How can you anticipate obstacles when implementing a solution? This is a crucial question for anyone who wants to improve their analytical skills and apply them to real-world problems. In this article, you will learn some practical tools and techniques to help you identify and overcome potential challenges before they derail your project.
Anticipating obstacles is not about being pessimistic or paranoid. It is about being proactive and prepared. By thinking ahead of possible difficulties, you can reduce the risk of failure, save time and resources, and increase your confidence and credibility. Anticipating obstacles can also help you generate alternative solutions, improve your decision-making process, and enhance your communication and collaboration skills.
In today's fast-paced business environment, implementing new solutions is a common part of the job. However, unforeseen obstacles can delay the process and demotivate the team. To anticipate these obstacles, documenting the implementation process and testing products in bits and pieces can ensure that each small part of the solution is delivering the expected results. By doing so, any obstacle can be addressed at the initial stage of implementation, making the whole process smoother and faster
SWOT analysis is a popular and simple tool for anticipating obstacles. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats; it is a framework that helps you evaluate the internal and external factors that affect your solution. To use this tool, ask yourself four questions: what are the strengths of your solution? What are the weaknesses? What opportunities exist? And what threats do you need to be aware of? Through this process, you can identify potential obstacles that you must address, avoid, or mitigate.
PESTEL is also another form of analysis that provides a broader picture then SWOT and allows executives and entrepreneurs to anticipate risks. PESTEL will even allow a broader risk picture as will take into consideration both short and long term effects of different factors.
RACI matrix is a useful tool for anticipating obstacles. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed and it helps to clarify the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in your solution. To use RACI matrix, you should list the tasks or activities that are required to implement your solution and the stakeholders who have an interest or influence in your solution. Assign each stakeholder a RACI role for each task or activity. The responsible person does the work or performs the action; the accountable person has authority or ownership of the work; the consulted person provides input or feedback; and the informed person needs to be updated or notified. After assigning roles, review and validate the RACI matrix with the stakeholders to resolve any conflicts or gaps. By using RACI matrix, you can anticipate potential obstacles that may arise from unclear or conflicting expectations, roles, or communication.
A third tool for anticipating obstacles is pre-mortem technique. This mental exercise helps you imagine the worst-case scenario of your solution and identify the possible causes of failure. To use pre-mortem technique, start by setting a specific and realistic goal for your solution. Then, assume that your solution has failed to achieve the goal and consider the consequences. Brainstorm the reasons why your solution failed, prioritize the most likely and impactful reasons, and rank them. Finally, develop contingency plans or preventive actions for each reason. By using pre-mortem technique, you can anticipate potential obstacles that may prevent you from reaching your goal and be prepared in advance.
These tools are not mutually exclusive or exhaustive, and you can choose to use them separately or together, depending on your situation and preference. The key is to apply them systematically and consistently throughout the problem-solving process. To do that effectively, involve relevant and diverse stakeholders in your analysis and planning. This will provide different perspectives, insights, and feedback that can help identify and overcome obstacles. Moreover, review and update your analysis and plans regularly to monitor changes or emerging obstacles. Additionally, communicate and document your analysis and plans clearly and transparently to align stakeholders, track progress, and measure performance.
Anticipating obstacles is only one aspect of analytical skills, which are the ability to collect, process, and interpret information and data to solve problems and make decisions. To improve your analytical skills, seek feedback from those who have more experience or expertise than you. Challenge yourself by taking on new or complex projects or roles that require you to apply or develop your analytical skills. Additionally, practice your analytical skills by solving puzzles, games, or quizzes that test your logic, reasoning, or creativity. Finally, reflect regularly on your own experiences, actions, or outcomes to identify what worked well and what can be improved.
Enhancing analytical skills involves understanding data and manipulating it to identify trends. Excel-based tools like pivot tables aid in basic data manipulation. I often conduct a 12-month analysis by account and source to spot trends and unusual activity. This basic analysis paves the way for advanced techniques like percentage trends and turnovers to detect irregularities. However, identifying anomalies doesn't provide definitive answers. Time and repetition are key to uncovering the root cause and efficiently identifying activity sources.