Figuring out the root of a problem can be a challenge. Sometimes it’s hard to know what we need to fix because problems can be quite complex. Defining a problem takes time and practice.

In this session, you will learn about and apply the eight essentials to defining a problem. You will also understand the importance of identifying the root of a problem, rather than treating its symptoms.

Problem Identification

The first and most important undertaking of your problem-solving efforts needs to be defining the problem. You cannot work on something if you don’t know what it is. You have to resist the tendency to start working on the problem as soon as you know one exists, and instead develop an understanding of whether you are addressing the problem or merely a symptom of it.

We should go after the problem rather than attack symptoms. This way, we can create higher quality solutions that in turn will eliminate or reduce the symptoms. As well, this will resolve the problem much more easily than when you attack the surface only. Most importantly, you’ll also know that you are taking on a worthwhile problem.

Asking the right questions and avoiding assumptions is vital in this phase.

Eight Essentials to Defining a Problem

Although we make decisions all the time, some decisions come easier than others. The first step is to define the problem clearly. We have eight suggestions to help you do this as easily, efficiently, and effectively as possible.

Rephrase the Problem

Sometimes what we want to see is not what other people see. When the boss sees sales drop and he tells his team to work harder, he’s not likely to see much of a result. He’s telling people what to do for his benefit. Unfortunately, this approach does very little to engage people. Instead, he could rephrase the problem and ask people what they feel connects them to their work. He can take an interest and ask what they can do to make their jobs easier or make work processes more efficient. In this way he engages people, finds out what could be affecting their sales, and can come up with solutions instead of just telling people to be “more productive.” By showing people what’s in it for them and involving them in the problem-solving process, the boss is motivating his employees to find creative solutions.

If you have a hard time with wordsmithing, grab a dictionary and thesaurus (or look at online versions) and play with your problem statement by changing it several times. Start with one word or short phrases. If you don’t enjoy word games very much or feel yourself struggling, ask for help from a colleague or friend.

Here’s an example. If the problem seems like “Our production costs have increased,” start replacing words to become clearer about what’s going on:

• “Our sales are down slightly from last year.”
• “Our customer volume is down from last year.”
• “Wages have stayed the same.”
• “Production costs are the same from last year.”

By doing this type of rewording, you can narrow things down and determine that the real problem isn’t that your production costs, it is the decrease in sales. The problem appears to be that sales are down. Finding out why will be your next step.

Expose and Challenge Assumptions

We assume a lot. It’s human nature. Unfortunately, assumptions can really interfere with getting an accurate problem statement.

When defining your problem, write a list and include as many assumptions you can think of, especially the obvious ones. This helps to clarify the problem. Then, test each assumption and find out if some of them are actually wrong, or if you imposed them on yourself.

One common assumption is to say, “We’ve never done it that way, so we won’t be allowed to do it in the future.”

Use Facts

Sometimes we see a problem and just want to jump in and fix it. However, we are also generally responsible for things like time and money, so it’s important that we look at the details and determine what the problem really is. Find the data you need to define the problem. If you need creative aids to help with your thinking, use them. Draw a picture or a graph to help gather and focus your thoughts. Ask questions and gather information that honestly describes the problem so that you can get specific about it.

“You take too many coffee breaks,” is a very vague statement of a problem. “You’ve taken five coffee breaks today and I feel it is affecting your productivity,” is specific. With straightforward problems like this one, you will find that defining the problem and bringing it to the other person’s attention will often resolve it. There are very few people who will continue to challenge the supervisor once they demonstrate an awareness of the problematic behavior being repeated.

Grow Your Thinking

Problems are often related to other problems. They can be a small element of a larger issue, so this element of problem definition includes considering the problem as part of something larger. To do this, you make the problem more general.

Ask questions such as

• “What’s this connected to?”
• “What is this an example of?”
• “Where have we seen this before?”

Leveraging the word play we used earlier, replace specific words with more general ones. “Budget” becomes “finances,” “office desk” becomes “furniture,” “mouse” becomes “pest.”

Shrink Your Environment Temporarily

Since each problem is likely made up of smaller problems, one way to figure out the issue is to split it into smaller pieces. Break the problem down into subsections. This allows you to consider specific details pertaining to each factor involved in the issue. This will help you gain an understanding of the bigger problem, as well as the effect that the smaller problems have on one another.

An example could be that you need to increase your income by $2000 a month. Break this problem down into manageable chunks.

• I have been spending $1000 a month on home renovations. I can cut this back to $200.
• I can put in extra hours at work.
• I can ask for a pay increase.
• I can do odd jobs like cleaning to generate income.
• I can stop going out for coffee and save $100 a month by making coffee at home.
• I can prepare lunch at home instead of eating out. This will save me $300 a month.

Shrinking your environment is very effective when you have a problem that is overwhelming. It allows you to focus on something tangible. You can again use word play to great benefit here, using words that are more accurate in their definition. “Vehicle” becomes “taxi” or “car.” “Budget” becomes “our department’s budget” and then “our department’s travel budget.”

Practice Multiple Perspectives

Although the problem may be very clear from where you are looking right now, that may not be the case from everyone else’s perspective. If our sales are decreasing, we may think it’s because our sales team is not being effective, but maybe our competition has dropped their price and added a feature to their product that makes them more appealing than we are.

Rewrite the problem from several different perspectives. How does your customer look at this problem? What about your sales team? Your courier? Add perspectives for people in different roles. How would your spouse see this? A former teacher? A local business association? The people at the café down the street?

Turn it Upside Down

One powerful perspective for defining your problem is to look at it from the reverse direction. If you want more of something, figure out what you get less of as a result. Investigate what happens to decrease sales, or to sell fewer products, or to lose more games. If you feel that sending an employee to a conference is too expensive, consider what happens when you do not send them.

Change your perspective and consider things from angles you had not yet considered, and consider the consequences. What about setting up a bare bones product that does not have all the same elements as the fancy items people are buying from your competition?

Frame the Problem Purposely and Positively

This is something we borrow from goal setting. Our brains will focus on things that are positive and exciting. Even more effective is to reframe what you think as the problem into a positive and engaging question, because our subconscious loves to ponder questions and will start working on them immediately, even if we don’t think we’re thinking about it. For example, instead of thinking, “We need our employees to quit smoking because smokers are driving up costs of our benefit plan,” try, “How can we encourage our employees to live long healthy lives and live to be happy people?”