To Problem Solve or Not Problem Solve
To problem solve, or not to problem solve. That is a question that we all face when something goes wrong.
This graphic was included in my book, People Solve Problems, as I tried to help illuminate this choice. The choice itself can lead to some challenges.
First, some problem-solving zealots will challenge anyone who generated a solution without rigorous problem solving behind it. However, this is an impossible way to operate in the world. Things go wrong all the time, and a good portion of the time we know what to do. It would be a waste of time, and a disingenuous effort, if we were to go through the motions of problem solving. If your car doesn’t have enough fuel, you put gas in the car. And if we don’t know the answer, we might know someone who absolutely knows the answer (or we can Google it) so we just need to access the information. This is efficient.
If we don’t know the answer to the problem, we have learning to do. Or you may prefer the word discovery, which I seem to like more and more, because the answer needs to be revealed. But either way, when the answer to a problem isn’t known, there is great reason to go through rigorous problem solving. No shortcuts should be taken here, and efficiency is not the goal, only effective answers.
But there is a third option, and that is we think we know the answer. This is a very frequent barrier to getting people to engage in rigorous problem solving. They don’t know with certainty, but they also feel like rigorous problem solving may be wasted effort, and they have a point.
What’s the alternative path? Test to learn. You think you know the answer? Let’s go find out. It’s the same thing you’ll do at the end of problem solving where you generate a solution that may or may not work. That’s why you validate through experimentation. First, it is important that you communicate to those around you that you may be right and may be wrong. This ensures everyone is observant and the right amount of cautious. You don’t jump out of an airplane with a parachute that someone thinks will probably work.
Then you test to learn. Is the path forward effective? How can you find out? How can you learn more? This step is essentially deferring the decision of whether problem solving is needed or not. If the solution works, then you did in fact know. If the solution does not, then you clearly have some discovery to do and rigorous problem solving should begin.
So always remember there are three choices. Make the choice thoughtfully and you will leverage your problem solving most effectively.