5 Slides to Solve Any Problem

Here's a simple template to diagnose and create an action plan to deal with a problem in your business. It has worked wonders when I've tried to get my head around the real issue and make a plan to fix it.

 Slide 1: The problem we are trying to solve is: X. 

Get specific and to the root of the issue. 

Examples include: 

• Revenue is tracking below plan; 
• Sales doesn't have enough leads; 
• Response time to help desk questions is too slow 

Slide 2: Data Examples that show the problem. 

Include one or two charts and 3-5 KPIs that show the change over time and any gap to goal that you have. Don't make it too complicated. There should only be one core problem. Though, there may be multiple causes... 

Slide 3: Possible Causes 

3-5 bullets that might explain the problem. Important to do enough work to diagnose it.

Examples include: 

• Closed Lost % increased QoQ 
• Leads from webinars down X%; 
• Loss of QA lead led to increased bugs and ticket volume.

Slide 4: Action Plan to Address 

Get specific and set deadlines with owners. 

Examples: 

• Complete Certification for all AEs by EOQ (Dir. Enablement) 
• Launch two new webinars by August 1st (VP Sales) 
• Hire and onboard new QA Lead by EOQ (Recruiting)

 Slide 5: How will we know it is fixed? 

What are the goals for the metrics you are trying to move? 

Examples: 

• AE productivity from X to Y by end of quarter; 
• MQLs from Webinars up from X% to Y%; 
• 95% of all help desk requests replied to within SLA. 

 Keep an eye on these every day!

Doing this work upfront can help you create a better plan, solicit constructive feedback and instill confidence in your team and with your manager. I'd welcome any feedback on this template. Good luck!