The Consultant's Problem Solving Toolkit

Every consultant needs a toolkit of problem-solving techniques. While frameworks like Porter's 5 Forces and McKinsey's 7S have their place, relying too heavily on standard approaches can lead to uninspiring solutions which don't best serve your clients.

It helps to have an extensive selection of problem-solving tools in your toolkit so you can pick the best one for the job at hand. Here are five powerful techniques that you can add to your toolkit today to help you deliver more innovative, tailored solutions for your clients.

1. The Ishikawa (Fishbone) Analysis

The Ishikawa diagram helps us visualise and analyse the complex web of factors contributing to a problem. Think of it as creating a map of possible causes, organised into key categories.

Let's consider a potential problem: you are faced with project delivery delays. The main categories/causes you identify may be People, Process, Technology, Environment, Materials, and Management. Under each of the main causes you dig a bit deeper using sub-branches. For example, under People you could identify resource availability gaps, skill mismatches, unclear role definitions, and team communication issues.

The true power of the Ishikawa approach lies in how you use it. You really reap the benefits when you involve multiple people and perspectives. Here's how you might approach it:

1. Gather your project team and key stakeholders,
2. Start with the main categories, but don't feel constrained by them,
3. For each category, encourage open discussion about possible causes,
4. Keep asking "why" to dig deeper - often the first answer isn't the root cause,
5. Look for connections between different branches - your actions are often more effective if they address multiple causes.
6. Develop targeted solutions that address root causes rather than symptoms. For example, if unclear role definitions are causing resource conflicts, the solution might involve creating RACI matrices for key workstreams rather than simply adding more people to the project.

2. The Knowledge Funnel: Distilling your thinking

The Knowledge Funnel provides four distinct steps which help distil your thoughts from broad concepts to specific actions. It's particularly valuable when tackling complex, multi-faceted problems that need clear, actionable solutions. Ask yourself:

1. Aim: What's the ultimate goal?
2. Implications: What does achieving this goal mean?
3. Alternatives: What are the different routes to get there?
4. Recommendation: What's the best path forward?

This method helps you guide your clients from fuzzy objectives to crystal-clear action plans.

3. Reverse Brainstorming: Flipping the script

Imagine you're trying to help a client boost revenue in a specific customer segment. Instead of asking, "How can we increase sales?" try, "What would absolutely tank our sales to this segment?"

You might come up with ideas like:

• Selling through the wrong channels
• Offering the wrong products
• Marketing to the wrong audience
• Using an ineffective sales process

Then, just flip these ideas back over and you have a list of things to help you grow revenue. By identifying what would drive customers away, you gain insights into what matters to them.

4. The Six Hats: Discovering through perspective

Edward de Bono's Six Hats technique is like trying on different pairs of glasses to view a problem. Each ‘hat’ represents a different way of thinking:

• White Hat: Just the facts
• Red Hat: Gut feelings, emotions, and intuition
• Black Hat: Pitfalls, risks, and downsides
• Yellow Hat: Positives, benefits, and upsides
• Green Hat: Creative possibilities and new ideas
• Blue Hat: The ‘how?’ and process

Pro tip: Bring actual hats to your next client meeting. It's a fun way to get everyone to shift their thinking and might just lead to some breakthrough ideas!

5. The 5 Whys: Searching for the root cause

This uses the same philosophy as Ishikawa - the first answer isn't usually the most insightful. The 5 Whys can feel like being an annoying kid, but perhaps they keep asking "Why?" because they want to get to the root cause. Here's how it might play out:

Problem: "Our revenue is declining."

1. Why? "Sales are down."
2. Why? "We are not attracting our target customers."
3. Why? "We are not front of mind for them."
4. Why? "Our marketing distribution isn’t effective."
5. Why? "We’re not spending as much as competitors."

Root cause: “We prioritised other investments over marketing.”

Putting problem solving into practice

Problem-solving is at the heart of what we do as consultants. While traditional frameworks will always have their place, it's the ability to think creatively and help clients see challenges in new ways that sets exceptional consultants apart. These five tools aren't just techniques to memorise - they're invitations to think differently, to dig deeper, and to uncover insights you might otherwise miss. Whether you're tackling a thorny client challenge or looking to boost your own effectiveness, having these techniques in your toolkit could make all the difference.

Why not challenge yourself to try one this week?

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Developing your Network as a Consultant: Taster Session

A lot of consultants have a fear of Sales. Even the word has a bad rep. But Sales is really about relationships. Having a network of strong relationships can set you up to make the sales part easy - you're just helping solve problems for people you know. In this taster session we'll be digging in,to some important building blocks. Join us to learn a systematic approach to developing your network as a consultant, with practical tools to apply during and after the session.

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?? Thank you for reading. I’m Deri Hughes. I run a training business that helps consulting team leaders develop exceptional teams.

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