Foreword

• 7 Easy Steps to Bulletproof Problem-solving
  • Define the Problem
  • Disaggregate the Issues
  • Prioritize the Issues, Prune the Tree
  • Build a Workplan and Timetable
  • Conduct Critical Analyses
  • Synthesize Findings from the Analysis
  • Prepare a Powerful Communication

Introduction Problem-solving for the Challenges of the Twenty-First Century

• The persona of problem-solving organizations
  • a drive to be working on the right problems
  • addressing root causes
  • engaging teams around short duration work plans
  • allocating responsibilities and timelines with accountability.
  • The World Economic Forum in its Future of Jobs Report placed complex problem-solving at #1 in its top 10 skills for jobs in 2020.
• We see few problems that can ever be solved without disaggregation into component parts.
• Sometimes no amount of regression analysis is a substitute for a well-designed, real-world experiment that allows variables to be controlled and a valid counterfactual examined.

Chapter One Learn the Bulletproof Problem-solving Approach

• Problem-solving means the process of making better decisions on the complicated challenges of personal life, our workplaces, and the policy sphere.
• We encourage you to think of problem-solving as an iterative process rather than a linear one. This cycle can be completed over any timeframe with the information at hand. Once you reach a preliminary end point, you can repeat the process to draw out more insight for deeper understanding.
• We often use the expression, “What’s the one-day answer?” This means we ask our team to have a coherent summary of our best understanding of the problem and a solution path at any point in the project, not just at the end.
• We use logic or issue trees to visualize and disaggregate problems. We employ several types, including hypothesis trees and decision trees.
• Use a hypothesis to bring forth the arguments to either disprove it or support it.

Chapter Two Define the Problem

• Getting problem definition right, including boundaries, is essential to good problem-solving and can be an essential competitive advantage.

• Good problem statements have a number of characteristics. They are:

  • Outcomes focused: A clear statement of the problem to be solved, expressed in outcomes, not activities or intermediate outputs.
  • Specific and measurable wherever possible.
  • Clearly time bound.
  • Designed to explicitly address decision-maker values and boundaries, including the accuracy needed and the scale of aspirations.
  • Structured to allow sufficient scope for creativity and unexpected results — too narrowly scoped problems can artificially constrain solutions.
  • Solved at the highest level possible, meaning for the organization as a whole, not just optimized for a part or a partial solution.

• The problem statement worksheet that captures the whole context:

• Constant iteration allows the team to hone its understanding and therefore to sharpen its strategies to achieve the desired outcome — at the same time keeping all the stakeholders onside as the process runs through time.
• When we worked for McKinsey, we often saw problems that benefited from redefinition to a higher level.
• When possible, it is advantageous to allow flexibility in the scope or width of your problem-solving project.