Keeping it Simple - The Solution Is In There Somewhere

‘Bring me solutions not problems’ is a commonly heard statement. Before you can bring solutions you have to problem solve and that takes time. A quick Google search for ‘problem solving techniques’ returns over 917million results. That means there’s plenty of information and guidance available on how to go about problem solving. Which one do you choose? Which technique or methodology should be pursued or applied to deliver the better results?

When discussing a problem or defining requirements in a project there are, unsurprisingly, challenges along the way. One technique to working through these challenges is to keep it simple. Bring the necessary people together and have the group talk about and work through their ideas and solutions until they find the one that makes the most sense. The tools they have at their disposal include the collective brains, knowledge and experience of those in the room, a whiteboard, and maybe the calculating power of Excel. Basically, use the KISS approach to:

• Clearly define and articulate the problem statement
• Talk through each idea and option
• Agree the solution or combination of solutions with pro’s, con’s, and reasoning for the recommended way forward.

It’s important to have the right people in the room who are clear on what must be done and willing to take decisions. But equally important is simplifying the process, being clear on the overall drivers and ultimate goal, everyone getting stuck in, contributing, and being determined to find and agree a suitable solution.

Keeping the approach simple isn’t the only positive. Organisations who complain about low productivity, unengaged employees and increasing costs along with employees who grumble about micro-management, slow decision making and not being empowered, will find much more freedom, motivation and momentum as they simplify their approach. Here then are 4 benefits of keeping things simple:

1.?Working together?-?People talk a lot about working together yet in reality people spend more time on status updates, positioning or working in parallel rather than actually knuckling down to work through a problem together. When people really work together there’s mutual respect, all ideas and concerns are worth exploring, collective brain power will spark other thoughts, and working scenarios through logically end-to-end will prove or disprove them.

2.?More efficient and effective?-?The longer it takes to resolve a problem the more time passes and costs increase. By simplifying how a problem is approached people can make earlier and more competent contributions (shorter timeframe = efficient) and are more likely to be successful in producing a useful result (reduce chance of repeating the work = effective).

3.?Willingness to listen?- It’s not enough to talk about the various solutions; people also have to listen to others’ contributions on those solutions. A solution may be great for one person, process or part of the organisation but have a negative impact on another. A willingness to listen and understand other points of view, challenges and concerns is crucial to finding a valid solution.?

4.?Compromise and continue?-?There will be times when compromises must be made. Compromise is not about giving in to pressure and being unhappy about the results. Compromises are reached when the parties involved make concessions. If the goal is to implement a system using standard functionality the business may compromise by changing a business process instead. Agreeing a compromise means you’ve successfully worked together, been efficient and effective, listened to others and reached a solution that’s beneficial for the business overall.

Whatever the problem statement the answer is in there somewhere. By keeping things simple that answer can be uncovered and agreed more quickly. Why wouldn't we want that?