Why Context Matters in Problem-Solving

An A-Player joins your team and struggles to perform. A low-performing team gets a new leader and starts to deliver stellar outcomes. A solution that didn’t work at your previous company is effective at your new one.

Why are some people more successful in some environments but not others? Why does the same solution have different outcomes depending on where they are used? Context.

Understanding the context is essential to effective problem-solving. Too often, we jump into problem-solving, eager to implement solutions, without fully understanding the context.

Why Context Matters in Problem-Solving

Context shapes how problems emerge and how solutions need to be tailored. When we don’t understand the context, we miss critical insights that inform the real needs and unspoken limitations that a solution needs to address. Failing to understand context can lead to solutions that won’t survive in the environment for which they are designed.

There are many frameworks that help you understand context. In my work, there are three things I focus on to understand context:

• The Pain Point(s): Defining the problem is step one, but understanding pain points involves digging deeper. It’s about discovering the why beneath the challenge, who it impacts, and how it aligns with broader goals. This clarity helps ensure efforts target the root cause, avoiding wasted time on symptoms.
• The Capabilities of the Team: Every team is made up of a combination of skills, experiences, and expertise. To solve a problem effectively, we need the right team makeup.
• The Environment: Every problem lives within a particular setting. Factors like available organizational culture, industry norms, and historical patterns create boundaries and opportunities. Effective solutions must be able to survive in the environment they are released in.

How to Explore Context Like a Design Thinker

Design Thinking provides a powerful framework for exploring context in problem-solving. By applying Design Thinking principles, we can delve deeper into the nuances of a situation and develop more innovative, user-centered solutions. Here are three key approaches that exemplify the Design Thinking process:

All design work requires exploring and understanding context. Here are three specific techniques

Empathize to gain a deeper understanding of the problem. Specifically, who is impacted by the problem and their needs, wants, and pain points. Empathy provides a wider perspective the challenges which leads to insights about the context. Start with identifying the key stakeholders who will use to future solution. Then meet with them to understand the pain points from their perspectives.

Ideate to broaden perspectives. When problem-solving, it is very easy to be limited by what we know and are familiar with, but problems sometimes require new ideas. Ideation helps us think about what doesn’t already exist in the current context. Try speaking to people outside of your organization or industry to see if they are experiencing similar problems and how they are approaching the challenges. The solutions they share may not directly translate to your context. However, they can spark new thinking.

Experiment to see what works. The only way to know if a solution will work in a specific context is to test it out. By testing potential solutions, we gather insights about what works and what doesn’t, which allows us to create specific solutions that can survive in a specific environment. There are many ways to test ideas, and they need not be expensive or overly time-consuming. Consider lo-fi analog ways to try out a solution in the real world.

Podcast Round-Up

Want to learn more about the importance of context in problem-solving? Check out these two podcast episodes:

• Recently, I was a guest on the Build for Better Podcast, where I spoke with JT White about Context. You can check out that episode here ?????https://bit.ly/3BUtQl5
• We also cover the topic of context in episode 27 of the Design Thinker Podcast. You can check out that episode here ?????https://bit.ly/dtpep27

Hack of the Month

How strong is your context awareness? For many of us, the busyness of life robs us of honing our context-awareness. This week, set aside 5-10 minutes each day to observe the ordinary. You might do this on your commute, at the local coffee shop you frequent, or even a room in your home. Put away the electronic devices, sit still, and observe the spaces you are familiar with. What’s something you noticed that you haven’t before? Spend a few minutes every day observing. Practicing this in your day-to-day will help you become more aware of contextual cues when solving problems in the workplace.

Till next time,

Dani

Hello, I'm Dani. I help leaders unlock their organization's potential by identifying and moving beyond the stuck points holding their organizations back. My career has spanned Fortune 500 companies, large corporations, and government agencies across the USA and NZ. Ready to make stuff happen in your organization with evidence based practices? Let's chat! Book your discovery call today https://calendly.com/dani-chesson