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Problems

What is the most valuable problem you have the agency to do something about right now?

Every problem has a story that sells the urgency and desire to solve it.

If you want to solve problems for people you need to step into their mind.

Definition​

Every problem should be so clearly defined that anyone can jump in to solve it without requiring additional information.

  1. Create a database of well defined problems
  2. Map then model state changes and flow of value
  3. Gain consensus on their worth to be solved
  4. Incentivize rewards for anyone to solve them.

If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions - Albert Einstein

Disciplines​

Context​

Challenges​

  • Rate of Change
  • Complexity
  • System one biases
  • Cognitive load
  • Short Termism
  • Abstraction
  • Lack of Empathy

Failures​

  • Short Term Thinking
  • Lack of Integrity
  • Lack of Empathy
  • Cognitive Biases
  • Incorrect Abstraction
  • Incorrect Information
  • Inability to Focus

Routines​

You can't make progress if you lack the courage to face the truth.

Embrace The Pain: Dedicate time and mind to address uncomfortable truths while evolving rituals to enter these situations with courage, empathy and a genuine desire to make meaningful progress rather than assigning blame.

  1. Prepare mentally. Remind yourself that addressing the uncomfortable issue is ultimately in the best interest of the team/organization, even if it feels risky in the moment.
  2. Be willing to be vulnerable. Share your own challenges or mistakes to create psychological safety for others.
  3. Be direct but respectful. Bring up the sensitive topic clearly and directly, but in a calm and non-judgmental tone.
  4. Have a clear purpose. Know why addressing this issue is important and be able to articulate that if needed.
  5. Ask open-ended questions. Use questions to invite discussion rather than making statements. For example, "What are people's thoughts on what just happened?"
  6. Listen actively. Once you've opened up the difficult topic, focus on listening to understand different perspectives.
  7. Use "I" statements. Frame observations in terms of your own perspective rather than making accusations. For example, "I noticed there was tension after that comment" rather than "You upset everyone with what you said."
  8. Acknowledge the discomfort. It can help to name that this is a difficult conversation. For example, "I know this is an uncomfortable topic, but I think it's important we discuss it."
  9. Focus on the issue, not the person. Keep the conversation centred on behaviors and impacts rather than attacking someone's character.
  10. Look for common ground. Try to identify shared goals or values that can serve as a foundation for addressing the issue.
  11. Be prepared to pause. If emotions get too heated, be willing to take a break and revisit the conversation later.
  12. Follow up. After a difficult conversation, check in with people individually to see how they're processing it.

With practice, entering the danger becomes less daunting and more of a valuable tool for growth and problem-solving. Dedicate the sessions as the time and space for airing problems, but when not in session commit to getting on with things without complaint.

Problem Solving​

You need to sell the problem to gain alignment on what a solution looks like.

first principles of flow

Form experiments to make progress by validating assumptions. What is the best protocol to standardize for the identification and prioritization for aligning intention and attention on solving the important problems you have the capability to act on.

Learn how to identify the most important problem you need to focus time and attention to.

Unease creates disease, unease occurs when you don't fully commit to your decisions. All that matters is your state of mind, grow good judgement to take decisions that keep you in the flow of progress.

Context​

Types of Problem​

What type of problem are you solving? What type of decisions do need to make?

  • NP Hard Problems are particularly challenging because they cannot be solved in polynomial time, but a proposed solution can be quickly verified in polynomial time. Examples of NP-hard problems include the Traveling Salesman Problem, the Knapsack Problem, and the Integer Programming Problem.
  • Chaotic problems are difficult to understand the relation between cause and effect. No obvious pattern to follow. Financial markets, highly dynamic and personal, results reflect changes in time and complex data structures. Ask what type of black swan events your systems could be exposed to.
  • Complex problems require analysis and reflection, ad-hoc problem solving with workflows to help solve the problem. Resolution is not a predictor of the future. Experts don't exist Experimentation and outcomes prove what works.
  • Complicated problmes require domain expertise/experience to understand the problem and how to fix with decision tree in the workflow map. Best practice analysis
  • Simple: The impact of cause and effect are well-defined. Simple data analysis to monitor and easily understood workflows to prevent or fix problems without much experience. Best practice exists

Source of Truth​

Understand the true nature of the problem you are trying to solve by gathering job to be done stories to map reality and gain perspectives of what success looks like.

Follow each stream to the extremesto understand the intended flow of value from inputs to expected outcomes to identify where blockages (opportunities for improvement) are occuring.

  1. Walk downstream to confirm outputs are as required
  2. Walk upstream to identify inputs are as expected
  3. Identify where state changes occur
  4. What tools and protocols are used to make state changes?
  5. Are changes as expected? Where is there waste?
  6. Step back to take in the big picture.
  7. Evolve more insightful questions
  8. Repeat

Better a gaping wound that silent cancer. Identifying the true problem takes honesty, humility and integrity.

danger

Negativity and pessimism is widely and falsely misinterpreted as intelligence.

Sources of Waste​

Sources of waste taken from Kaizen.

  • Defects: Scrap or products that require rework.
  • Excess processing: Products that must be repaired to satisfy customers needs.
  • Overproduction: When there are more parts in production than customers are purchasing. This type of waste spells big trouble for an organization.
  • Waiting: A person or process inaction on the manufacturing line.
  • Inventory: A valuable product or material that is waiting for processing or to be sold.
  • Transportation: Moving a product or material and the costs generated by this process.
  • Moving: Excessive movement of people or machines. It is more common to talk about people movement, as this leads to wasted effort and time.
  • Non-utilized talent: When the management team fails to ensure that all the potential and experience of its people are being used. This is the worst of the eight wastes.
Mantra

Follow the flow upstream to solve the problem at source

Problem Statement​

A problem well stated is half solved.

A problem statement should describe an undesirable gap between the current-state level of performance and the desired future-state level of performance. Key elements of an effective problem statement include:

tip

Focus singularly on the classification of the problem not looking solutions!

Checklist​

To write a valuable problem statement, work through the following:

  • What is the problem that needs to be solved?
  • Where is the problem observed? (location, products)
  • What is the origin of the problem?
  • Who is impacted? (customers, businesses, departments)
  • When does the problem occur? (triggers)
  • Why the problem matters, and why it prevents progress.
  • How is the problem observed? (symptoms)
  • How often is the problem observed? (error rate, magnitude, trend)
  • Triggers and trends for where the problem is observed and the path it is following.
  • Quantify loss of money, time, quality, environmental, motivation etc
  • Importance to individuals and organisations to quantify urgency.

Gap Analysis​

A problem statement should include absolute or relative measures of the problem that quantify that gap. Include everything from financial costs, damaged morale to literal physical objects blocking a path.

Mantra

Measure what matters

Business Case​

Focus on the factors surrounding the issue that build the case for taking it seriously.

  • Provide questions for the team to think about during brainstorming sessions.
  • Create links to proposed solutions.

Use understanding of the problem to build empathy and influence valuable action.

Six Sigma

Chaotic​

Making sense of chaos is where value lies.

We live in an age of unprecedented complexity, where rapid technological change and global interconnectivity present both immense opportunities and existential risks unlike any other period in human history. At the root of many current challenges lies the economy, where traditional models have proven inadequate for providing effective guidance. However, the emerging field of complexity economics, leveraging big data and powerful computing, offers a new approach to understanding and addressing these complex issues.

Key Points:

  • Fossil fuels enabling economic growth now threaten the world they helped build
  • Automation promises prosperity for some, unemployment for others
  • Financial crises exacerbate inequality, polarization, and democratic recession
  • Applying complex systems science to economic activity allows realistic modelling
  • Simulations reveal emergent behaviors, enabling better economic predictions

Complexity economics provides a foundation to tackle major global challenges.

Flow of Value​

Map the flow of value from source, through state changes to final outcomes.

  1. Start with a clear expected outcome: Begin by defining and clarifying your desired outcome using an Outcome Map. This helps align the team and stakeholders on the goal and contributing factors.
  2. Use balanced metrics: Employ a set of balanced metrics to measure both velocity and quality aspects of performance.
  3. Visualize the value stream: Create Value Stream Maps to visualize and measure the current, ideal, and target state workflows. This helps identify constraints and prioritize opportunities.
  4. Map dependencies: Use a Dependency Map to identify external factors affecting the team's performance and target dependencies to break or mitigate.
  5. Assess team capabilities: Create a Capability Map to understand internal factors affecting performance and identify areas for skill development or resource allocation.
  6. Prioritize improvements: Use the insights from all maps to create a prioritized list of initiatives, considering factors like impact and effort.
  7. Involve key stakeholders: Include representatives from all parts of the value stream in the mapping process to ensure diverse perspectives.
  8. Use collaborative tools: Leverage shared visual board tools for real-time collaboration during mapping sessions.
  9. Iterate regularly: Repeat the mapping process every 3-6 months to reassess progress and set new targets.
  10. Focus on qualitative measurement: Remember that qualitative measurement is often more valuable than purely quantitative metrics.
  11. Consider external facilitation: A skilled, outside facilitator can bring unbiased perspective and efficiency to the mapping process.
  12. Start with estimates: When beginning, relative measurements and team estimates are often sufficient to identify major bottlenecks and opportunities.
  13. Communicate visually: Use maps and visual representations to share understanding across different levels and departments in the organization.
  14. Connect improvements to outcomes: Ensure that all improvement efforts are clearly linked to the desired outcome defined in the Outcome Map.
Mantra

Expectation management is key to building trust and delivering value.

Drawing Tools​

Use diagrams to explore the true nature of the problem for root cause.

Systems Thinking​

tip

Check if an existing algorithm addresses this problem

Attachments​