Follow Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter
Follow Us on Linkedin
Follow Us on Google+
Rss Feed
Four steps to understanding your problem.
© iStockphoto/blnd
When we try to solve business problems, we can often pressurize ourselves to find solutions quickly.
The problem with this is that we can end up only partially solving the problem, or we can solve the wrong problem altogether, with all of the delay, expense, and lost business opportunity that goes with this.
The Problem-Definition Process helps you avoid this. In this article, we'll look at this process and we'll see how to apply it.
Dwayne Spradline published the Problem-Definition Process in September 2012's Harvard Business Review.
Spradline is the President and CEO of Innocentive, an organization that connects organizations with freelance problem solvers. He developed the process over 10 years, while working with a community of more than 25,000 "problem solvers" such as engineers, scientists, and industry experts.
The process gives you four steps that help you better understand complex problems. These steps are:
Mind Tools Club members, click here.
Join now for just $1, first month
"When I started using Mind Tools, I was not in a supervisory position. Now I am. Along with that came a 12% increase in salary." – Pat Degan, Houston, USA
The Mind Tools Club gives you many more resources than you get here on the basic Mind Tools site, including these 4 free workbooks.
You'll find training, help and ideas to boost your career.
Find out what you getLearn new career skills every week, plus get our Quick Guide to Problem Solving, worth $19.99, free when you subscribe!
With the Mind Tools Club, you get much, much more than you do here for free.
And we'll give you the 4 workbooks above when you join!
Find out what you get
PUZZLED about where to find content for your learning program or portal?
Get 1000+ management and soft skills training resources from Mind Tools Corporate.
Find out more
Spradlin, D. (2012) Are You Solving the Right Problem? Harvard Business Review. Available here. [Accessed 11 November 2012.]
Let us know about anything wrong, or anything you don't like about this site, and you could win a US$50 Amazon voucher!
Click here
This ensures that you don’t lose your plan.
Please enter your username or email address and we'll send you a reminder.
Your log in details have been sent to the email account you registered with. Please check your email to reset your login details.
Learn a new career skill every week, and get our Personal Development Plan workbook (worth $19.99) when you subscribe.
Please check your Inbox, and click on the link in the email from us. We can then send you the newsletter.