Why is "Problem" Such a Dirty Word?

Dear creatives, 

Problems are not the enemy. Problems are your friend: they mean that there's an opportunity out there, waiting to be discovered. 

So many creatives go into panic mode when they encounter a problem, and in my experience, this is the one of the most important things you need to learn if you want to transition from creative do-er to strategic thinker.  

Rather than approaching the problem with excitement and energy, they do the following: 

• Freak out

• Call their mum or partner

• Get a total mind blank 

• Think “I can't do this”

• Try to jump immediately into a solution without understanding and really getting to know the problem    

Problem solving is an essential part of strategy, and if you want to become a strategic thinker, you have to learn to love problems. 

Love it when they crop up. When they hit you in the face. When they challenge what you thought you knew. When they totally stop you in your tracks. And when they hurt your brain.

Problems are your friend, my friends. Learn to love them. 

Good problem-solving is an essential part of the decision-making process. But what does this look like in real life?

Five steps to problem solving:

1. Identify the problem

   The first step is to know which problem you need to solve. Then, you need to find the root cause of the problem. The best course of action is to gather as much data as possible, speak to the people involved, and separate facts from opinions. Once this is done, formulate a statement that describes the problem.

2. Break the problem down 

   Identifying the problem allows you to see which steps need to be taken to solve it.  First, break the problem down into achievable blocks. Then, use strategic planning to set a time frame in which to solve the problem and establish a timeline for the completion of each stage.

3. Generate potential solutions

   At this stage, the aim isn’t to evaluate possible solutions but to generate as many ideas as possible. Use one or more of the different strategies to help come up with solutions — the more creative, the better.

4. Evaluate the possible solutions

   Once you’ve generated potential solutions, narrow them down to a shortlist. Then, evaluate the options on your shortlist. There are usually many factors to consider. So when evaluating a solution, make sure you ask yourself the right questions.

5. Implement and monitor the solutions

   Once you’ve identified your solution and got positive feedback from your team, it’s time to implement it. But the work doesn’t stop there. You need to monitor your solution to see whether it actually solves your problem. Requests feedback from the team members involved and have a monitoring and evaluation plan in place to measure progress. If the solution doesn’t achieve your desired results, start this step-by-step process again.

8 effective problem-solving strategies

1. Identify solutions that worked in the past

2. Brainstorming or mind mapping

3. Work backward with reverse thinking

4. Draw the problem

5. Use trial and error

6. Sleep on it or go for a big old walk (my favourite)

7. Get advice from your colleagues and peers

8. Reframe the problem.

Happy problem solving <3