What are some tools or frameworks that help you analyze and evaluate alternatives?

1 Identify the problem

In order to effectively problem-solve and make decisions, it is essential to identify the root cause of the issue. To do so, one can use the 5 Whys tool, which consists of asking "why" five times until the core of the problem is revealed. For instance, if feeling stressed about a deadline, one can ask why they are stressed, why they have too much work to do, why they did not plan their tasks well, why they were not clear about the scope and expectations of the project, and why they did not communicate effectively with the client. By doing this, it can be determined that the problem lies not in the deadline itself but in the lack of communication and planning that led to it.

3 Choose the best option

The final step in problem-solving and decision-making is to choose the best option among the possible solutions. To do this, you can use a tool such as the Decision Matrix, which involves evaluating each option based on a set of criteria and assigning a score to each one. The criteria can be based on factors such as feasibility, cost, time, impact, risk, or preference. For example, if you are feeling stressed about a deadline, you could use the SCAMPER technique to generate possible solutions and then evaluate each option with the Decision Matrix. The matrix would include criteria such as feasibility, cost, time, impact, and risk. You could assign a score from 1 to 5 for each criterion and then add up the scores for each option. The option with the highest score is the best option. For example, if your deadline problem was evaluated with the Decision Matrix, it might look like this: Adapting your working style or schedule to be more productive and efficient would have the highest score of 19, making it the most feasible, cost-effective, time-saving, impactful, and low-risk option among the possible solutions.