Problem Solving
So many people look at the surface of a problem. They are given a piece of paper like a business contract or a letter and just read the words in front of them without inquiring into the substance of the issue. Then they amend the wording or give advice on their area of expertise be it financial, structural, technical, legal or whatever based only on what appears on the surface.
However this approach fails to look at what the paper represents in the first place. In other words finding out what the writers intended to achieve by putting their thoughts down and giving expression to them. Only when an adviser understands what he or she is dealing with can they give effective advice.
If the paper is intended to be a contract then what do the parties want to achieve. The wiser approach is to ask the authors what they meant and then to advise on the content looking beneath the surface of an issue and advising in depth.
It may be that the structure of the deal that the contract deals with is wrong. Perhaps the relationships it intends to record are not adequately addressed. It could be that the writers have a great idea for a new venture but have not been able capture that on paper. It may be that there are flaws which can be corrected at this formative stage.
The most obvious questions can unearth this deeper intention. Following a What, Why, When, How interrogation can be enlightening. Often the simplest questions which at first sight seem naive or even stupid can lead to greater understanding.
We should look behind the obvious and seek to provide insight and understanding which results in creative solutions to problems.
Sometimes the solution to a problem requires "out of the box" free thinking. An Alaskan telecoms company had a problem because its telegraph lines became covered with snow every winter and eventually collapsed. It summonsed all its managers to brain storm the problem and they were encouraged to say what they thought no matter how far fetched or ridiculous it might appear. Somebody jokingly said they should get a grizzly bear to go from post to post shaking the snow off. "How can we make a bear move?" said somebody else. "Drive it along with a helicopter." And then they realised the answer: fly a helicopter low along the lines and let the wind created by its rotors blow the snow off.
However this approach fails to look at what the paper represents in the first place. In other words finding out what the writers intended to achieve by putting their thoughts down and giving expression to them. Only when an adviser understands what he or she is dealing with can they give effective advice.
If the paper is intended to be a contract then what do the parties want to achieve. The wiser approach is to ask the authors what they meant and then to advise on the content looking beneath the surface of an issue and advising in depth.
It may be that the structure of the deal that the contract deals with is wrong. Perhaps the relationships it intends to record are not adequately addressed. It could be that the writers have a great idea for a new venture but have not been able capture that on paper. It may be that there are flaws which can be corrected at this formative stage.
The most obvious questions can unearth this deeper intention. Following a What, Why, When, How interrogation can be enlightening. Often the simplest questions which at first sight seem naive or even stupid can lead to greater understanding.
We should look behind the obvious and seek to provide insight and understanding which results in creative solutions to problems.
Sometimes the solution to a problem requires "out of the box" free thinking. An Alaskan telecoms company had a problem because its telegraph lines became covered with snow every winter and eventually collapsed. It summonsed all its managers to brain storm the problem and they were encouraged to say what they thought no matter how far fetched or ridiculous it might appear. Somebody jokingly said they should get a grizzly bear to go from post to post shaking the snow off. "How can we make a bear move?" said somebody else. "Drive it along with a helicopter." And then they realised the answer: fly a helicopter low along the lines and let the wind created by its rotors blow the snow off.
Other Sources
Here are some other views on problem solving.
- This Wikipedia article provides some interesting insights.
- Amazon offers this selection of books on the subject.
- The philosopher Aristotle developed a problem solving methodology two thousand years ago which is still used in current management approaches.
Personal Examples
The Bosses' Interrogation. I once worked for an astute and worldly wise boss. We had an issue concerning one of our contracts. I told him all the facts as I understood them. He called in the salesman involved and to my surprise started asking him questions about facts I had already told him. Even more surprising was that he got different answers. I rapidly realised the benefits of never trusting what you are told and of verifying the situation.
- Look beyond the surface of an issue.
- Ask what, when, how, why and verify the truth.
- Be prepared to be creative and think outside the box.
