Problems
What gap between present reality and purpose is worth closing?
A problem is a valuable gap, not merely pain, friction, or an idea. Purpose explains why the gap matters; evidence bounds what is actually happening. Problems owns that diagnosis, then hands one controlling uncertainty to Questioning.
The Spine
- Diagnose the gap — separate the real problem from its symptom.
- Locate the domain — add context when the causes or consequences remain unclear.
- Ask what changes the choice — expose the controlling uncertainty.
- Commit the correction — decide only after the gap and decisive question are clear.
Zoom Out
On the Journey, Purpose supplies the destination and Problems reveal off-course variance. Navigation turns the bounded gap into a question, decision, correction, and evidence return.
Changes my mind: the problem can be described without a beneficiary, present state, valued future, evidence, or consequence.
Context
- depends-on Purpose — supply the beneficiary, desired state, and protected values that make the gap consequential.
- depends-on Reality — distinguish observed conditions from inference and story.
- applies-to Questioning System — turn the gap into the uncertainty that could change the next move.
- applies-to Navigation — convert diagnosed variance into a bounded course correction.
- depends-on Perspective — reveal gaps hidden by the current frame.
- applies-to Business Strategy — make the valuable gap, rather than a favoured solution, control the bet.
- proved-by Performance — test whether closing the gap changes beneficiary reality.
- applies-to The Playbook — place problem diagnosis within the wider learning system.
Questions
Next question: what uncertainty about this gap would make you choose a different correction?
- What evidence distinguishes the problem from its visible symptom?
- Why does this gap matter to the named beneficiary and purpose?