8 Thinking around problems

New ways of thinking can help you solve problems before they become nightmares. It is estimated that human beings only use 10% of their brain capacity, so clearly we have vast untapped thinking potential. Exercising the brain in a variety of new ways allows us to expand into those unused capacities.

Our thinking styles develop over the years and become habitual—particularly those we form as we pass through the education system, which tend to focus on the skills of analysis. So when people make statements like ‘I’m not creative’, or ‘I’m not really a thinker’, all this means is that they haven’t been introduced to, or adopted, different ways of using their minds.

A situation only seems nightmarish when you can’t see a way round it. A more open-minded approach could give you a simple solution.

Can one process solve every problem?

In most situations, it’s a good idea to allow people to understand problems and then solve them in their own way. However, using tried and tested techniques of problem-solving—ones that are plainly mapped out and used uniformly—allows others to understand the problem and the areas being explored. The process ensures that everyone involved has the opportunity to actively participate in solving the problem at any stage.

While problems are always different, there are some common approaches and processes for solving them. Problems can be diagnosed and the various elements identified, whether you’re talking about problems in the post-room, a manufacturing roadblock, or an IT systems failure.

The key is to think before you act. The best way to turn a minor problem into a major nightmare is to implement a solution without thinking through the implications.

Step one: Identify the problem

Understanding a problem requires an ability to see it in its entirety—in breadth, depth, and context. Here are a number of ways to evaluate the scope of a problem:

Recognition—can you see or feel the problem? Is it isolated, or part of a bigger problem?

Symptoms—how is it showing itself?

Causes—why has it happened?

Effects—what else is being affected by it?

The task then is to break the main problem down into smaller problems, in order to determine whether you’re the right person or team to handle it. If not, you need to transfer the problem-solving process to those better equipped to deal with it. If the answer is yes, ask additional questions, including: Do you have the right resources? What are some of the obstacles? What is the anticipated benefit? Once you get answers, move on to the next step.

Step two: Gather data

There are two important questions here: what do you need to know, and how are you going to get it? Most information can be accessed, but there are often time and resource issues involved in this process. Data collection involves investigating the symptoms, the underlying causes, and/or the overall effects of the problem. Each may have different implications as to how the problem is viewed. Data-gathering techniques include:

workflow analysis

surveys and questionnaires

flow charts

group and/or one-to-one interviews

Step three: Think systematically

With the mass of information available these days, the following techniques can be useful to determine what is important and how best to make sense of it.

1 SWOT analysis

This is used to identify strengths and weaknesses and to examine the existing opportunities and threats. Answering questions in each of the four areas enables you to think systematically about a problem and potential solutions. Say, for example, your main headache at work was about the launching of a new product in a tricky market. The SWOT analysis could work as follows:

Strengths:	What are some advantages of your new product that the public has been seeking? What are the features that distinguish it from rival products?
Weaknesses:	Where are the areas of vulnerability? Is the price a barrier? What could be improved? Would different product features make it better? What are the known vulnerabilities in the market? Is the product launch timesensitive?
Opportunities:	Where are the opportunities in terms of technology, markets, policy, and social trends? Have you got a new commercial idea or found a new way of doing things? Can you capitalise on what rivals did wrong?
Threats:	What barriers do you face? Is your target market right? Are you facing a change in regulations? Should you wait until it’s official? Is the competition stealing a march on you? Are there threats to your financial situation? Should you try to raise money now, or wait for a better time?

2 Decision trees

Decision trees allow decisions to be made in situations where there is a great deal of information to sift through. They create a framework in which you can examine alternative solutions and their impact.

Start your decision tree on one side of a piece of paper, with a symbol representing the decision to be made. Different lines representing various solutions open out like a fan from this nexus. Additional decisions or uncertainties that need to be resolved are indicated on these lines and, in turn, form the new decision point, from which yet more options fan out.

3 Critical path analysis

This is another way of approaching complex projects. It allows you to determine when certain activities should be completed, so that a project may finish on time and on budget. The essential concept behind it is that some activities are dependent on others being completed first (sequential), and others may be completed more or less at any time (parallel). The ordering of these activities creates the critical path through the project.

4 Mind maps

Developed by Tony Buzan, these are graphical tools used to represent whatever is on your mind. They help you get everything down on paper, with no initial emphasis on ordering or prioritising. They could be a useful first step in seeing how the land lies and identifying throughways.

Start with a circle on a large sheet of paper. Inside the circle put the word or picture that best represents the idea you wish to explore. Then place other words—perhaps in smaller circles—around the hub. Let your mind wander, and bring in a galaxy of associated words and images. Finally, connect the circles with lines, accenting similar themes with colours or symbols. Once everything is down, you can study how the various ‘satellites’ relate to the hub, and how you want to apply the content to your personal goals.

Step four: Think creatively

Techniques that extend our thinking into the more creative realms include:

1 Brainstorming

This is a well-known technique for generating options, where every idea submitted is treated positively. This ‘anything goes’ approach often stimulates the presentation of viable ideas that wouldn’t otherwise have been thought of. It is only in the final stages, when all ideas have been collected, that the honing and prioritising process begins.

TOP TIP

In meetings where brainstorming isn’t part of the agenda, there often isn’t time to indulge someone’s creative effort. However, people who come up with off-the-wall suggestions may get frustrated if you have to rein them in. Explain what kind of thinking you’re looking for in that particular setting, and offer them another context in which they can freewheel helpfully. Many companies have research and development departments that encourage off-the-wall thinking.

2 Questioning

Ask why a problem is occurring, and then ask again— four more times. This allows you to drill down and get to the heart of the matter.

Alternatively, ask the six universal questions to explore the full extent of a problem: What? Where? When? How? Why? Who?

3 Six thinking hats

This is a powerful technique developed by lateral thinking pioneer, Edward de Bono.

Allocate each individual a series of imaginary hats, which represent different outlooks, according to colour. This forces people to move into different modes of thinking. White hats focus on the data, look for gaps, extrapolate from history, and examine future trends. Red hats use intuition and emotion to look at problems. Black hats look at the negative, and find reasons why something may not work. If an idea can get through this process, it’s more likely to succeed. Yellow hats think positively. This hat helps you to see the benefits of a decision. Green hats develop creative, freewheeling solutions. There is no room for criticism in this mode; it’s strictly positive. Blue hats orchestrate the meeting—you’re in control in this hat. Feel free to propose a new hat to keep ideas flowing.

Step five: Weigh up potential solutions

Taking time to identify the most appropriate solution from your range of options is very important. Suggestions need to be winnowed down to a shortlist, containing only the most realistic possibilities. To do this, set some hard measures.

Try to determine the costs and benefits of the suggested solutions. If, for example, you feel that outside investment is needed to solve a particular problem, work out the payback period. You can then assess whether your senior management team will accept it.

Analyse each potential solution in turn. Force field analysis is useful for this. By looking at the forces that will support or challenge a decision (such as finances or market conditions), you can strengthen the pros and diminish the cons. Draw three columns, and place the situation or issue in the middle. The pros push on one side, and the cons push on the other. Allocate scores to each force to convey its potency. This allows you to measure the overall advantages and disadvantages of any given action.

The chosen solution needs to meet some key criteria. Do you have the necessary people, money, and time to achieve it? Will you get a sufficient return on investment? Is the solution acceptable to others involved in the situation? Draw up:

a rationale of why you’ve reached your particular conclusion

a set of criteria to judge the solution’s success

a plan of action and contingencies

a schedule for implementation

a team to carry out, be responsible for, and approve the solution

Step six: Put the chosen solution into action

Implementation means having action plans with relevant deadlines and contingencies built in. Any implementation needs constant review, and the implementation team needs to make sure they have the support of relevant management. Keep asking:

Are deadlines being met?

Are team members happy, and is communication strong within and from the team?

Has the team been recognised for their achievements?

Are the improvements measurable?

Is the situation reviewed regularly?

Step seven: Measure success

All experience can be valuable in terms of adding in-house knowledge and expertise. So ask yourself two important questions:

How well did it work?

What did we learn from the process?

Think of creating a case study that can be shared with others—either at a conference or directly.

Canvass people’s opinions regarding the effectiveness of the process and its outcome. Ask for improvements that could be incorporated into a second phase.

Don’t be scared of involving your clients in any evaluation; this can convey a positive message if handled properly, and builds trust in your ability to troubleshoot problems and implement solutions.

Common mistakes

You tackle too large a problem

Don’t take on problems that lie beyond the control of the team. People often tackle problems that are too general—focus on what is specific and achievable.

You assume everyone thinks like you do

To be productive in groups, you need a diverse range of ways of contributing. Look around you at work; you’ll probably recognise different thinking styles and recall how those have led to better clarity decisions and outcomes. Get representatives from different parts of the business to give a different angle on the problem.

You are critical of others’ creativity

Under pressure, it’s easy to think: ‘The last thing I need is flaky ideas when I’ve got a deadline!’ But when you’re not stressed, you’ve probably seen the immense value that creativity can bring. Try not to stifle creative thought; rather, guide and control it openly.

You get too used to a lack of structure

Entrepreneurial businesses are often formed as a result of an extraordinarily creative mind. However, focused thinking and systems thinking will be necessary for good decision-making and management. For a business to grow, the creative thinkers will have to accommodate the practical, analytical thinkers.

You get carried away by the process

Often, when running workshops, the process becomes more important than the ideas and intellectual discussion. Don’t try and use too many techniques. Getting the balance right between understanding the problem and finding imaginative solutions requires strong facilitation.

STEPS TO SUCCESS

Remember that a ‘nightmare’ is just a problem you haven’t found a solution for yet.

Thinking styles develop over the years and become habitual, so use your untapped mind potential by thinking in different ways.

Analyse the situation and determine what is important by looking at strengths and weaknesses and examining existing opportunities and threats.

Explore alternative solutions by using graphic representations, like decision trees and mind maps, that let you explore your ideas more fully.

Extend your thinking into the more creative realms by brainstorming and fostering different perspectives and points of attack. Question why a problem is occurring and ask more questions to get to the heart of the matter.

In a group, let each member take on a different outlook to force new modes of thinking: emotional, positive, negative, creative, and factual.

Assess the impact of the solution and identify areas for improvement in your problem-solving processes.