GETTING THE RIGHT SOLUTION INSTEAD OF GETTING THE SOLUTION RIGHT

Today I am going to write about one of the most interesting lessons that I have been learning for the best part of this month. It is a skill that many assume to be common or probably one of the most ignored skills across all milieus ranging from households to corporates. This skill is none other than problem solving skill. Like everyone else, I didn’t know that I lacked the know-how to solve problems with objectivity until I took this course. But this doesn’t mean I have never solved any problem, in fact I have solved several and of course with different levels of success. Maybe you are asking yourself how then did I manage to solve problems while I didn’t know how to? I also don’t know, it’s bizarre. Maybe the problems were not very complex and therefore did not require a complex solution, or maybe I was just lucky when picking solutions. Like myself, if you have ever solved a problem without using a systematic approach like the one I will outline in this article, then you can count yourself among the many lucky problems solver. For you to change and become a strategic problem solver, it’s imperative for you to proactively learn about problem solving methods. I am going to outline some of these methods and approaches here.

It is commonly said that for every problem, there is a solution. This statement is good encouragement to anyone working to solve a problem, because there is a guaranteed assurance that a solution exists, but the challenge lies in getting the right solution and/or getting the solution right. Getting the right solution is a systematic process while getting the solution right is majorly based on luck. My focus here is on the former.

A problem-solving process starts with accurate identification and description of the problem. The problem must be formulated as a precise statement, or question, and then written down and agreed upon. This problem statement must clearly describe the gap between two state, for example:

A problem is the difference between what you have got and what you want to have.

A problem is the difference between current sales and your target sales.

A problem is the difference between where you live and where you desire to live.

In its simplest definition, a problem is the difference between the current state and the desired state.

After defining the problem, you need to solve it now. The goal is to change the current state and make it the way you want it “desired state”. The act of doing that is what we call problem solving.

Lets use an example:

Assuming you want to help your company increase its sales, let’s say from 1000 units to 1500 units. For you to come up with the right actions that will lead to increased sales, you must first identify the root causes of the current low sales. Root causes of a problem can be identified by gathering facts and organizing them into sets that seek to reveal the “cause-effect” patterns. The sets of facts could vary from one to several layers depending on the complexity of the problem. The “5 WHYs” analysis developed by Sikichi Toyoda is a very effective method while investigating root-cause problems. The “5 WHYs” methods requires that you ask at least five set of questions to reveal the cause-effect relations between the current state and the desired state.

Going back to our example, we need to identify the various causes that lead to sales of 1000 units instead of 1500 units. The bullet points below demonstrate how to use the “5 WHYs” method in this case:

1st WHY: Why are your company’s sales low by 500 units?

Answer: Because customers paid for fewer orders

2nd WHY: Why did customers pay for fewer orders?

Answer: Because we did not have some of the products they ordered

3rd WHY: Why didn’t we have some the products ordered by the customers?

Answer: Because we had not renewed our stock during that period

4th WHY: Why hadn’t we renewed the stock?

Answer: Because the stock has been held at the port for 2 months awaiting clearance

5th WHY: Why is the stock withheld at the port?

Answer: Because in this country, it takes two months to clear goods at the port.

From the above series of questions, you are able to identify the various causes of the problem at different levels and suggest the right solutions at each level. It is critical to note that all answers MUST be based on facts. In this example, we realize in order to increase sales, actions must be taken to ensure that the stock is replenished in good time.

I hope that the step-wise explanations in this article have taught you something about systematic problem-solving approaches. Make sure you practice them even while solving problems that appear simple.

If you are interested in learning problem solving skills, you can also read about methods notably the FISH BONE DIAGRAM and THE PROBLEM TREE.

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