When faced with a problem which you believe needs to be solved ask yourself: (a) Do you really need to solve it? (b) Do you want to solve it? (c) Can you (at least potentially) solve it? (d) Can you leave it to someone else to solve? (e) Is someone else better placed to solve it? (f) Is trying to solve this problem the best use of your time? (g) Does the problem need to be solved now? (h) Is there an optimum time for trying to solve the problem?
Looking for effective solutions to complex problems requires both ‘theoretical’ and ‘pragmatic’ thinking. Theoretical thinking ensures you do the right thing in the wider context; Practical thinking ensures you can and do do it.
Sometimes you need to home in on solutions rather than try to go straight to them. You thus gradually try focussing on the most promising areas and eliminating the less promising.
Just because you have a solution does not mean it is the right solution, the only solution, or the best solution. One of the greatest shortcomings in thinking is having found a solution stopping to think about whether there might be a better one.
If you can’t find a solution then you might either be trying to solve the wrong problem, have misinterpreted the problem, or be looking in the wrong place for the solution.
‘Optimum’ solutions are often unstable solutions, in that slight variations have highly undesirable consequences, whilst sub-optimal solutions will be more robust.
We should judge people on the efforts they made rather than on the outcomes. Someone who made the best decision they could in the circumstances but where the consequences turned out bad due to circumstances which could not reasonably have been allowed for, should not be penalised.
When breaking a complex problem into a number of sub-problems ensure: (a) that the sub-problems when solved will lead to the solution of the original problems; (b) that the set of sub-problems is the best way of tackling the original problem.
Making decisions is not difficult. What is difficult is making good and appropriate decisions and getting on and implementing the decision.
People will often make decisions which are in their personal interests rather than the interests of the ‘authority’ they are representing. Some people are much more prone to do this than others.
Positions of authority do not bring the wisdom and capabilities that go with it. Persons other than those in authority are sometimes best able to make the best decisions.
Problems should be thought of in terms of the end objective in solving them. This might help put the problem in a broader light where different types of solution may suggest themselves.
When problem solving be particularly wary of assumptions. Ensure you critically question any assumption which is making the problem difficult to solve or is preventing you accepting a given solution.
Problems should be approached on the basis that they will be solved once hurdles have been overcome rather than that they can’t solved because there are seemingly unsurmountable hurdles.
A solution which is appropriate at one time is not necessarily appropriate at another time. Circumstances change.
In making decisions be conscious of opportunity costs, ie. the possibility that you could use the resources required to implement the solution on something completely different.
When looking for an explanation for something ask why. And if you can answer then ask why why. And then why why why. In this way you will seek root causes which are often missed by simply accepted some superficial explanation.