What problem do you want to solve? There’s nothing worse than struggling to find the right answer to the wrong question! Here is a book that tells you how to avoid debating false issues. A way of “reframing” the true stakes of a situation without mistaking the target.
According to the World Economic Forum, the ability to solve problems would be at the top of the list of the most in-demand skills for the future. Whether it’s leading a team, building a business, closing a sale, crafting a strategy, building a career or improving relationships, knowing how to “reframe” the problem is a good way to move forward. . At least that’s what author Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg says.
What is the problem ?
To identify a problem, one must first analyze the situation in its entirety and its context, before “scratching” the question in its smallest details or taking action. It’s also a way of addressing multiple causes rather than getting to the root of the problem. Imagine the following situation: you own an office building and the tenants are complaining about the slowness of the elevator. In your rush to find a solution, you consider everything that can be changed: the engine, the installation, etc.
But, is the speed of the elevator really the question to study? What if you were able to make the waiting time less painful by placing mirrors near the elevator, for example? What if the “real” problem was more related to increases in traffic at certain times of the day? So, the best solution might be to stagger lunch breaks, instead of accelerating the speed of the elevator!
Frame, reframe, analyze
Elementary, the problem? We often frame problems in a way that directs us to an existing solution, observes the author. And then we hide other issues. To remedy the situation, Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg proposes a reflection in three stages.
- frame the problem by stating it in writing;
- reframe the problem by trying to see it from other angles;
- analyze the problem by looking outside the frame, by rethinking the objective, by examining the positive points, by looking in the mirror to become aware of the part that one plays, by adopting another point of view.
Then, we can move forward by validating our hypotheses, by verifying the diagnosis of the problem in real time.
Explore the frame or break it
Basically, re-examining the problem often involves a phase of exploration and questioning. “To explore the framework is to dig deeper into the original statement of the problem” until you spot a resistance that has gone unnoticed. “Breaking the frame is completely leaving the initial context of the problem” until redefining the objective. It’s about accepting to shake up your beliefs and change your perspective. With a little hindsight, unexplored solutions arise, like so many new avenues.
* This article is published thanks to a partnership with the magazine Management HEC Montrealwhere it first appeared.
Identify your problems to better solve them – Frame, analyze, solve
Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg
Pearson Publishing
304 pages