When an initiative is launched to solve a
problem, guidelines must be drawn in order to determine the sequence of efforts
to resolve a problem.
I.Problem Exploration:
a. An investigation into
the nature of the problem is conducted;
b. The problem is broken
down into sub-problems;
c. The terms are
defined;
d. The nature of the
problem is defined- is the problem sociological, political,
economic, business, personal, technological, historical or geopolitical.
e. Research is conducted
to verify if the problem has been encountered n the past and if so, what steps
were undertaken to resolve it.
1. State the Problem:
A. State what the
problem is: Are there multiple
aspects to the problem? If so what are they? A written description of the
problem written and as clearly as possible. The statement could begin with the problem
as given. The problem statement could be put in quotation marks to show how it
was received. However, the nature of the problem should always be stated in you
own words and in any verbal clothing given by others to you. That means so not
use the words they used to describe the problem but your own. Anything
that the problem is not must be clearly stated. In this way everything that is
irrelevant is filtered out and you gave clarified the problem.
B. Restate the Problem: The problem should be restated with
different words or in any different way. This is done in order to filter out
any confusing or verbal maps of the problem.
C. State the problem
more generally, broadly, abstractly or philosophically: In this way we enable ourselves to
ascertain if the wording of the problem is a mere statement of a more general
problem. Oftentimes, general terms allow us to visualise the problem in
entirely different terms and therefore suggest solutions that otherwise would
not been thought of.
2. Clarify the problem:
A. Define the key terms
of the problem: Keep repeating the
process of defining and redefining the problem in more and more general or
specific ways. In this way the problem is broken down or decomposed into
attributes, components, and general features. Synonyms can be used. The moving
from genus to species and species to genus can also be utilised. The
consequence or result of this that some possible solutions can be realised. Any
ambiguity or uncertainty can be clarified. It is very often that problems are
presented to us are unclear in their original form. Terms such as;
Improve the
magazine,
Clear the path,
Develop a new
computer system or
Develop a new product,
These are all unclear
assignments. They do not specify in detail what needs to be done. What
improvement is needed? , what path needs to be cleared?, what new system is to
be organised? and what new product is to be developed? Does this mean
choose better articles, change the typefaces and layout, get classier
advertisers, get a bigger circulation, or what? Likewise, where is the path?
what obstacles are encumbering it?
What kind of
new computer system is needed? what must this new computer system do?
where is the new computer system to be installed ? What is this new
product line?
who are the potential
customers? what are the raw materials needed?
B. Articulate the
assumptions being made about the problem and describe the way a solution
would have to work: Make
a conscious list of all assumptions that can be identified . Hence, this
articulation step must be made to identify any assumptions. This articulation
step in the problem-solving procedure involves the conscious listing of all
assumptions that can be identified. The listing is done without prejudice or
judgment or hostility. Just list as many as can be thought of. It is
especially important when listing assumptions to list the extremely obvious
ones, because often it is those that later turn out to be alterable. Examine
these assumptions to discover if they are necessary, not necessary, or
uncertain as to their necessity. Many assumptions are quite necessary, of
course. In the problem, develop a better way to destroy kidney stones, one
obvious and necessary assumption is that the patient should be alive after the
procedure. But often assumptions turn out to be made for no good reason--that
is they are not necessary assumptions. These can be challenged and new routes
to success can then be discovered.
C. Obtain needed
information: Research into past
approaches to the problem or to similar problems should be made as these will
help in getting new ideas as well as gaining an understanding of the nature and
environment of the problem itself. If the problem is to improve self-stick brackets,
you might do some research into how glues work.
3. Explain the Problem.
A. Discuss the problem
with someone else:
The problem can be
discussed carefully with another person, while at the same time listening to
your own explanation. The act of discussing has two important features;
firstly, solutions can come from the mind and deliberations of another person.
Discussion has two important features. Firstly, it is possible discussion cold
lead to a solution being found from another person. By discussing information,
suggestions, and ideas can be obtained, even if the information, suggestions
and ideas have got no bearing on the problem or if they are unworkable., they
can be a valuable inspiration. This is because they will provide a new direction
or approach to the problem or suggest something practical. So even without the
other person understanding the problem technically, emotionally,
intellectually, artistically, or whatever, there is a gain of a valuable
insight by discussing it and by hearing a response.
Secondly, by discussing
the problem with someone allows one to see what one really thinks. Philosophers
and writing theorists have long noted that people think and work out ideas as
they talk. We do not really know what we think until we consciously verbalise
it. Francis Bacon noted that one value of friendship was to have someone to
talk to so that you can see how your ideas look when they are turned into
words. Some people have reported remarkable insights just by talking to their
pets, where no intellectual feedback from the "listener" was
possible. So, when we discuss our problem or idea, we should listen to
ourselves as well as to the other person.
We should explain why
the problem is a problem. What are its negative or undesirable features? Again,
a couple of functions here. One, by explaining why the problem is problematic,
you discover more about its nature and whether it really is a problem. James
Adams remarks that there have been a lot of solutions to problems that didn't
exist. So, this explanation phase allows you to discover just whether a problem
is real.
Next, by explaining in
detail the negatives of the problem, a set of more specific targets can be
identified, thus better lending themselves to being solved.
For example, first
statement: Here at the amusement park, our problem is that rides are expensive
and people get tired of them. Why is this a problem? Because we have to replace
the rides so people will continue to come to the park. The negatives are that we
have to (1) keep tearing the ride down, (2) building a new ride, (3) spending a
lot of money, (4) disturbing the amusement park with major construction, (5)
advertising the new ride, etc.
This statement allows
the clarification of possible goals, like building a ride people won't tire of,
figuring out a way to build rides quickly and cheaply, and so forth.
B. Look at the problem
from different viewpoints: How would different people look at it? (What are the
thoughts of those who cause it, those who suffer from it, those who have to fix
it, those who have to pay for it, etc.?) Remember that your view of reality, as
an intelligent, concerned, conscientious, middle class person, is only one
view. By imaginatively taking on the viewpoints of various other people
affected by a particular problem, you can sometimes discover solutions that
you as yourself would never think of.
For example, let's say
your assignment is to reduce litter on the beaches. One way to proceed would be
to write out the viewpoints of various people. How do the people doing the
littering view the situation? Are they thinking, "I like littering?"
Or are they thinking, "I'd throw this in a can, but there isn't one
nearby, so I'll toss it on the ground," or "I see that can nearby,
but it smells so I don't want to go near it"? What about the person who
has to pick up the trash? What are his thoughts? What about the taxpayers, or
the beachgoers?
Again, suppose your job
is to improve the juvenile justice system. Imagine that you are, in turn, the
juvenile offender, the parents, the victim, the sheriff or arresting officer,
the head of Juvenile Hall, the judge, a man on the street, and so forth. By
constructing these different viewpoints, you will be able to generate solutions
that meet some of the cynical, prejudiced, or even thoughtful attitudes of the
various parties.
Another example. We, as
users of medical services, often complain about the poor service, lack of
knowledge, and high costs. What does the doctor think? He's probably worrying
about getting sued. Addressing his concerns as well as our own will be the most
likely way to improve the situation, rather than, say, passing new laws based
only upon our own viewpoint.
The importance of being
able to see different sides or angles has been reinforced in folk wisdom
worldwide. The French have a saying, for example, "To know all is to
forgive all." The American Indians have the saying, "Don't criticise
your neighbour until you have walked a mile in his moccasins." The better
you become at understanding where others "are coming from," the
better you'll become at choosing solutions that will be acceptable and
effective for all involved.
C. Ask a series of
clarifying why: By asking
"why" of every statement of the problem, possible solution, or
identified goal, clearer definitions are made. Asking why can serve a purpose
similar to that of broadening the definition of the problem, and can lead to
new ways of looking at the problem and at possible solutions.
Example problem: Let's
make computers smaller and lightweight and portable. Why? So, people can carry
them around? Why do we want people to carry them around? So, they can take them
on trips with them and use them, say in hotels. Why do we want them to use them
on trips and in hotels? So, they can make efficient use of their extra time
when traveling. (Possibility: put computers in hotel rooms for guests to use.)
Example problem: We need
a better way to kill mice. Why? Because we are overrun by mice and they are
bothering us. Why are we overrun? Because there is food all over. Maybe we
should get rid of the food. Or, maybe we should redefine the problem into, we
need a better way to keep mice from bothering us. This may suggest a different
solution from that of killing them, like driving them away, keeping them out of
the house in the first place, etc.
Is the problem really a
symptom or result of another problem? Is there a problem behind the
"problem"?
For example, the
"problem" of low-quality cars may really be only a symptom, with the
real problem behind it quite different, like poor management, low quality parts
and materials, old machinery, careless labor, or whatever. A search for the
causes of a problem often reveals one or more underlying problems which need to
be solved first or which, when solved, will solve the originally identified
problem.
4. Put the Problem in
Context.
A. What is the history
of the problem? Knowing where it
came from can help focus your efforts toward a solution to try or away from a
solution not to try. If a particular solution has been tried already and met
with a sensational disaster, you might not want to try it first again. The problem
solvers who caught Typhoid Mary eventually noticed that various families'
problems with typhoid began just after Mary began to work for them.
B. What is the problem
environment? What are the
surrounding contexts? Are there associative factors that helped cause or
perpetuate the problem? Have there been similar problems and solutions that may
be useful in solving this one?
An understanding of
contributing or perpetuating factors will help you to take steps to prevent a
problem from coming right back once you solve it. Similarly, studying how
similar or analogous problems have been solved may lead you to a shortcut
solution to this one.
C. List the constraints
of the problem: What limitations are
imposed, what is required, what must be observed in solving the problem? This
is pretty straightforward. Constraints are givens that must be followed--a
budget you cannot exceed, legal or contractual requirements that must be met
and so on.
For example, if your
problem is to develop a new American sports car, one constraint is that it must
meet federal air pollution standards. If your problem is to make an educational
tour more affordable for students, one probable constraint is that the tour
company can't go broke in the process.
Constraints are simply
requirements to keep in mind, part of the problem's basic dimensions. Writing
them down helps to keep them in the foreground as you work toward solutions.
And, of course, occasionally the identified constraints turn out, upon listing
and examination, not to be necessary after all. They can be eliminated or
worked around.
II. Goal Establishment.
1. Consider Ideal Goals. We too often set our goals as the solving
of the immediate problem or the minimum solution rather than considering how we
would like reality to be ideally.
For example, if Jane
always criticizes everything I say, I could set as my goal that she would stop
criticizing me. But what would my ideal goal be? That not only would she stop
criticizing me, but she would begin to support and encourage me, and even
become a partner in my efforts. Instead of the goal of reducing pollution on
the beach, or even stopping it, why not a goal of an improved ecology, where
the beach will be cleaner than ever before?
2. Establish Practical
Goals: What are the goals
to be achieved that would make this problem be declared solved? The listing of
definite and precise goals is useful in problem solving because the attempts at
solution can then be measured against the goals to see how much progress is
being made.
Example problem:
Unemployment is too high in inner city America. We want to reduce it. What will
the solution look like? Goal: Reduce unemployment for both males and females
over eighteen to five percent or less within the next year.
Note that setting up
goals (1) helps to clarify the direction to take in solving the problem and (2)
gives you something definite to aim at. What will the solution be like? That
is, what will occur as a result of the solution? Describe the world as it will
be after the solution is implemented.
In our unemployment
example above, we could say the solution will involve setting up a permanent
job finding service that will continue to operate after the goal is met, to
ensure that unemployment (the problem) doesn't return later on. The solution
might also include educational services to train workers or to train people in
job finding strategies (like looking in the paper, going to job sites, and so
forth).
Note that the
description of the solution here can be pretty vague and dreamy if necessary,
because sometimes you will have only an uncertain notion of what that solution
will ultimately be. But try to be as specific as possible. If your problem is
an unhappy marriage or love relationship, you could say that your goal is
"a happy relationship," but more progress toward the goal will be
probable if you can be more specific, such as, "stop yelling at each
other," "become more affectionate," "do more things together,"
and so forth.
III. Idea Generation:
1. Generate Ideas for
Possible Solutions.
A. Read, research,
think, ask questions, discuss: Look for ideas and solutions. Begin with a period of
information gathering and mental stimulation. Knowledge is power. Get facts.
Learn as much as you can about the problem.
For example, suppose you
are faced with the task of making a more durable conveyor belt. You might think
on your own about using stronger materials, like Kevlar or steel reinforcing,
but a little research would reveal how many other people have solved the same
problem, and you might happen upon the idea of the Mobius strip. Here, you
simply rotate one end of the belt half a turn before connecting the two ends of
the belt together. This produces a belt with only one side, with twice the life
of an ordinarily made belt. It's a brilliant idea that you might never come
across unless you did a little research.
B. Use idea generation
techniques: (brainstorming,
forced relationships, random stimulation, and so on). Generate a large number
of ideas of all kinds so that you'll have a good selection to choose from,
adapt, or stimulate other ideas. Don't worry about whether the ideas are practical
or wild at this point. As we will continue to see throughout the class, some
wild ideas turn out to be quite practical. Just one example: Problem: How to
inhibit corrosion and increase electrical contact on electronic plugs.
Solution: plate them with gold--an excellent corrosion inhibitor and conductor.
That's what's often done. This "wild" solution became practical
because gold can be plated on very thin, reducing the cost to something very
reasonable.
C. Allow time to
incubate during various phases of idea generation. The major cycle of creativity that has long been
identified is preparation (initial thought, research, study,
work), incubation (time to let the unconscious work), insight (the
flash of recognition of a solution path--the eureka experience), implementation (working
out the solution), and evaluation.
Small problems will
require only a short period of incubation. Difficult problems will require
longer periods. Some people require longer periods than other people. The main
thing is to remember the cycle of work, incubate, work, incubate. The eureka
flashes do not come without previous periods of preparation and hard thinking.
In the mythology of genius, we often see the wizard sitting around when the
flash suddenly comes to him. And that's often what happens--the insight comes
during a period of relaxation. But what's left out is that same genius' long
months of very hard work.
Do allow time for
incubation, though. When you have worked a long time and are up against a wall,
leave the problem and go out and do something relaxing. Then return to the
problem. The idea of "sleeping on it" is excellent.
IV. Idea Selection:
1. Evaluate the
Possibilities: Evaluate the
collection of ideas and possible solutions and approaches. What possible
solutions, either individually or in conjunction with each other, will solve
this problem? An important thing to remember here is not to get fixated on the
single solution idea. You may want to adopt two or three separate solution
paths at the same time--kind of like the triple antibiotic ointment approach.
You might also want to set up "Plan B," a possible solution approach
that can be implemented if your main plan does not work. So, in your evaluation,
don't focus on choosing just one solution and tossing the others away.
When you evaluate, you
want to find the solution that will be the most effective (work best),
efficient (cost the least, whether in terms of money, time, emotions, or
whatever), and have the fewest drawbacks or side effects.
2. Choose the
Solution(s):
A. Select one or more
solutions to try: In the evaluation
state above, you should establish some rank ordering. Choose from among those
near the top of the list. Note that (as we will find later on in decision
analysis), the very top ranked solution is not always the one to get chosen for
implementation. Subjective, emotional factors, sudden changes, peculiar
circumstances, the desire for beneficial side effects not directly related to
the solution, intuitive feeling, and so forth, often shift the choice to
something ranked below number one or two.
It's just like hiring
someone or marrying someone. The person who looks best on paper may not
"feel" right, and you may have a preference for someone further down
the so-called objective list.
B. Allow others to see
and criticize your selected solution and to make suggestions for improvements
or even alternatives: The best way to
turn your idea light bulb into a chandelier or floodlight is to let other
people comment on it. This takes a certain amount of ego strength, since only
intermediate friends will say how good the idea is. Strangers and close friends
will quickly point out absurdities and weaknesses. But that's good, because you'll
have a chance to improve your solution idea before attempting to implement it.
You have to walk a
narrow path here. Don't be swayed too easily by criticism to change an idea
that you are confident is really good; after all, the typical person is not a
creative visionary and will be controlled by the prejudices of ordinariness.
You can expect resistance to good new ideas. On the other hand, don't be so in
love with your idea that you cannot see the legitimacy of criticisms that point
our genuine weaknesses. And always be willing to incorporate new ideas and
improvements from fresh minds looking at the problem and solution from a
different perspective.
V. Implementation
1. Try out the
solution(s). Experiment, test. "Do it, fix it, try it." "Ready,
fire, aim." The real test of
an idea is to try it out. The key concept here is action. Get going and begin
the solution. Once you choose a solution path, get to work on it. Don't worry
if objections or problems remain. Start working. Samuel Johnson noted that if
all possible objections to a proposal must first be overcome, nothing would
ever be attempted. And remember to give your solution sufficient time to work.
Too hasty an abandonment of a solution or solution path is as common a problem
as too obsessive a commitment to a particular solution path. A solution may
take weeks or months (or years) to work, so use judgment in determining how
long to wait before abandoning the choice.
2. Make adjustments or
changes as needed during implementation. Remain flexible in this application phase. Practically every
solution needs some modification in the process of being put into effect.
Blueprints are changed, scripts are rewritten, your parenting methodology is
adjusted. Don't expect that your solution will be exactly as you originally
proposed. Remember that the goal is to solve the problem, not mindlessly to
implement the solution exactly as proposed.
VI. Evaluation
1. Investigate to
determine whether the solution(s) worked, and to what extent. Do modifications need to be made? Do
other solutions need to be selected and tried? Is a different approach needed?
One of the most frequent failures of problem solving is the lack of evaluation
of the implemented solution. Too often in the past, once a solution has been
chosen and implemented, people have wandered off, assuming that the problem was
solved and everything was fine. But the solution may not have worked or not worked
completely, or it may have caused other problems in the process. Staying around
long enough to evaluate the solution's effectiveness, then, is an important
part of problem solving.
2. Remember that many
solutions are better described as partially successful or partially
unsuccessful, rather than as an either/or in a success/failure division. If you propose a solution that reduces
drug addiction by even ten percent, your solution is a good one, even though it
didn't work for the other ninety percent of cases. In many cases, an incomplete
remedy is better than none at all.
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