solve the problem, and ;0< selected a strategy to solve the problem. %t is only after you have gone through the first five steps of the problem solving process that you can objectively formulate your e"pected outcome. )s you will discover in steps si" and seven of the problem solving process, your e"pected outcome will have an important role in the implementation of your chosen strategy and in

determining whether or not your observed outcome is aligned with your intended results. :o, take a few moments, review the information that you have gathered and develop your e"pected outcome. %t will be worth your time.

15 Steps of $ffective Problem Solvin

,elow are the 1 :teps for the effective solving of problems. -ver the coming weeks we will post narrative pertaining to each of the steps. This will allow readers time to reflect on each of the steps and to engage in discussion pertaining to each step in the process. :o, are you ready to become an effective problem solver5 ,egin by reviewing the 1 steps and reading the narrative pertaining to today's problem solving step! . 6. =. D. 0. G. J. K. L. 1. Pnow that a problem e"ists. Read &ore Mefine the problem. Read &ore *ather information about the problem. Read &ore Mevelop strategies to solve the problem. """ *ead More :elect a problem solving strategy. Read &ore Mefine your e"pected outcomes from the implementation of the strategy. Read &ore %mplement the selected strategy. Read &ore 7valuate your observed outcomes from the implementation of the strategy. 2ompare your e"pected and observed outcomes. %f your e"pected and observed outcomes are in agreement, you are finished! The problem is solved! %f your e"pected and observed outcomes are not in agreement, go back to :tep -ne and start over

Definin a Problem is Half t!e Solution + Part 1

http:33eHinearticles.com35Mefining9a94roblem9is9Half9 the9:olution9994art9 WidX D1=G1G

Mefining a problem is by far the most important management tool. To solve an important problem that bothers you and your organiHation, it is vital to properly define it. ) defined problem is half the solution. +ou have probably heard that before, but do you live by it5 % cannot emphasiHe enough on how important this is.

However, before we can define any problem at all, we need to understand the definition of AproblemA itself. % like to think of it this way: ) problem is the gap between a now93 is93 are93 have9 state and a future93 need93 should93 whish9 state. The siHe of the gap represents the siHe of the problem. % use to call this the problem formula. Fet me give you some e"amples: 9% cannot afford that Y61 pen since % only have Y 0. 4roblem formula: Have Y 0, need Y61, siHe of the problem is Y0. 9!e are deviating from budget. The costs have increased from K to 1Z. 4roblem formula: 2osts are 1Z, need to be KZ, siHe of the problem is 6Z. 9 -n average, we are losing 0 customers per day. !e should lose Hero. 4roblem formula: Foosing 0 customers per day on average, should be 1, siHe of the problem is 0 lost customers per day, or 0,DJ0 customers per year. Try it yourself. Nse the problem formula. %t works on almost any problem. /emember that a problem must be measurable, otherwise you canBt track the improvements. %t can sometimes be hard, but try your best. Nsing the problem formula is a good start. However, writing down the AisA state, AwhishA state and the siHe of the problem is not enough to properly define a problem. !e need more information on such things as where, when, why, etc. /emember that problems are problems because they have no easy answer 9 if they did, they would already be solved. )rticle :ource: http:337Hine)rticles.com3 D1=G1G

http:33www.pitt.edu3[groups3probsolv.html

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AThe message from the moon... is that no problem need be considered insolvable.A 9 @orman 2ousins

There are seven main steps to follow when trying to solve a problem. These steps are as follows: . Mefine and %dentify the 4roblem 6. )nalyHe the 4roblem =. %dentifying 4ossible :olutions D. :electing the ,est :olutions 0. 7valuating :olutions G. Mevelop an )ction 4lan J. %mplement the :olution TS: 4roblem :olving :teps 4roblem :olving Techniques .requently )sked Suestions

Mefine and %dentify the 4roblem

This first step is critical. %t is essential for each group member to clearly understand the problem so that all energy will be focused in the same direction. ) good way to define the problem is to write down a concise statement which summariHes the problem, and then write down where you want to be after the problem has been resolved. The objective is to get as much information about the problem as possible. %t may be helpful to divide the symptoms of the problem into hard and soft data. 0ard 1ata ncludes: .acts, statistics, goals, time factors, history Soft 1ata ncludes: .eelings, opinions, human factors, attitudes, frustrations, personality conflicts, behaviors, hearsay, intuition These steps may not always be pleasant, but after AventingA group participants may feel that the air has finally cleared and members can be more rational and cooperative. :ometimes information needs to be gathered via various devices to define the problem. These devices may include: ntervie2s& statistics& 'uestionnaires& technical e3periments& chec- sheets& brainstorming and focus groups.

Mevelop a 4roblem :tatement %t is essential to develop an objective statement which clearly describes the current condition your group wishes to change. 8ake sure the problem is limited in scope so that it is small enough to realistically tackle and solve. !riting the statement will ensure that everyone can understand e"actly what the problem is. %t is important to avoid including any Aimplied causeA or Aimplied solutionA in the problem statement. /emember, a problem well stated is a problem half solved. :tate the *oal -nce the problem is defined, it is relatively easy to decide what the goal will be. :tating the goal provides a focus and direction for the group. ) measurable goal will allow the tracking of progress as the problem is solved. 2onsiderations !hen defining the problem, ask the following: %s the problem stated objectively using only the facts5 %s the scope of the problem limited enough for the group to handle5 !ill all who read it understand the same meaning of the problem5 Moes the statement include Aimplied causesA or Aimplied solutions5A Has the Adesired stateA been described in measurable terms5 Mo you have a target date identified5

6.

)nalyHe the 4roblem

%n this stage of problem solving, questions should be asked and information gathered and sifted. Mo not make the mistake of assuming you know what is causing the problem without an effort to fully investigate the problem you have defined. Try to view the problem from a variety of viewpoints, not just how it affects you. Think about how the issue affects others. %t is essential to spend some time researching the problem. *o to the library or develop a survey to gather the necessary information.

Cuestions to Ask *hen Analy8ing the Problem5

!hat is the history of the problem5 How long has it e"isted5 How serious is the problem5 !hat are the causes of the problem5 !hat are the effects of the problem5 !hat are the symptoms of the problem5 !hat methods does the group already have for dealing with the problem5 !hat are the limitations of those methods5 How much freedom does the group have in gathering information and attempting to solve the problem5 !hat obstacles keep the group from achieving the goal5 2an the problem be divided into sub problems for definition and analysis5

=. %M7@T%.+%@* 4-::%,F7 :-FNT%-@: %dea *eneration Techniques

AThe best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.A

9 *riff @iblack %dentifying possible solutions to the problem is sometimes referred to as finding A-ptional :olutionsA because the goal is to complete a list of all conceivable alternatives to the problem. Nsing a variety of creative techniques, group participants create an e"tensive list of possible solutions. )sking each group member for input ensures that all viewpoints will be considered. !hen the group agrees that every course of action on the list will be considered, they will feel some direct ownership in the decision making process. This may help put the group in the mood of generating consensus later in the decision making process. +ou may already be familiar with some of these topics, but take the time to look through them anyway. The information you will find is valuable to your groupBs success. Techniques Nsed in :olving 4roblems These idea generation techniques are broken down into easy9to9follow steps that will help keep your group organiHed and on the topic at hand. !e are basically giving you step9by9step instructions on how to accomplish each technique with ease and success.

(rainstorming
,rainstorming is a problem solving approach designed to help a group generate several creative solutions to a problem. %t was first developed by )le" -sborn, an advertising e"ecutive who felt the need for a problem solving technique that, instead of evaluating and criticiHing ideas, would focus on developing imaginative and innovative solutions. :teps

) groupBs members are presented with a problem and all its details. 8embers are encouraged to come up with as many solutions as possible, putting aside all personal judgments and evaluations. A4iggy9 backingA off another personBs idea is useful. )ll ideas are recorded so the whole group can see them.

%deas are evaluated at another session.

2haracteristics

4rocedure designed to release a groupBs creativity in order to generate multiple imaginative solutions to a problem. :eparates the idea9creation from the idea9 evaluation process by not allowing any criticism to take place while the group is generating ideas. 8ay be more productive for each member to brainstorm quietly and then share ideas with the group ;brainwriting<. 7lectronic brainstorming puts each member at a computer terminal and their ideas are projected to a screen so no one knows from whom an idea came. Nsed by businesses and government to improve the quality of decision making.

,rainstorming for Teachers ,rainstorming 9 7ffectiveness in a 4roduct Mesign .irm

(u88 Groups
:teps

The facilitator presents a target question to the group. %f the group is large, divide into smaller groups ;appro". si" people<. 7ach group is given a copy of the target questions on an inde" card and a recorder3spokesperson is selected by seating. The individual then writes all ideas on inde" cards.

The group spends a few minutes thinking of and evaluating ideas. The group reports its list to the entire assembly.

2haracteristics

) large group is subdivided into smaller groups which discuss an assigned target question, then report their questions back to the main group. 7ncourages participation and involvement that is not feasible in large groups. Technique can be used to identify problems or issues, generate questions to study, compile a list of ideas or solutions, or stimulate personal involvement. Nsed by churches, schools, and company department heads to foster involvement in a large group assembly.

:uggestions for Team ,uHH :essions

6ominal Groups
:teps

The problem, situation, or question is stated clearly and concisely. The coordinator asks participants to generate a list of the features or characteristics of the problem or question. The coordinator gives the group five to fifteen minutes to work silently. 7ach suggestion is recorded on a chart visible to all members. 8embers clarify the items, but do not yet evaluate them.

7ach person chooses his or her top ranked items. The group engages in full discussion about the top rated items. ) decision is reached.

2haracteristics

2apitaliHes on the finding that people working individually while in the presence of others sometimes generate more ideas than while interacting as a group. 2an enable members to reach a decision on a controversial issue without leaving a residue of bitterness from a win9lose conflict. 8embers work individually in each otherBs presence by writing their ideas. They record these ideas on a chart, discuss them as a group, and finally evaluate them by a ranking procedure until members reach a decision. :tifles effect of dominating members of the group. Tendency for laHy members to let others carry the ball is minimiHed. )dds structure to the brainstorming process.

!elphi $ethods
:teps

) Melphi 4anel is selected by the facilitator. The problem or issue is stated concisely in writing and sent to each of the Melphi panel for individual work. The facilitator compiles another document that details all the individual positions taken by the panel and distributes a copy to each member

This procedure, with a facilitator compiling the individual comments into a single document and distributing it to the group, continues until a consensus is reached.

2haracteristics

@ot a group decision technique. %nvolves presenting a problem or an issue to the appropriate individuals, asking them to list their solutions, compiling a master list, circulating this master list to all participants, and asks them to comment in writing on each item on the list. The list with comments is then circulate to the participants. The procedure is continued until a decision is reached. *ood for when time and distance constraints make it difficult for group members to meet.

#antasy Chaining
:teps

!henever the group is not talking about the here9and9now of the problem, it is engaged in fantasy. .antasy chaining is a group story9telling method wherein everyone in the group adds something to the topic at hand, which may not necessarily be the primary focus.

2haracteristics

8anifest theme is what the fantasy chain is about at the surface level. Fatent theme is the underlying theme ;what the group members are really thinking about<.

Helps the group define itself by creating symbols that are meaningful and that help determine its values. 7nables a group to discuss indirectly matters that might be too painful or difficult to bring out into the open. Helps a group deal with emotionally AheavyA information. 7ffective way in which groups create their shared images of the world, each other, and what they are about as a group. ) groupBs identity converges through these shared fantasies.

#ocus Groups
:teps

%nstructor introduces a topic that is to be discussed by the group in any way they choose.

2haracteristics

7ncourages unstructured thoughts about a given topic. -ften used to analyHe peopleBs interests and values. Nniversities, large corporations, and political candidates use focus groups to understand how others perceive their strengths and weaknesses.

.ocus *roups 9 8aking it !ork for +ou ,ehind a -ne9!ay 8irror

$etaphorical )hinking
) metaphor is a thinking technique connecting two different universes of meaning. The key to metaphorical thinking is similarity. 7"cessive logical thinking can stifle the creative process, so use metaphors as a way of thinking differently about something. 8ake and look at metaphors in your thinking, and be aware of the metaphors you use. 8etaphors are wonderful, so long as we remember that they donBt constitute a means of proof. )s by definition, a metaphor must break down at some point. :teps

:tate the objectives of thinking in metaphors: to see comparisons between two ideas, and to gain new insights from comparisons ,rainstorm possible metaphors for some aspects of the problem A4iggybackA on metaphorsC build on them 2hoose the best metaphors to carry further 7"amine all imaginable areas of comparison in the metaphor )sk questions the metaphor might answer Fook for insights into causes, effects, and solutions for your problem

Considerations
!hen identifying possible solutions, it is essential to remember to: Hold back from evaluating proposed solutions. 8ake a point of Athinking outsideA of your own e"perience and e"pertise. %nvolve everyone in the process.

*o for quantity 9 at least 61 or so possible solutions before narrowing the list to between four and si" of the best suggestions.

D.

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:i" :teps to Mecision 8aking

AMecision making can be seen as bringing one into an ambivalent relationship with both power and responsibility.A 9 8ichael Ferner

Mecision 8aking Techniques Teamwork 9 Mecision 8aking 7ight :teps to Mecision 8aking

!efine and 'dentify )he Problem

The starting point in any conscious attempt at rational decision making must be the recognition that a problem e"ists. !hile effective meetings are essential to getting work done, most meetings leave us still looking for a decision. ) good group meeting should bring the group members together. %t should facilitate decision making, assist others in taking responsibility, and contribute to building team effort within the group.

The group begins with defining the problem. The group members only discuss the definition of terms and how the problem relates to other issues. %dentifying the problem is very crucial. %t is important to not define a problem so broadly that it generates never9ending questions. ,e )lert ,eing alert at all times can help you work towards finding a solution in a logical manner. %t is essential to be sensitive to morally charged situations. 7veryone in the group must be alert and ready to make concise decisions if a problem were to arise. *roup members should work through a series of steps designed to force them to reflect on certain aspects of a problem in a rational manner. ,eing alert is simply stating the obvious and immediate. .or e"ample, an auto accident, burnt out motor, and an overdrawn account. *ather %nformation and Mo @ot Eump to 2onclusions This is the essence of the decision making process. %t is very important to spend time on this step before suggesting solutions. %t is said that successful groups do not jump to the solution stage quickly. They spend ample amount of time gathering information and analyHing the problem. The main purpose of this step is to gather as much information on a topic as possible. The group needs to think about their audience. They need to think about who will be reading it and when. !hile accuracy is important, there can be a trade9off between gathering information and letting morally significant options and information disappear. :tate The 2ase ,riefly %n this step, the group needs to come up with relevant facts and circumstances. They need to gather this information within the decision time available. %t does not have to be a lot of information, but all of the important information needs to be stated in brief conte"t. !hat Mecisions Have to ,e 8ade5

Fife is full of choices and decisions. 7ven deciding not to decide is, of course, a decision. This stage is very crucial to overcoming a problem, and, of course, making a group decision. The members of the group need to put thoughts and ideas into play in order to make good decisions. The group needs to brainstorm and gather lots of options to come to one final decision. ,y !hom5 /emember that there may be more than one decision maker. Their interactions can be very important and influential in a group decision.

Specify #easible Alternati%es

%n this step the group needs to begin defining the problem. The group members need to define the problem and come up with other ideas so they are not limited to just one final decision. %f their first alternative does not work out, they can make another decision and choose other alternatives. The following are some steps to follow while finding feasible alternatives: Mefine the problem. Try to phrase it as a question. Miscuss group goals and options. %dentify all options available at that time. Metermine the importance of the problem. 8ake clear all meeting times and places. :tate Five -ptions at 7ach :tage %n this step you should be sure to ask many questions. 7ach decision maker needs to take into account good or bad consequences. Here, you should ask what the likely consequences are of various decisions.

'dentify $orally Significant #actors in Each Alternati%e

%n this step you need to use your ethical resources to determine what the decision will be. The following are the most significant factors you should use as a guideline when determining your

decision. 4rinciples These are principals that are widely accepted throughout a group or organiHation. /espect )utonomy 8embers of the group need to ask themselves questions such as, !ould % be e"ploiting others5 Have promises been made5 MonBt Harm )fter making the decision, think to yourself whether or not your decision will hurt anyone. ,e .air ,e fair and work willingly with the members of your group. Nse *ood 2onte"t ) decision must be made, but which solution should your group choose5 %n identifying the best solution or solutions to the problem, the group should consider from among the four to si" suggestions that were decided upon from the ideas which they had gathered. The different factors, or criteria, that people use to make their decisions are often unclear or never voiced. This can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations of other peopleBs motives.

!iscussion of Possible Resolutions

*athering %deas and %nformation on the )ctual 4roblem

Metermine who e"actly is your audience. This allows you to specify a solution that best addresses a specific audience. /esearch and establish the history of the problem to be solved, as well as what caused the problem to occur. This allows for accuracy within your solution. Miscuss how the problem to be solved relates to other issues. However, be careful not to bring forth any other problems while solving the initial problem. )nalyHe and e"amine the facts and all of the gathered information. This allows the group to challenge facts and assumptions, making sure they can withstand any type of scrutiny or disagreement. 8ake sure that you have gathered enough information on the problem.

7stablish :ome Type of Mecision 2riteria The discussion of the group should focus on what makes an acceptable decision.

7"amine what an ideal decision consists of and what should be included and e"cluded out of that decision. Miscuss what a reasonable or fairly good solution would be. This becomes important when the ideal solution can not be reached. Mecide what standards the group should utiliHe to judge a decision. 2onsider what is valid and feasible about the decision made.

Miscuss 4ossible :olutions )ddress such questions as: Have all solutions been accounted for5 !hat, if any, is the evidence to support each of the chosen decisions5

Mid the group use brainstorming techniques to produce ideas5

Selecting or !etermining the (est Solution

)t this stage in the process the group is working towards an agreement on the final solution. This is done by testing all previously made solutions using the decision making criteria set forth by the group. The group goal in this step is to make sure they have found the solution that will best solve the problem and address any other issues that may have been a consequence of that problem. Muring this phase, the group should eliminate any solution that does not meet the requirements and focus on those that could ultimately be utiliHed. The group should be concerned with whether or not the solution chosen solves the problem or just minimiHes it.

%s the solution workable in relation to the problem5 )re there any limits that the solution presents5 !hen looking at the advantages and disadvantages, which are there more of5 Moes the chosen idea live up to the standards of the decision criteria5 )re the facts and information gathered consistent with the proposed solution5

'mplementing the Solution

%n this phase the group should be focusing on two main goals.

The best way to make the solution apply and function when applied to the problem.

!hat resources are needed for the solution to work5

.or this to work, complete dedication on the part of all group members is needed. 7veryone in the group has to be willing to work with one another while offering their unique skills and talents. *roup members also have to be willing to take full responsibility for the solution they choose. )ccountability within the group plays a very important part in the decision implementation process. !hile in this phase, the group should ask such questions as ;:chein, LGL<:

!hat do we have to do to accomplish our proposed course of action5 !ho will be responsible for implementing the proposed plan5 !hen can our group reasonably e"pect results5 !hat unplanned events or accidents are likely to jeopardiHe our actions5 !hat people should we consult who can help us with our proposal5 !hat people should we consult who could threaten our proposal5

-nce this is done, the group can implement the solution. Muring this final step, it is important to have the support of the entire group. Peep in mind that in case this primary solution does not work as planned, the group will have to look for alternative solutions. Tracking the effect of the solution in the long run also serves to be a helpful future model and determines what is and what is not needed in a solution.

0.

7valuating :olutions

There are several ways to evaluate the chosen solutions, and writing them all down will help the group to choose the best solution to the problem. 8aking a T92hart to !eigh the 4ros and 2ons of 7ach %dea %t is often helpful to make a T9chart and ask members of the group to name the pros and cons of each solution. This method will visually illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of each solution. Mevelop and )ssign !eights to 2riteria The key to avoiding possible deadlock in the decision making process is to put all criteria people are thinking about on the table. This way, all group members are clear as to what criteria others are using. 4rioritiHe the 2riteria The ne"t step is for the group to agree on how important these criteria are in relation to each other. .or e"ample, is cost the most important criterion, or low resistance by others, etc. The criteria should then be rated in terms of importance. )ssign a number to each criterion so that all criteria together total 11. /ate 4roposed :olutions Nsing 2riteria Nsing the four to si" possible solutions, score ;on a scale of to 1< each solution against each criteria. /epeat this for each criterion. 8ultiply this score to the weighting, then add the weighted scores for each solution. This e"ercise will help you to compare alternatives objectively.

2onsiderations

!hat are the advantages of each solution5 )re there any disadvantages to the solution5 Mo disadvantages outweigh advantages5 !hat are the long and short9term effects of this solution if adopted5 !ould the solution really solve the problem5 Moes the solution conform to the criteria formulated by the group5 :hould the group modify the criteria5

G.

Mevelop an )ction 4lan

)n action plan is a chart that lists the tasks that need to be done and identifies who will be responsible for each, when and what action is necessary, where to start, and how.

!i%ide the Solution 'nto Se7uential )asks

Fooking at your solution as one task may seem too great an undertaking. %t is much more productive to divide it into sequential tasks which act as measurable steps toward the solution. !hen dividing the solution into tasks, be sure to include a timeline, what is to be done, and who will do it.

!e%elop Contingency Plans

The best laid plans of mice and men... 7ven the best of plans get stalled, sidetracked, or must be changed midstream because of something unforeseen. 8ost times these circumstances cannot be prevented, but you can and should prepare for potential kinks by having a contingency plan. Having such a plan will keep the momentum going instead of having to stop and figure out

what to do when an unplanned event occurs.

Action Planning Cuestion Checklist

The following checklist will be helpful to ensure that all bases are covered in your plan of action: !hat is the overall objective and ideal situation5 !hat is needed in order to get there from here5 !hat actions need to be done5 !ho will be responsible for each action5 How long will each step take and when should it be done5 !hat is the best sequence of actions5 How can we be sure that earlier steps will be done in time for later steps which depend on them5 !hat training is required to ensure that each person knows how to e"ecute each step in the plan5 !hat standards do we want to set5 !hat resources are needed and how will we get them5 How will we measure results5 How will we follow up each step and who will do it5 !hat checkpoints and milestones should be established5 !hat are the make3break vital steps and how can we ensure they succeed5 !hat could go wrong and how will we get around it5 !ho will this plan affect and how will it affect them5 How can the plan be adjusted without jeopardiHing its results to ensure the best response and impact5 How will we communicate the plan to ensure support5

!hat responses to change and other human factors are anticipated and how will they be overcome5

Considerations

Have you considered what resources will be needed5 Have you developed contingency plans for the most critical action steps5 )re the necessary people aware of the contingency plan5

J.

%mplement the :olution

:ometimes the groups who choose the solution are not the ones who will implement it. %f this is the case, members who select the solution should clearly e"plain why they selected it to the ones who will implement it. :howing that the problem solving process was an organiHed and orderly process will convince others that the solution is valid.

$onitoring
) designated member of the group should monitor whether or not specific tasks are being performed or short9term targets are being achieved as planned. This monitoring should take place regularly until all tasks are completed. :ome suggested monitoring techniques are: Tickler file 2ompliance reports *roup meetings %ndividual meetings 2ustomer3user interviews :urveys and written questionnaires Suality control spot checks )udit

!alk through or role play Trend graph 2heckpoints on action plan 4ersonal inspection of all work ,udget controls *rapevine

'mplement Contingency Plan if 6ecessary

)s conditions change during monitoring and evaluation of the )ction 4lan, it may become necessary to implement the contingency plans to continue moving toward the goal. Try making a three9column chart for your contingency plan listing:

!hat could go wrong5 How can you prevent this from happening5 How will we fi" it if it does happen5

E%aluate Results
This step may involve repeating the initial seven9step problem solving process to address additional problems as needed. 8ake certain that the goal has been reached and that a plan is in place to ensure that the problem will not recur. *roup 4roblem :olving )sk the following questions and score each answer on a scale of ;no participation at all< to 0 ;participated very well< to ascertain how well your group solved the problem:

How well did the group assess the problem or decision5

How well did the group identify its goal5 How well did the group identify the positive consequences of the solutions under consideration5 How well did the group identify the negative consequences of the solutions under consideration5 Mid the group draw reasonable conclusions from available information5

Considerations

!hat role will others play in evaluating progress during implementation5 How will you know if the implementation is on track5 How will you know when to implement the contingency plan5 !ho makes the decision5 Has the goal been reached5 )re plans in place to ensure the problem does not recur5

) /ecipe for 4roblem :olving

% have always held the view that a problem well9defined is a problem half9solved, and the empirical and academic discipline that :amara has applied to its activities is critical to moving past the anecdotal based analysis that has inevitably characteriHed the discourse to date.

#riday/ !ecember E/ <F;F

Problem Solvin - & Problem 6ell Defined Is Half Solved

:omeone once said, #) problem well defined, is half solved.$ 4roblem definition can have a great impact on how a team starts a project and begins to collect data. %t is very important that they truly understand the current situation. There are four key steps that e"perienced problem solvers use to understand and define a problem. They are the following: 2ollect and analyHe information and data. Talk with people familiar with the problem. %f possible, view the problem first hand. 2onfirm all findings. :tep . 2ollect and analyHe information and data. Fearn as much as you can about the problem. !rite down everything you can to describe the problem. Metermine what information is missing and what information is erroneous. The information should be properly organiHed and analyHed. % personally like to use the %s U %s @ot matri" to do this. %t begs the question, what is different between the %s column and the %s @ot column. % have used it many times with great success. Nse drawings and graphs to get further information. ) simple tool for attribute data is a concentration diagram or pictograph. ,asically, it is a picture or drawing of the product with tick marks showing where defects are located. This can give you clues and help get to the root cause. *raphs can be used to display numerical or quantitative data. :tep 6. Talk with people familiar with the problem. Talk to people that know about the problem and ask everything you can think of about it. Mon't be afraid to ask #dumb$ questions because this may lead to a better understanding of the current situation. *et the operators, maintenance people, or office workers involved to discuss the problem in detail. :tep =. \iew the problem first hand. Mon't rely on other people's interpretation of the situation. %f possible, go look for yourself. This is usually an eye9opening e"perience that can lead to possible clues and root cause of the problem. :tep D. 2onfirm all findings. \erify all the information you have is correct. Mon't take anything for granted. 2onfirm all important pieces of information. Mistinguish between fact and opinion. )re all assumptions valid5 Hopefully, by following these four steps, you can get your problem well defined and get off to a good start in finding the root cause and solving it. 4osted by Eim -dom at 0: = )8 7mail This,logThis!:hare to Twitter:hare to .acebook

. 6. =. D.

Fabels: ,reakthrough :trategies FF2, Mata 2ollection, Eim -dom, 4roblem Mefinition, 4roblem :olving, 4rocess %mprovement 6o comments5 Post a Comment @ewer 4ost -lder 4ost Home :ubscribe to: 4ost 2omm 'f you "ant to be a good product manager/ get a good understanding of the problem before you try and sol%e it, 4roduct managers and many others unfortunately assume the problem is evident and jump right to solving it. However, ill9defined problems lead to ill9 defined solutions.

http:33ctb.ku.edu3en3tablecontents3sub]section]main] 6D.asp"

Definin and &nal#'in t!e Problem

2ontributed by Eenette @agy

Main Section T!e nature of problems (larif#in t!e problem Decidin to solve t!e problem &nal#'in t!e problem

7dited by Eerry :chultH and Pate @agy

!eBve all had our share of problems 9 more than enough, if you come right down to it. :o itBs easy to think that this section, on defining and analyHing the problem, is unnecessary. A% -no2 what the problem is,A you think. A% just donBt know what to do about it.A

@ot so fast! ) poorly defined problem 9 or a problem whose nuances you donBt completely understand 9 is much more difficult to solve than a problem you have clearly defined and analyHed. The way a problem is worded and understood has a huge impact on the number, quality, and type of proposed solutions. %n this section, weBll begin with the basics, focusing primarily on four things. .irst, weBll consider the nature of problems in general, and then, more specifically, on clarifying and defining the problem you are working on. Then, weBll talk about whether or not you really 2ant to solve the problem, or whether you are better off leaving it alone. .inally, weBll talk about how to do an in9depth analysis of the problem.

T!e nature of problems

:o, what is a problem5 %t can be a lot of things. !e know in our gut when there is a problem, whether or not we can easily put it into words. 8aybe you feel uncomfortable in a given place, but youBre not sure why. ) problem might be just the feeling that something is wrong and should be corrected. +ou might feel some sense of distress, or of injustice. :tated most simply, a problem is the difference between what is, and what might or should be. A@o child should go to bed hungry, but one9quarter of all children do in this country,A is a clear, potent problem statement. )nother e"ample might be, A2ommunication in our office is not very clear.A %n this instance, the e"planation of Awhat might or should beA is simply alluded to. )s these problems illustrate, some problems are more serious that othersC the problem of child hunger is a much more severe problem than the fact that the new youth center has no e"ercise equipment, although both are problems that can and should be addressed. *enerally, problems that affect groups of people 9 children, teenage mothers, the mentally ill, the poor 9 can at least be addressed and in many cases lessened using the process outlined in this 2hapter. )lthough your organiHation may have chosen to tackle a seemingly insurmountable problem, the process you will use to solve it is not comple". %t does, however, take time, both to formulate and to fully analyHe the problem. 8ost people underestimate the work they need to do here and the time theyBll need to spend. ,ut this is the legwork, the foundation on which youBll lay effective solutions. This isnBt the time to take shortcuts. Three basic concepts make up the core of this chapter: clarifying, deciding, and analyHing. FetBs look at each in turn.

(larif#in t!e problem

%f you are having a problem9solving meeting, then you already understand that something isnBt quite right 9 or maybe itBs bigger than thatC you understand that something is very, very wrong. This is your beginning, and of course, it makes most sense to...

$. Start 2ith 2hat you -no2. !hen group members walk through the door at the beginning of the meeting, what do they think about the situation5 There are a variety of different ways to garner this information. 4eople can be asked in advance to write down what they know about the problem. -r the facilitator can lead a brainstorming session to try to bring out the greatest number of ideas. /emember that a good facilitator will draw out everyoneBs opinions, not only those of the more vocal participants. 4. 1ecide 2hat information is missing. %nformation is the key to effective decision making. %f you are fighting child hunger, do you know which children are hungry5 ,hen are they hungry 9 all the time, or especially at the end of the month, when the money has run out5 %f thatBs the case, your problem statement might be, A2hildren in our community are often hungry at the end of the month because their parentsB paychecks are used up too early.A 2ompare this problem statement on child hunger to the one given in AThe nature of problemsA above. How might solutions for the two problems be different5 5. 6ather information on the problem. +ou might collect any of several types of information available. 8ost commonly, what you hear or read will fall into one of the following categories:

.acts ; 0Z of the children in our community donBt get enough to eat.< %nference ;) significant percentage of children in our community are probably malnourished3significantly underweight.< :peculation ;8any of the hungry children probably live in the poorer neighborhoods in town.< -pinion ;% think the reason children go hungry is because their parents spend all of their money on cigarettes.<

!hen you are gathering information, you will probably hear all four types of information, and all can be important. :peculation and opinion can be especially important in gauging public opinion. %f public opinion on your issue is based on faulty assumptions, part of your solution strategy will probably include some sort of informational campaign. .or e"ample, perhaps your coalition is campaigning against the death penalty, and you find that most people incorrectly believe that the death penalty deters violent crime. )s part of your campaign, therefore, you will probably want to make it clear to the public that it simply isnBt true. !here and how do you find this information5 %t depends on what you want to know. ) very few of the possibilities before you include:

:urveys %nterviews The library

The %nternet

To learn more, see 2hapter =, :ection D: %ollecting nformation about the Problem. 7. 1efine the problem. !ith the information in front of you, youBre ready to write down a Aproblem statementA 9 a comprehensive definition of the problem. ,efore you do, remember two general principles:

Mefine the problem in terms of needs, and not solutions. %f you define the problem in terms of possible solutions, youBre closing the door to other, possibly more effective solutions. A\iolent crime in our neighborhood is unacceptably high,A offers space for many more possible solutions than, A!e need more police patrols,A or, A8ore citiHens should have guns to protect themselves.A Mefine the problem as one everyone sharesC avoid assigning blame for the problem. This is particularly important if different people ;or groups< with a history of bad relations need to be working together to solve the problem. Teachers may be frustrated with high truancy rates, but blaming students uniquely for problems at school is sure to alienate students from helping to solve the problem.

@ow, youBre ready to define the problem. +ou can do this in several different ways.

The facilitator can write a problem statement on the board, and everyone can give feedback on it, until the statement has developed into something everyone is pleased with. +ou can accept someone elseBs definition of the problem, or use it as a starting point, modifying it to fit your needs. :ee the Tools section for a longer problem9defining activity.

)fter you have defined the problem, ask if everyone understands the terminology being used. Mefine the key terms of your problem statement, even if you think everyone understands them. +our organiHation, the Hispanic Health 2oalition, has come up with the problem statement ATeen pregnancy is a problem in our community.A That seems pretty clear, doesnBt it5 ,ut letBs e"amine the word AcommunityA for a moment. +ou may have one person who defines community as Athe city you live in,A a second who defines it as, Athis neighborhoodA and a third who considers Aour communityA to mean Hispanics.

Decidin to solve t!e problem

)t this point, you have already spent a fair amount of time on the problem at hand, and naturally, you want to see it taken care of. ,efore you go any further, however, itBs important to look critically at the problem and decide if you really want to focus your

efforts on it. +ou might decide that right now isnBt the best time to try to fi" it. 8aybe your coalition has been weakened by bad press, and chance of success right now is slim. -r perhaps solving the problem right now would force you to neglect another important agency goal. -r perhaps this problem would be more appropriately handled by another e"isting agency or organiHation. +ou and your group need to make a conscious choice that you really do want to attack the problem. 8any different factors should be a part of your decision. :ome of the more significant ones include:

mportance. %n judging the importance of the issue, keep in mind the following: 9 The frequency with which the problem occurs 9 The number of people affected 9 The severity of the effect 9 The perceived importance of the problem to you 9 The perceived importance of the problem to others

(easibility. 7ven if you have decided that the problem really is important, and worth solving, will you be able to solve it, or at least significantly improve the situation5 The bottom line: Mecide if the good you can do will be worth the effort it takes. 8re you the best people to solve the problem. %s someone else better suited to the task5

.or e"ample, perhaps your organiHation is interested in youth issues, and you have recently come to understand that teens arenBt participating in community events mostly because they donBt know about them. ) monthly newsletter, given out at the high schools, could take care of this fairly easily. Nnfortunately, you donBt have much publishing equipment. +ou do have an old computer and a desktop printer, and you could type something up, but itBs really not your forte. ) better solution might be to work to find writing, design and3or printing professionals who would donate their time and3or equipment to create a newsletter that is more e"citing, and that students would be more likely to want to read.

9egative impacts. %f you do succeed in bringing about the solution you are working on, what are the possible consequences5 %f you succeed in having safety measures implemented at a local factory, how much will it cost5 !here will the factory get that money5 !ill they cut salaries, or lay off some of their workers5

7ven if there are some unwanted results, you may well decide that the benefits outweigh the negatives. )s when youBre taking medication, youBll put up with the side effects to cure the disease. ,ut be sure you go into the process with your eyes open to the real costs of solving the problem at hand. Choosing among problems +ou might have many obstacles youBd like to see removed. %n fact, itBs probably a pretty rare community group that doesnBt have a laundry list of problems they would like to resolve, given enough time and resources. :o how do you decide which to start with5 ) simple suggestion might be to list all of the problems you are facing, and whether or not they meet the criteria listed above ;importance, feasibility, et cetera<. %tBs hard to assign numerical values for something like this, because for each situation, one of the criteria may strongly outweigh the others. However, just having all of the information in front of the group can help the actual decision making a much easier task. %n the )ools part of this section, youBll find a matri" that will help you decide which problem to tackle firstC a filled out version of this matri" is available in the Examples.

&nal#'in t!e problem

@ow that the group has defined the problem and agreed that they want to work towards a solution, itBs time to thoroughly analyHe the problem. +ou started to do this when you gathered information to define the problem, but now, itBs time to pay more attention to details and make sure everyone fully understands the problem. Ans"er all of the 7uestion "ords The facilitator can take group members through a process of understanding every aspect of the problem by answering the Aquestion wordsA 9 what, why, who, when, and how much. This process might include the following types of questions: What is the problem. +ou already have your problem statement, so this part is more or less done. ,ut itBs important to review your work at this point. Why does the problem exist. There should be agreement among meeting participants as to why the problem e"ists to begin with. %f there isnBt, consider trying one of the following techniques. . The Abut whyA technique. This simple e"ercise can be done easily with a large group, or even on your own. !rite the problem statement, and ask participants, A!hy does this problem e"ist5A !rite down the answer given, and ask, A,ut why does ;the answer< occur5A .or e"ample, your problem might be:

A2hildren often fall asleep in class,A )ut 2hy. A,ecause they have no energy.A )ut 2hy. A,ecause they donBt eat breakfast.A )ut 2hy. )nd so on.

2ontinue down the line until participants can comfortably agree on the root cause of the problem. )greement is essential hereC if people donBt even agree about the source of the problem, an effective solution may well be out of reach. To learn more about this method, see 2hapter J, :ection D: 8naly*ing :oot %auses of Problems: The ;)ut ,hy; Techni'ue. 6. A.orce field analysis.A The Abut whyA technique asks you to dig deep to find the cause of the problem. !ith force field analysis, you will be looking more broadly at the issue and the forces surrounding it.

:tart with the definition you penned above. Mraw a line down the center of the paper. -r, if you are working with a large group of people who cannot easily see what you are writing, use two pieces. -n the top of one sheet3side, write A/estraining .orces.A -n the other sheet3side, write, AMriving .orces.A Nnder A/estraining .orces,A list all of the reasons you can think of that keep the situation the sameC why the status quo is the way it is. )s with all brainstorming sessions, this should be a Afree for allCA no idea is too Afar outA to be suggested and written down. %n the same manner, under AMriving .orces,A list all of the forces that are pushing the situation to change. !hen all of the ideas have been written down, group members can edit them as they see fit and compile a list of the important factors that are causing the situation.

2learly, these two e"ercises are meant for different times. The Abut whyA technique is most effective when the facilitator ;or the group as a whole< decides that the problem hasnBt been looked at deeply enough and that the groupBs understanding is somewhat superficial. The force field analysis, on the other hand, can be used when people are

worried that important elements of the problem havenBt been noticed 99 that youBre not looking at the whole picture. Who is causing the problem/ and "ho is affected by it. ) simple brainstorming session is an e"cellent way to determine this. ,rainstorming is covered in depth in :ection G of this chapter, 6enerating and %hoosing Solutions. %f brainstorming alone doesnBt work, see Chapter 18, Section 3: dentifying targets and agents of change: ,ho can benefit and contribute. When did the problem first occur/ or "hen did it become significant. %s this a new problem or an old one5 Pnowing this can give you added understanding of why the problem is occurring now. )lso, the longer a problem has e"isted, the more entrenched it has become, and the more difficult it will be to solve. 4eople often get used to things the way they are and resist change, even when itBs a change for the better. How much/ or to "hat extent/ is this problem occurring. How many people are affected by the problem5 How significant is it5 Here, you should revisit the questions on importance you looked at when you were defining the problem. This serves as a brief refresher and gives you a complete analysis from which you can work. %f time permits, you might want to summariHe your analysis on a single sheet of paper for participants before moving on to generating solutions, the ne"t step in the process. That way, members will have something to refer back to during later stages in the work. )lso, after you have finished this analysis, the facilitator should ask for agreement from the group. Have peopleBs perceptions of the problem changed significantly5 )t this point, check back and make sure that everyone still wants to work together to solve the problem.

In Summar#The first step in any effective problem9solving process may be the most important. Take your time to develop a critical definition, and let this definition, and the analysis that follows, guide you through the process. +ouBre now ready to go on to generating and choosing solutions, which are the ne"t steps in the problem9solving process, and the focus of the following section.

We encourage the reproduction of this material, but ask that you credit the Community ool !o": http:##ctb$ku$edu#

Resources )very, 8., )uvine, ,., :treibel, ,., !eiss, F. ; LK <. ) handbook for consensus decision making: ,uilding united judgement. 2ambridge, 8): 2enter for 2onflict /esolution.

Male, M., and 8itiguy, @. 4lanning, for a change: ) citiHenBs guide to creative planning and program development. Mashiell, P.). ; LL1<. 8anaging meetings for collaboration and consensus. Honolulu, H%: @eighborhood Eustice 2enter of Honolulu, %nc. %nteraction )ssociates ; LKJ<. .acilitator institute. :an .rancisco, 2): )uthor. Fawson, F.*., Monant, ..M., and Fawson, E.M. ; LK6<. Fead on! The complete handbook for group leaders. :an Fuis -bispo, 2): %mpact 4ublishers. 8eacham, !. ; LK1<. Human development training manual. )ustin, TV: Human Mevelopment Training. 8orrison, 7.P. ; LLD<. Feadership skills: Meveloping volunteers for organiHational success. Tucson, )T: .isher ,ooks. Home Q )bout Ns Q *uestbook Q !hat Nsers :ay Q )sk an )dvisor Q )dd a Fink Q 2ontact Ns Q Monate Q Nse 4olicy The 2ommunity Tool ,o" is a service of the *ork Group for Community +ealth and !e%elopment at the Nniversity of Pansas. 2opyright ^ 61 6 by the Nniversity of Pansas for all materials provided via the !orld !ide !eb in the ctb.ku.edu domain. 2ommunity Tool ,o" materials are licensed under a 2reative 2ommons )ttribution9 @oncommercial9:hare )like =.1 Ficense 2reative 2ommons )ttribution9@oncommercial9:hare )like =.1 Nnited :tates Ficense.

%epner Tre oe Decision Makin T!e Steps7 T!e Pros and T!e (ons

6!at is it8
Pepner Tregoe decision making is a structured methodology for gathering information and prioritiHing and evaluating it. %t was developed by 2harles H. Pepner and ,enjamin ,. Tregoe in the LG1s. This is a rational model that is well respected in business management circles. )n important aspect of Pepner Tregoe decision making is the assessment and prioritiHing of risk. :o the idea is not to find a perfect solution but rather the best possible choice, based on actually achieving the outcome with minimal negative consequences. %t is marketed as a way to make unbiased decisions in that it is said to limit conscious and unconscious biases that draw attention away from the outcome. There are four basic steps when using the Pepner Tregoe decision matri":

Situation appraisal 9 is used to clarify the situation, outline concerns and choose a direction Problem analysis 9 here the problem is defined and itBs root cause determined !ecision analysis 9 alternatives are identified and a risk analysis done for each

Potential problem analysis 9 the best of the alternatives is further scrutiniHed against potential problems and negative consequences and actions are proposed to minimiHe the risk.

.ollowing the step9by9step approach of Pepner Tregoe decision making allows for the use of critical thinking skills in considering many possible factors that may be vital in making the decision.

%epner Tre oe decision anal#sis

Prepare decision statement 9 includes not only the desired result but also the action required

!efine5 9 :trategic requirements 9 Bmust havesB 9 -perational objectives 9 Bwant to havesB 9 /estraints 9 limits in the system

Rank the ob1ecti%es and assign relati%e "eights

&ist alternati%es 9 *enerate as many potential courses of action as possible whether immediately feasible or not

Score each alternati%e

9 .irstly, eliminate any alternative that does not fit the Bmust havesB. 9 *oing through each alternative one by one, rate it against each !ant on a scale of to 1. 9 @e"t, multiply the weight of the objective by the satisfaction score to come up with the weighted score.

9 /epeat this for each alternative

Choose the top t"o or three alternati%es and consider potential problems or negati%e effects of each

Consider each alternati%e against all of the negati%e effects 9 -ne at a time again, rate alternatives against adverse effects, scoring for probability and significance

Analy8e the "eighted score %ersus the ad%ersity rating for each and choose the high2scoring one,

Consider the "inning option against each negati%e conse7uence and suggest a plan of action to minimi8e the ad%erse effects,

Pros and cons

This step9by9step, systematic approach makes it easy to do the Pepner Tregoe decision analysis. %t can be very useful where there are many potential options to consider as well as many possible unwanted effects. ,uilt into it is the ability to minimiHe some of these negative effects. )lthough it is offered as an unbiased decision matri", somebody has to decide the relative importance of the objectives, the probability of occurrence of adverse reactions and the relative significance of each of these reactions. %tBs difficult to believe that there wonBt be any bias in there whatsoever! Pepner Tregoe decision making sets up an outcome as well as how e"actly it should be achieved. This is often problematic because the universe often has other plans! +ou can have one or the other, not usually both. This decision making model deals with this only by troubleshooting at the end of the process. %t may also take considerable time to get through this process. 8uch patience and determination may be required!

;; *ays to Restate Problems to Get (etter Solutions in:hare

4aul !illiams !hen faced with a challenge or problem, one of the best first steps in solving U even before you start thinking9up possible solutions U is to e"amine and restate the problem. )s 8organ M. Eones writes in his book, The Thin-er<s Tool-it: $7 Po2erful Techni'ues for Problem Solving U #The aim of problem restatement is to broaden our perspective of a problem, helping us to identify the central issue and alternative solutions and increase the chance that the outcome our analysis produces will fully, not partially, resolve the problem.$ #/estate or redefine the problem in as many different ways we can think of. This allows us to shift our mental gears without evaluating them.$

,elow %'ve provided eleven different methods to help restate a problem. The first five are found in Eones' Thin-er<s Tool-it. :uggestions Eones suggests includeI

,1/ Parap!rase/estate the problem using different words without losing the original meaning. %nitial statement: How can we limit congestion on the roads5 4araphrase: How can we keep road congestion from growing5

,9/ 1:5+De reesTurn the problem on its head. %nitial statement: How can we get employees to come to the company picnic5 K19Megrees: How can we discourage employees from attending the picnic5 Eones points out that taking the opposite view of a problem is a surprisingly effective technique.

,;/ )roaden t!e focus/estate the problem in a larger conte"t. %nitial statement: :hould % change jobs5 ,roaden focus: How can % achieve job security5

,</ *edirect t!e focus,oldly, consciously change the focus. %nitial statement: How can we boost sales5 /edirect focus: How can we cut costs5

,=/ &sk >6!#?)sk #why$ of the initial problem statement. Then formulate a new problem statement base on the answer. Then ask #why$ again, and again. /epeat this process a number of times until the essence of the #real$ problem emerges. %nitial statement: How can we market our in9house multimedia products5 ,ecause many of our internal customers are out sourcing their !hy5: multimedia projects. (((

/estatement: !hy5: ((( /estatement: !hy5: ((( /estatement: !hy5: ((( /estatement: !hy5: ((( /estatement: 4rinciple problem has emerged:

How can we keep internal customers from outsourcing their multimedia projects5 ,ecause it should be our mandate to do all of the organiHation's multimedia5 How can we establish a mandate to do all of the organiHations multimedia5 ,ecause we need to broaden our customer base5 How can we broaden our customer base5 ,ecause we need a larger base in order to be cost effective5 How can we become more cost effective5 ,ecause our profit margin is diminishing5 How can we increase our profit margin5 How to obtain a mandate to do all of the organiHation's multimedia projects.

%n their book Strategies (or %reative Problem Solving& the following are what authors H. :cott .ogler and :teven 7. Fe,lanc call #problem statement triggers$ These are how they restate problems. They use a breakfast cereal for each of their e"amples. Original Problem Statement5 The Toasty !<s cereal is clearly not getting to mar-et fast enough to maintain freshness.

,@/ Aar# t!e stress patternTry placing emphasis on different words and phrases.

Cereal is not getting to market fast enough to maintain freshness. ;Mo other products we have get there faster5< 2ereal is not getting to market fast enough to maintain freshness. ;2an we make the distance3time shorter5< 2ereal is not getting to market fast enough to maintain freshness. ;2an we distribute it from a centraliHed location5< 2ereal is not getting to market fast enough to maintain freshness. ;How can we keep cereal fresher, longer5<

,B/ Substitute2hoose a term that has an e"plicit definition and substitute the e"plicit definition in each place that the term appears.

(reakfast food that comes in a box is not getting to the place "here it is sold fast enough to keep it from getting stale. ;This restatement makes us think about the bo" and staleness. How might we change the bo" to prevent staleness5<

,:/ 4pposite8ake an opposite statement, changing positives to negatives, and vice versa.

How can we find a way to get the cereal to market so slo"ly that it will ne%er be fresh5 ;This restatement makes us think about how long we have to maintain freshness and what controls it.<

,C/ (!an e &dverbs 4f 3reDuenc#2hange #every$ to #some,$ #always$ to #sometimes,$ #sometimes to #never,$ and vice versa.

2ereal is not getting to market fast enough to al"ays maintain freshness. ;This change opens up new avenues of thought. !hy isn't are cereal al2ays fresh5<

,15/ *eplace Persuasive 6ords/eplace #persuasive words$ in the problem statement such as #obviously,$ #clearly,$ and #certainly$ with the argument it is supposed to be replacing.

The word clearly in the problem statement implies that if we could speed up delivery, freshness would be maintained. 8aybe not! 8aybe the store holds the cereal too long. 8aybe the cereal is stale before it reaches the store. ;This trigger helps us change the implicit assumptions made in the problem statement.<

,11/ Dia ram7"press words in the form of an equation or picture, and visa versa.

.reshness is inversely proportional to the time since the cereal was baked: ;.reshness< X k3;Time since cereal baked<

Try out one or more of these techniques. 4roblem restatement helps you focus on the core of the problem. %dentifying the core saves immense time, effort, and money. )s a bonus, sometimes restating a problem points you directly to a solution. However, it shows there is more than one problem and helps identify them.

:ources: /estatements 90, and e"amples from: The Thin-er<s Tool-it: $7 Po2erful Techni'ues for Problem Solvingby 8organ M. Eones. 4roblem :tatement Triggers G9 , and cereal e"amples from: +Strategies (or %reative Problem Solving by H. :cott .ogler and :teven 7. Fe,lanc

:hare and 7njoy:

Tags: 8organ M. Eones, problems, solutions, The ThinkerBs Toolkit _ !hen %s %t -P to :ell a :ubstandard 4roduct5 Mid ,en W Eerry's Mo the /ight Thing at the /ight Time5 `

C *esponses to >11 6a#s to *estate Problems to Get )etter Solutions?

. Steven says: -ctober 0, 61 1 at J:DK pm )wesome awesome advice! % love looking at problems from different angles and perspectives to try and think of better solutions. )ll your suggestions here are :4-T9-@! %'m going to Tweet this right now a@eural2orrelate U great work! /eply
o

Paul ,illiams says: -ctober K, 61 1 at 1:6G am *lad this article helps you out, :teven!

% enjoyed visiting your The7motion8achine.com websiteI -f course, with special interest in your ,rainstorming section. Thanks for leaving a comment! 4aul /eply 6. Problem Spaces = The %entre for 8rtificial ntelligence says: -ctober 0, 61 1 at 1: 0 pm >...? !ays to /estate 4roblems to *et ,etter :olutions ;mpdailyfi".com< This entry was posted in NncategoriHed. ,ookmark the permalink. b Pnowledge9 based systems >...? /eply
o

Paul ,illiams says: -ctober K, 61 1 at 1:== am Thanks for linking to this article from your site. )nd congratulations on your new blog. % wish you the best on the topic of )rtificial %ntelligence. @aturalI artificialI you can never have too much intelligence. ,est, 4aul /eply

=. $# great blog posts for consultants and small business o2ners > %onsultant Launch Pad says: -ctober J, 61 1 at L:D1 am >...? !ays To /estate 4roblems to *et ,etter :olutions. % was looking for one thing and found this one ;isn't that the way it goes sometimes5<. 4aul !illiams of %dea :andbo" ;aideasandbo"< provides a great list to try to get yourself unstuck. >...? /eply

Paul ,illiams says: -ctober K, 61 1 at 1:6L am 4eter, Thanks for linking back with your 2onsultantFaunch4ad.com site! +ou've got a great list of articles there! 4aul

3utureAisions

SM

creating sustainable results in growth and performance

Restate a problem in different terms, using completely different words. Restate the question in many different ways before trying to come up with . Looking at the problem in a different light can often lead to insightful straight off. Write down the problem and ask others (the more different from you the better) to write down a different statement of the problem, using none of the words used in your initial statement. So, how can we increase sales could be e!pressed as What actions could lead to more re"enue# or Why shouldn$t the company get more money from customers%clients# &ach restatement is written out and the different perspecti"es are used as triggers for a brainstorming session.
%reativity re'uires spending time ;doing nothing; - 2or-aholism guarantees its death

_____________________________________________________________ __________________

\\|// (O O) ---oOOo-(_)-oOOo--The instructions for thinking outside the box are printed on the outside. Want to get out of your box !ork !ith "uture#isions

Define %e# Terms

6!# is it important to define t!e ke# terms #ou are workin wit!8

c c

0ey concepts such as democracy have been used in different ways in different conte"ts Galue terms such as successful are relative 9 it depends what you mean by AsuccessA

%f you need to say & t depends 2hat you mean by ?@<...', then you need to define your terms. T#pes of Definition ,or-ing definitions 4ossible or alternative definitions Standard definitions Mictionary definitions Tec!niDues of definition Here are some specific ways in which we can define something. c 'dentify the class to "hich the sub1ect belongs:

8ar"ism is a political theory .... Cite its essential characteristics: ... which argues that social and political structures are

c c c

determined by the economic base of o2nership and control of production 'solate the single most important characteristic or HmotifI: ... underlying economic base... )race the "ordIs roots: ... named after the political theorist 2hose ideas it develops: Aarl Mar3. #ind synonyms or terms that are close in meaning : ... 8ar";ism< has influenced many other socialist and communist thin-ers& li-e ,eber& Lenin& Trots-y and 6ramsci. Pro%ide a specific illustration of ho" it is used : ... 8ar";ism< has influenced philosophers and sociologists of education& language and religion& and also analysts of gender and cultural studies& etc.

)AS0 ; :elect 6 or = other key :ocial :cience terms or concepts which you have had to define 9 or are likely to have to define 9 and practise defining them, using all these techni7ues of definition, )AS0 < !efining for Sociology5 (erger on Hthe Sociological ConsciousnessI /ead this extract from 2hapter 6 of ,ergerBs book. %t features e"plorations of the definitions of these terms: society/ social/ problem J ideology < identify and underline any e"pressions you find which introduce, or develop the definition of each of the terms >9 society J social are done for you? 6< looking at ,ergerBs e"ploration of each term, identify the definition that ,erger seems to feel happiest with Comments =< do you notice any patterns of language use or stylistic devices used by ,erger to e"plore definitions of his key concepts5

4roblem :olving:
%efinition, terminology, and patterns by Hidetoshi :hibata
2opy rights ^ H. :hibata all reserved, LLJ, LLK

Problem Sol%ing )erminology

Systems )hinking

4roblem :olving is very important but problem solvers often misunderstand it. This report proposes the definition of problems, terminology for 4roblem :olving and useful 4roblem :olving patterns. !e should define what is the problem as the first step of 4roblem :olving. +et problem solvers often forget this first step. .urther, we should recogniHe common terminology such as 4urpose, :ituation, 4roblem, 2ause, :olvable 2ause, %ssue, and :olution. 7ven 2onsultants, who should be professional problem solvers, are often confused with the terminology of 4roblem :olving. .or e"ample, some consultants may think of issues as problems, or some of them think of problems as causes. ,ut issues must be the proposal to solve problems and problems should be negative e"pressions while issues should be a positive e"pression. :ome consultants do not mind this type of minute terminology, but clear terminology is helpful to increase the efficiency of 4roblem :olving. Third, there are several useful thinking patterns such as strategic thinking, emotional thinking, realistic thinking, empirical thinking and so on. The thinking pattern means how we think. :o far, % recogniHed fourteen thinking patterns. %f we choose an appropriate pattern at each step in 4roblem :olving, we can improve the efficiency of 4roblem :olving. This report will e"plain the above three points such as the definition of problems, the terminology of 4roblem :olving, and useful thinking patterns.

!efinition of problem
) problem is decided by purposes. %f someone wants money and when he or she has little money, he or she has a problem. ,ut if someone does not want money, little money is not a problem.

.or e"ample, manufacturing managers are usually evaluated with line9operation rate, which is shown as a percentage of operated hours to potential total operation hours. Therefore manufacturing managers sometimes operate lines without orders from their sales division. This operation may produce more than demand and make e"cessive inventories. The e"cessive inventories may be a problem for general managers. ,ut for the manufacturing managers, the e"cessive inventories may not be a problem. %f a purpose is different between managers, they see the identical situation in different ways. -ne may see a problem but the others may not see the problem. Therefore, in order to identify a problem, problem solvers such as consultants must clarify the differences of purposes. ,ut oftentimes, problem solvers frequently forget to clarify the differences of purposes and incur confusion among their problem solving projects. Therefore problem solvers should start their problem solving projects from the definition of purposes and problems

)erminology of Problem Sol%ing

!e should know the basic terminology for 4roblem :olving. This report proposes seven terms such as 4urpose, :ituation, 4roblem, 2ause, :olvable 2ause, %ssue, and :olution. &urpose 4urpose is what we want to do or what we want to be. 4urpose is an easy term to understand. ,ut problem solvers frequently forget to confirm 4urpose, at the first step of 4roblem :olving. !ithout clear purposes, we can not think about problems. Situation :ituation is just what a circumstance is. :ituation is neither good nor bad. !e should recogniHe situations objectively as much as we can. Nsually almost all situations are not problems. ,ut some problem solvers think of all situations as problems. ,efore we recogniHe a problem, we should capture situations clearly without recogniHing them as problems or non9problems. !ithout recogniHing situations objectively, 4roblem :olving is likely to be narrow sighted, because problem solvers recogniHe problems with their prejudice. &roblem 4roblem is some portions of a situation, which cannot realiHe purposes. :ince problem solvers often neglect the differences of purposes, they cannot capture the true problems. %f the purpose is different, the identical situation may be a

problem or may not be a problem. Cause 2ause is what brings about a problem. :ome problem solvers do not distinguish causes from problems. ,ut since problems are some portions of a situation, problems are more general than causes are. %n other words causes are more specific facts, which bring about problems. !ithout distinguishing causes from problems, 4roblem :olving can not be specific. .inding specific facts which causes problems is the essential step in 4roblem :olving. Sol'able Cause :olvable cause is some portions of causes. !hen we solve a problem, we should focus on solvable causes. .inding solvable causes is another essential step in 4roblem :olving. ,ut problem solvers frequently do not e"tract solvable causes among causes. %f we try to solve unsolvable causes, we waste time. 7"tracting solvable causes is a useful step to make 4roblem :olving efficient. (ssue %ssue is the opposite e"pression of a problem. %f a problem is that we do not have money, the issue is that we get money. :ome problem splvers do not know what %ssue is. They may think of Awe do not have moneyA as an issue. )t the worst case, they may mi" the problems, which should be negative e"pressions, and the issues, which should be positive e"pressions. Solution :olution is a specific action to solve a problem, which is equal to a specific action to realiHe an issue. :ome problem solvers do not break down issues into more specific actions. %ssues are not solutions. 4roblem solvers must break down issues into specific action.

)hinking patterns
This report lists fourteen thinking patters. 4roblem solvers should choose appropriate patterns, responding to situations. This report categoriHed these fourteen patterns into three more general groups such as thinking patterns for judgements, thinking patterns for thinking processes and thinking patterns for efficient thinking. The following is the outlines of those thinking patterns.

hinking patterns for )udgements

%n order to create a value through thinking we need to judge whether what we think is right or wrong. This report lists four judging patterns such as strategic thinking, emotional thinking, realistic thinking, and empirical thinking. Strategic thinking .ocus, or bias, is the criterion for strategic thinking. %f you judge whether a situation is right or wrong based on whether the situation is focused or not, your judgement is strategic. ) strategy is not necessarily strategic. Historically, many strategists such as :onfucis in ancient 2hina, @aplon, 8. 4orter proposed strategic thinking when they develop strategies. *motional thinking %n organiHations, an emotional aspect is essential. Tactical leaders judge whether a situation is right or wrong based on the participantsf emotional commitment. They think that if participants can be positive to a situation, the situation is right. +ealistic thinking

:tart from what we can do .i" the essential problem first

These two criteria are very useful. A:tartingA is very important, even if we do very little. !e do not have to start from the essential part. 7ven if we start from an easier part, starting is a better judgement than a judgement of not9starting in terms of the first part of realistic thinking. .urther, after we start, we should search key factors to make the 4roblem :olving more efficient. Nsually, K1 Z of the problems are caused by only 61 Z of the causes. %f we can find the essential 61 Z of the causes, we can fi" K1 Z of problems very efficiently. Then if we try to find the essential problem, what we are doing is right in terms of the second part of realistic thinking. *mpirical thinking !hen we use empirical thinking, we judge whether the situation is right or wrong based on our past e"periences. :ometimes, this thinking pattern persists on the past criteria too much, even if a situation has changed. ,ut when it comes to our daily lives, situations do not change frequently. .urther, if we have the e"perience of the identical situation before, we can utiliHe the e"perience as a reliable knowledge data base.

hinking patterns for thinking processes

%f we can think systematically, we do not have to be frustrated when we think. %n contrast, if we have no systematic method, 4roblem :olving frustrate us. This reports lists five systematic thinking processes such as rational thinking, systems thinking, cause W effect thinking, contingent thinking, and the Toyotafs five times !H+s method . +ational thinking /ational thinking is one of the most common 4roblem :olving methods. This report will briefly show this 4roblem :olving method. . :et the ideal situation 6. %dentify a current situation =. 2ompare the ideal situation and the current situation, and identify the problem situation D. ,reak down the problem to its causes 0. 2onceive the solution alternatives to the causes G. 7valuate and choose the reasonable solution alternatives J. %mplement the solutions !e can use rational thinking as a 4roblem :olving method for almost all problems. Systems thinking :ystems thinking is a more scientific 4roblem :olving approach than the rational thinking approach. !e set the system, which causes problems and analyHe them based on systemsf functions. The following arre the system and how the system works. :ystem

4urpose %nput -utput .unction %nside cause ;:olvable cause< -utside cause ;Nnsolvable cause< /esult

%n order to realiHe 4urpose, we prepare %nput and through .unction we can get -utput. ,ut -utput does not necessarily realiHe 4urpose. /esult of the .unction may be different from 4urpose. This difference is created by -utside 2ause and %nside 2ause. !e can not solve -utside 2ause but we can solve %nside 2ause.

.or e"ample, when we want to play golf, 4urpose is to play golf. %f we can not play golf, this situation is -utput. %f we can not play golf because of a bad weather, the bad weather is -utside 2ause, because we can not change the weather. %n contrast, if we cannot play golf because we left golf bags in our home, this cause is solvable. Then, that we left bags in our home is an %nside 2ause. :ystems thinking is a very clear and useful method to solve problems. Cause , effect thinking Traditionally, we like to clarify cause and effect relations. !e usually think of finding causes as solving problems. .inding a cause and effect relation is a conventional basic 4roblem :olving method. Contingent thinking *ame Theory is a typical contingent thinking method. %f we think about as many situations as possible, which may happen, and prepare solutions for each situation, this process is a contingent thinking approach. oyotafs fi'e times WH-s )t Toyota, employees are taught to think !H+ consecutively five times. This is an adaptation of cause and effect thinking. %f employees think !H+ and find a cause, they try to ask themselves !H+ again. They continue five times. Through these five !H+:, they can break down causes into a very specific level. This five times !H+s approach is very useful to solve problems.

hinking patterns for efficient thinking

%n order to think efficiently, there are several useful thinking patterns. This report lists five patterns for efficient thinking such as hypothesis thinking, conception thinking, structure thinking, convergence W divergence thinking, and time order thinking. Hypothesis thinking %f we can collect all information quickly and easily, you can solve problems very efficiently. ,ut actually, we can not collect every information. %f we try to collect all information, we need so long time. Hypothesis thinking does not require collecting all information. !e develop a hypothesis based on available information. )fter we developed a hypothesis, we collect minimum information to prove the hypothesis. %f the first hypothesis is right, you do not have to collect

any more information. %f the first hypothesis is wrong, we will develop the ne"t hypothesis based on available information. Hypothesis thinking is a very efficient problem9solving method, because we do not have to waste time to collect unnecessary information. Conception thinking 4roblem :olving is not necessarily logical or rational. 2reativity and fle"ibility are other important aspects for 4roblem :olving. !e can not recogniHe these aspects clearly. This report shows only what kinds of tips are useful for creative and fle"ible conception. .ollowing are portions of tips.

To be visual. To write down what we think. Nse cards to draw, write and arrange ideas in many ways. 2hange positions, forms, and viewpoints, physically and mentally.

!e can imagine without words and logic, but in order to communicate to others, we must e"plain by words and logic. Therefore after we create ideas, we must e"plain them literally. 2reative conception must be translated into reasonable e"planations. !ithout e"planations, conception does not make sense. Structure thinking %f we make a structure like a tree to grasp a comple" situation, we can understand very clearly.

Npper level should be more abstract and lower level should be more concrete. Mividing abstract situations from concrete situations is helpful to clarify the comple" situations. \ery frequently, problem solvers cannot arrange a situation clearly. ) clear recognition of a comple" situation increases efficiency of

4roblem :olving. Con'ergence , di'ergence thinking !hen we should be creative we do not have to consider convergence of ideas. %n contrast, when we should summariHe ideas we must focus on convergence. %f we do convergence and divergence simultaneously, 4roblem :olving becomes inefficient. ime order thinking Thinking based on a time order is very convenient, when we are confused with 4roblem :olving. !e can think based on a time order from the past to the future and make a comple" situation clear.

Problem Identification
ESeein F t!e problem + before tr#in to solve it
Reflection ' what we do ' and the traps we fall into
Introduction

A problem well stated is a problem half solved. Charles Kettering This resource has been compiled from various workshops on this topic. (ro)lems I have solved ach person tell a stor! about a problem the! have solved "or attempted to solve. #ased on the stories identif! the common approach and strategies that people use to solve the problem

Exercise

!rou" feedbac#

$irst !ou have to realise and accept that there is a problem Then create space to observe and reflect what%s going on Then gather information that relates to the problem Timing is important & To find good answers !ou ma! need to ask different 'uestions( change perspective( look at it from a macro level( change !our attitude "!ou can%t solve it if !ou%re angr!) *o a thorough anal!sis needs anal!sis engage with the problem & accept that it is there and it%s not going to go awa! brain storm potential solutions( test and discard what won%t work +eave it to !our instinct #e patient. $orget the solution. ,nce a problem is identified( resolutions become apparent. A problem described is half solved

Exercise $

#ased on the stories identif! traps in the problem-solving process. The following represent some of the traps

%orcing a solution If !ou tr! to solve a thing before !ou have identified the root cause

!ou .ust go in to endless loops of tr!ing and failing If !ou are too an/ious to solve the problem !ou ma! not be giving !ourself time to see what is reall! wrong The 'uick fi/ generall! makes the problem worse in the long run and result in range of unintended conse'uences
Res"onding to sym"toms

Treating the s!mptom( ma! not address the cause. The problem doesn0t go awa!. #e careful of assumptions. ,ften first perception of problem not true & it%s the s!mptom s!mptom is not a cause

Describe t!e Problem

*hy.
,efore attempting to resolve a problem, you need to describe it in detail. +ou do this so you can understand how the problem affects the process being e"amined, such as delivery of a health service to the users.

*hat.
To help you describe the problem, you may want to answer certain questions about the problem, such as: +o" fre7uently does the problem occur5 *hen does it generally occur ;for e"ample, at a particular time of the year, on a set week, on a specific day<5 %s the problem related to time5 *here does it generally occur ;for e"ample, is it limited to a particular area, or is it everywhere<5 !hat relation does the problem have to location5 *ho is most affected ;for e"ample, individuals or families, people of different gender, race, age, or socioeconomic status<5

+o".
To describe a problem, follow these steps: . Nse a flowchart to identify the flow of events in the process you are e"amining, such as the steps the users take to use the health service. 6. Mecide on the indicator you will use to describe the problem. )n indicator can be an amount, or the steps in a process. .or e"ample, if the indicator is Awaiting time,A you need to divide the number of patients who had a long waiting time by the number of all patients receiving care that day. That percentage is the indicator. +ou can use an indicator matri" to help you construct indicators. =. 2ollect the data for describing the situation. This data can be collected from e"isting sources ;such as Health %nformation :ystems< or by direct observation. %n the latter case, some of the techniques used for collecting data could be an e"it interview, a supervision guide, or a tally sheet. D. Mescribe the indicators graphically using tools such as: o ) table, which enables you to present the data you have collected. o *raphs, which are very useful tools for presenting data, since they allow you to better visualiHe relationships, trends, or behaviors. +ou can use a

bar graph

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