THE SKILL CALLED PROBLEM SOLVING

I’ve always heard of problem-solving as a skill to master, especially in the changing world we live in. However, in developing this skill, one has to tap into the highest level of critical thinking. The Analysis of Business Problem (APB) course I am currently undertaking at the Lagos Business School has opened up an opportunity to harness this skill. In fact, without developing and mastering the skill of problem-solving, I can almost bet it will be almost impossible to pass the course.

Based on this, I’ll give some insight into problem-solving and a few things it entails. Many times, we’re quick to solve a problem without clearly defining it. We often assume the first instinct about a solution to a particular problem is usually right without actually delving deeper into it.

“What problem are you trying to solve?” is one of the most powerful business questions. It has been discovered that leaders with clear problem statements accomplish more in less time and with less effort than those with less focus. Clear problem statements can bring out the creativity and enthusiasm of an organization’s core workers. However, despite being really important, it is seldom polished. Psychologists and cognitive scientists have proposed that the cerebrum is inclined to jump directly from a circumstance to a solution without stopping to plainly define the issue. When making change, neglecting to formulate a clear problem statement often prevents innovation and leads to wasted time and money.

Learnings from the APB class have shown that in the process of solving a problem, formulating a problem statement is fundamental. An ideal problem statement must answer the why, when, where, who, and how questions, which must tell a story. Furthermore, a problem statement must contain some basic elements.

Firstly, it must reference something an organization cares about and connect that element to a clear and specific goal.

Secondly, it must contain a clear articulation of the gap between the current state and the goal. Thirdly, it must contain key variables, i.e., the target, the current state, and the gap, all of which are quantifiable. Fourthly, it must be as neutral as possible concerning possible diagnoses or solutions. Lastly, it must be sufficiently small in scope that you can tackle it quickly.

However, there are some mistakes we often make when solving a problem:

Failing to formulate the problem: The most frequent error is to completely omit the problem formulation step. Individuals frequently believe that since everyone is aware of the issue, it only needs to be solved. Regrettably, it is unusual to find such coherence and agreement.

Problem statement as diagnosis or solution: Making a problem statement that assumes the diagnosis or the solution is another common error. One has lost an opportunity to participate in conscious cognitive processing when they allow diagnoses or suggested remedies to inadvertently find their way into issue statements. This is equivalent to skipping one or more stages in the logical chain. Other mistakes include lacking a clear gap and the fact that most problem statements are usually too big in scope, which needs to be broken down.

There’s still a lot of knowledge to gather in the ABP class, but for now, let us digest problem statements, and then we can move from there.

#MMBA5