If you start rattling off solutions before defining the problem, you might end up solving for symptoms instead of the root cause. Dr. Simone Ahuja has a quick fill-in-the-blank exercise to help you avoid this: "I'm solving a problem for [who], in order to [state the problem]. My aim is to [state the desired and measurable impact], by [date]." In practice, a filled-out version might look like: "I'm solving a problem for our sales team in order to minimize messy handoffs. My aim is to reduce dropped leads by 20% by the end of Q2." Check out the course here: https://lnkd.in/dth2aApp #ProblemSolving
Great advice. I often find that clients call me with a solution not a problem. more often than not, the solution is a Band-Aid, which will not help the underlying issue. I hope more people follow your Mad Lib and avoid so many cost overruns and redoes because they’re solving the wrong problem.
Such a clearheaded point about really thinking critically before you rush into fix it mode!! 👏👏
New managers do this more than anyone, because rattling off the fix is what got them promoted. The first habit worth practicing in the role is one more question before the answer: what have you already tried?
Great advice. I often find that clients call me with a solution not a problem. The solution is a Band-Aid, which will not help the underlying issue. I hope more people follow your Mad Lib and avoid so many cost overruns and redos because they’re solving the wrong problem.
Yeah
So true. Effective discovery comes from discarding your assumptions and truly listening to understand both the surface tension and the underlying conditions.