Are we solving the right problems?
This week I was posed with the question, are we even solving the right problem. With perfect timing, HBR addresses the topic in an article from Thomas Weddell-Weddellsborg. When you get a moment, give it a read (the link is at the bottom). However, for those with short attention spans here is my summary:
“..when faced with a difficult question, we often answer an easier one instead, usually without noticing the substitution.” By Daniel Kahneman of ‘Thinking, fast and slow’
1. TRIZ, Six Sigma, Agile, and other frameworks help with execution, not conception.
There is a HUGE difference between strategic thinking and design thinking. These frameworks serve an awesome purpose. However, they do not enable us to play in a dark, fuzzy, unstructured space of problem diagnosis. A design thinker and practitioner is trained to be comfortable in GREY and spending enough time in this space before concluding a problem/solution. When we use the right tool at the right time we can unlock greatness.
2. Whys and root cause analysis –
In short, asking why (over and over again) helps us dig deeper. We live in a world that is not linear or predictable. Notions of boundaries are blurring. Businesses need newer skills not only to solve the problem but predict it. The ability to connect the dots and make sense is critical and a must-have in today’s fast-paced technology-driven world. Design Thinking, being a discipline that has been delivering unimaginable solutions so far, needs to do the same to businesses.
3. The elevator problem –
Reframing a problem helps in finding opportunities. A faster or efficient motor would be an obvious improvement to an elevator. However, it would have only reduced the time without touching upon the other ‘behavior’ aspects such as a mirror. Finding unique solutions is rooted in ‘understanding people, their needs, behaviors, attitudes’
4. America’s Dog-Adoption Problem –
It is important to spend time getting to know the obvious problem leading to a non-obvious problem. Then collaboratively explore various solutions to another principle of Design thinking.
5. Seven Practices for Effective Reframing-
Has been beautifully articulated which touches upon some of the non-obvious challenges in implementing this approach such as convincing the stakeholder!
6. Get people’s definitions in writing.-
This is the exact reason why David Kelly does not approve of conducting Focus Groups for insights!! When we are talking about pain points, it is important that each stakeholder articulates his/her version. Superficially even if people agree to the same problem, the reality is that there are finer nuances that are missed in the traditional approach.
7. Ask what's missing –
Only when we change the frame of vision, can we see things differently. Once you’ve reached a point of satisfaction take a step back and look at it from a ‘birds-eye view’.
As promised a link to the referenced article
IT Leader | Relationship Architect | Technical Talent Coach | I lead initiatives that increase energy logistics efficiencies 30%, reduce business process times 75%, and mitigate cyber-attack vulnerabilities.
3 年Ignore the road and head for the horizon.
Founder and Director at the Route 66 Spirit of America Museum
4 年Your article's title reminds me of a Peter Drucker quote my friend and mentor Russ Ackoff often used in his work. "We are getting better and better at doing the wrong things. The more of this we do, the wronger we get. We must start doing the right things, even if we do them poorly at first." Attempting to eliminate symptoms of underlying dysfunctional systemic design is what we normally do... because society is still wired up to use analytic thinking. Creating a public awareness breakthrough that systems thinking exists is something I've been working on for a long time. We MUST start working on eliminating root causes, even if we make mistakes in doing so at first! Little known fact: There was a plan to teach systems thinking throughout America developed in the late 1990s that would have been implemented if Al Gore had become President. It was one of the objectives of the Sustainable America plan developed by the President's Council on Sustainable Development. If you're curious, the plan in archived here: https://clintonwhitehouse2.archives.gov/PCSD/Publications/index.html
Business Consultant
4 年You must first ask the right question
Excellent comment....