Your team is struggling to solve a complex problem. What can you do to help them?

From experience, I see that it is important to have a good understanding of the context else one may misconstrue the problem diagnosis. For example, a debt-equity ratio of 4.0 to 8.0 in FMCG may be a death penalty, but it may not be a problem for a commercial bank whose business encourages increased liabilities in the form of customer deposits. Context helps to shape our interpretation of problems; hence, it is important to have a broad view of the situation while attempting to diagnose and properly define the problem.

The biggest issue people experience in problem solving is actually understanding the nature of the problem. People tend to see problems as unitary or binary. They also don't look at the system, just the problem area. Try to understand the people, power and systemic aspects of the problem as you define it. Also, consider the systemic impacts of the solution - are you simply shifting the problem or creating a new one.

This is one of the important factors in handling any problem... Define it... While defining try to identify the details around it... 5 W is good technique... another important factor is try to identify workaround to address it as quickly as possible...sometimes problem need quick workaround before actually giving a permanent fix...

We need to have a problem statement first and list down the steps to understand the intensity and possible way forward before initiating the brainstorming session to address each.. we all use fishbone diagrams before encircling the best solution to discover, evaluate, connect and apply .. We also must have an outlook to re evaluate our own thoughts/ solutions for most suited solutions..

Most of the time, when we face a recurring issue, it means the root causes of this issue have not been addressed. Hence, the first step is to frame/reformulate the issue. Charles Kettering said “A problem well stated is a problem half-solved.” To do so, one method is to use the 5W2H to state the issue: What, Where, When, Who, Why, Hiw and How much. Once the problem statement is established in a clear and concise way, one can focus on the next step which is to identify the potential cause of the issue and confirm on ground whether they really play a role in the issue generation. Once the list of potential cause is shortlisted to a proven list of causes (verified on ground), one can now deep dive on the root cause of each of the listed causes

When aiming to improve patient comfort during dental treatments, it's important to brainstorm ideas as a team. Talking it out together might lead to innovative solutions, like adjusting the dental chair design and enhancing the overall experience for patients.

When I brainstorm with my teams, I ask each person what they think they are good at. I think it’s important to put the right people in positions where they will thrive. Sometimes that means an employee does a job that doesn’t align with their title. I’ve found this to be very helpful in encouraging critical and creative thinking within my teams.

Generation of ideas shouldn't be looked as a one time sit-down job. It is a process. Once you have the problem identified and understood, make it part of you. Gather information around the problem. There are possibilities that one idea cannot solve all the aspects of the problem. So do not beat yourself up if you cannot find one idea to solve them all. Look for ideas which can solve at least one aspect of the problem completely. Most of the time, simplest solution is the most effective one.

To generate the idea, you should have enough problems which creates issues in the ground or anything which is hampering your business or productivity, once you will be able to identify the problems then only you can proceed further to get the solution or idea about that

A fun approach is to brainstorm things that are illegal, inappropriate and indecent. Without bounderies the brain can easily think about ideas. As it is fun to generate that list, everyone tends to participate. In a second step, the process becomes more formal, to transform whatever is illegal in a legal way, what's inappropriate in something appropriate and the indecent in something decent. This ideation process is great in big groups.

Decision Matrix is very useful but easily gets neglected if not used to quantifying options. Once everything is graded/weighted, it will get clear how one way is obviously outweighing the other. Plus it can be easily optimized by Excel.

Evaluating the ideas could be done through 2 measures.First quantitatively second one quantitatively .Quantitatively mostly could measures with the sales , efficiency while qualitative could be measured by effectiveness of your ideas deployment.

Decision is one of the critical thing. You need to be very careful while deciding. We should also take care of all the pros and cons of that decision. Also need to see from all the perspective of that decision. And should be ready for all the consequences of that decision (either good or bad). We can use tools like Decision Matrix, or took help of AI & ML to predict the result of that decision which helps us better which one to choose.

Once we have Ideas: It's better to implement the best ones and check them on the ground, Sometimes we are not aware of all the Cons or we may miss one that we may come across. It's also advisable to involve the training team/specialist who can check those ideas on ground.

The criteria for evaluation and selection usually include feasibility, effectiveness, and impact. but Also should include the Cost of implementation and the risk analysis for them in term of the side effect on the whole process

Yes, after generating ideas from your customers who are (think-tanks) knowledgeable about the market and your your product. Now you have useful information to solve their problems, Which you can't use all. That is why in business, we have (MIDB) Marketing Idea Development Bank, Where is all solutions are stored, So when you need a solution go to the bank, it's like a folder And look for best solution that fits our suites to eliminate any problems. And the more you keep generating ideas from your customers to serve them Better, The more you keep storing those wonderful ideas from your customers the (think-tsnks) into the idea bank, Now you can blend it with the data analysis of your customers In age, sex, demographic, income.

After selecting the solution start how to plan it and implement simultaneously properly, with PDCA cycle it could be achievable but with waterfall model it could be streamline each and every step.

With selected solutions in hand, transition to planning and implementation. Develop a detailed action plan that outlines the steps needed to execute the chosen solutions. Clearly define roles and responsibilities within the team, ensuring a coordinated effort. Set realistic timelines and milestones to track progress, promoting a systematic approach to problem resolution.

Planning and implementing solutions in the Compass context would involve detailed road mapping and resource allocation. It’s essential to set clear milestones and KPIs to track progress. Regular team meetings and agile methodologies might be employed to adapt to changes quickly and efficiently. Remember, effective implementation is about aligning your team's efforts with the set goals and adjusting as needed.

Develop an action plan with specific due dates and milestones as well as assigning responsibilities for each item. Monitor the progress, hold parties accountable, and prepare for a post-implementation evaluation of effectiveness along with lessons learned.

After implementation it become vital to constantly check about the improvements, which could help the team about the loopholes and work upon it before launching to market.

In dentistry, problem-solving is ongoing. Seek feedback from patients, staff, and colleagues to improve. Use methods like Feedback Loops or After Action Reviews to learn from experiences, strengths, and weaknesses, making dental care more effective for future challenges.

Lessons learned is essential but I have found that in some companies it can become a finger pointing exercise or even an area in which people become defensive as if it is a direct attack at them or their capability. Lessons learned is both positive and negative lessons but requires a strong leader to head and drive sessions to ensure a collaborative approach.

In college, solving problems is a continuous learning journey. For instance, let's say you're working on mock projects for a class or a hackathon. After completing a project, seek feedback from peers or professors, asking what went well and what could be improved. This creates a feedback loop. Just like in my experience, building connections with fellow students or mentors is valuable. It's like having an after-action review—discussing what worked and what didn't, and learning from each other. Problem-solving is a skill that grows when you practice, use tools, and learn from others. This approach not only enhances your problem-solving abilities but also contributes to better outcomes and personal satisfaction.

One thing I've found incredibly helpful in my problem-solving journey is documenting and reviewing Lessons Learned. After each project or major task, my team and I would take time to reflect on our experiences. We would identify what worked, what didn't, and how we could do better next time. This practice turned our experiences into valuable learning opportunities, allowing us to grow and improve continuously. It's a simple yet effective way to ensure that every challenge we face contributes to our collective wisdom and expertise.

In dentistry, consider advancements like teledentistry for remote consultations. Also, focus on patient education for better oral health. These aspects play a crucial role in modern dental care.

I typically remind teams to revisit the VoV model… Here is how it helps… 1. Vision - be clear about the ultimate “to what end”… Being careful to consider all objective(s) especially those that might conflict… Also being careful to consider both aligned and misaligned perspectives… 2. Obstacles - identify things that (could) stand in the way of vision moving forward 3. Value - be clear not only about the value proposition but also about how it can be validated and monitored, especially post implementation This model has proved sufficiently simple to remember yet super effective for advancing success… Hope it helps you too…

One of the important aspect I have experienced is that the solution is mostly very easy, simple and quick but sometimes based on our technical expertise or knowledge we are looking for complex solutions , we think that if this problem is to be resolved only difficult way will lead us to the solution.... Most of the time it is good to take off the expert lens for sometime and just look into the issue as a layman it may help to sort the issue quickly.

When my team is struggling to solve a particular problem I tell them to take a recess and time out to rest their brains. After that is done we come back and look at it from another angle. I also allow everyone to speak so that we can get fresh ideas and opinions. It has worked like magic because after taking a recess and have rested they are now able to resolve the issue and leave happy

If a problem is complex or elusive, spend more time collecting facts about the matter. Do not rely on brainstorming tools. Ideas that are presented need to be confirmed or refuted through data comparisons or testing. Problem solving requires knowledge which comes from facts and evidence. Opinions mostly mislead.