PROBLEMS: short and sweet

We seem to have an abundance of problems these days. Ponder the following.

Short & Sweet

PROBLEM? Know that a problem exists. Although it would seem that problems should be “obvious,” that’s not always the case. Sometimes you have to look for problems.

PROBLEM! Define the problem. Problems are often obscured by their symptoms. You need to look beyond the symptoms to find their cause. That’s where you’ll find the real problem.

P.RO.B.L.E.M. Structure the problem. Be able to describe the problem with respect to its urgency, importance, clarity, complexity and ownership.

STRATEGIES? Develop strategies to solve the problem. Except for the simplest of problems there are usually more than one way to resolve them.

STRATEGY! Select the best strategy. Use known and accepted criteria to evaluate all the strategies and pick the best.

IMPLEMENT! Implement the strategy. What did your assessment tell you about your chances of success?

REVIEW! Review the results and improve your skills. Learning and improvement takes place through the use of a rigorous after-action review process.

Need a bit more?

Check out our self-study mini-course. You can find it HERE.

Coming: Hindsight – Insight – Foresight

We’re working on a new book and workshop. Reach out to me if you want to know more.