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Welcome to Mind Tools' Video Learning Series.
Every day, we all work through one type of problem or another, whatever role we're in.
Some problems are quite easy to solve, but others can be very difficult indeed.
Min Basadur's eight-step Simplex Process, also known as Simplexity Thinking, is a useful tool for when you want to solve a complex problem.
Step one of Simplexity Thinking is Problem Finding.
Sometimes it's obvious what the issue is. If it isn't, then there are a variety of techniques you can use to explore possible problems.
Step two is Fact Finding.
Take time to research the problem, and learn all you can about what's going wrong, what solutions have already been tried, and how the problem affects other people.
In step three, you Define the Problem.
Big problems are often made up of many smaller ones, so it's important to identify the problem at the right level.
Ask plenty of "why" questions to broaden your understanding of the issue. To focus on detail, ask, "What's stopping us?"
Step four is Idea Finding.
You need to come up with as many problem-solving ideas as you can. You can do this with structured, analytical thinking, and with creative brainstorming. You can also look at how people solved similar problems in the past.
The next step is Selection and Evaluation.
