The Three Phases of Problem Solving
Problem solving is by its very definition a reactive activity, meaning it is focused on events that have already happened. Unlike planning, which is a proactive activity that is forward looking, problem solving is investigating something that happened in the past. The existence of a problem implies that an expected outcome has been foiled. Problem solving is focused and directed on correcting an unacceptable situation that already exists and threatens the desired outcome. Problem solvers are “reacting” to actual factors that block the expected results.
Any and all effective problem solving processes are similar in that they include three general phases. These three phases are:
Phase I: Identify the Problem
Phase II: Expose the Root Causes
Phase III: Create the Solution(s)
Phase I: Identify the Problem
The phase discipline of effective problem-solving is to accurately Identify the Problem, to understand, describe or definine the problem. Poorly defined problems lead to poor solutions. Or to say it another way, the initial phase of Identify the Problem is critical to successfully solving a problem. Many problem solving attempts have been doomed from the very start because the problem itself was never accurately defined. Impatience at the point of problem identification is a self-defeating impulse. Of course, it is important to find a solution, but a viable solution is predicated on the initial phase of problem identification.
Phase II: Expose the Root Causes
The second phase of effective problem solving is to completely expose the root system.
This phase proceeds from the accurately identified and defined problem. The terminology of “expose” has been chosen as part of the root cause metaphor. The factors that fuel or feed the problem already exist. It is not the problem solver’s job to create these causes. It is the problem solver’s task to find these pre-existing causes and make them visible so they can be analyzed and cured.
Imagine, if you will, uncovering the root system of a weed. The root system already exists. It is an active and healthy system that feeds the weed visible above the ground. To find the roots, you must remove the soil and clear everything away from the root system. This is precisely what happens in the phase of Exposing the Root Causes. It is as if the problem solver has dug down and removed the entire weed and its complete root system. The weed and barren root system are laid out in the sunlight, no longer hidden but “exposed” and visible, to be studied and analyzed.
Phase III: Create the Solution(s):
The third phase of effective problem solving is to create innovative solutions. The Create the Solution(s) phase depends on both preceding phases. If the problem is not accurately defined and the root system is not completely exposed, the likelihood of an effective solution has been compromised. All too often problem solvers jump ahead to solutions without fully understanding the problem and its causes.
Effective solutions are a creative and innovative response to an accurately defined problem and a completely exposed root system. Einstein has been quoted as saying, “It is impossible to solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that caused the problem.” Problem solvers must think differently. That is why we call this the “create” phase. Effective problem solvers actually generate new, innovative and creative ways to eliminate the root causes and, as a result, solve the problem.
In my next post, I will break down these three phases into six simple steps that effectively guide you to solving problems.