1.2 Common Problem-Solving Steps

Through well-planned problem-solving, users can identify what is trying to be solved, determine the desired outcome, create a list of options, evaluate each solution’s feasibility, choose the solution and, finally, solve the problem. Of course, after implementing the solution, you need to make sure that the defined goal was achieved. Some projects are completed, but they never really accomplish the main goal of solving the problem and could possibly create more problems.

There are a variety of opinions as to the number of steps involved in solving a problem (e.g., the American Society for Quality identifies four steps), but for this course, we suggest following a seven-step program:

1. Identify the problem.

2. Define the goal.

3. Make a list of solutions.

4. Evaluate the feasibility of each option.

5. Choose your solution.

6. Implement the solution.

7. Evaluate the success of the solution (which in turn might take you back to step 1).

NOTE: The last step can be an iterative (looping) process, meaning that you might repeat steps such as jumping from one step to a step earlier in the process.

Step 1: Identify the Problem

One cannot solve the problem if the problem is not identified. Otherwise, you might be solving the wrong problem. Too little time is spent identifying the correct problem to solve. Often attributed to Albert Einstein, there is a quote that says, “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” Many times, just trying to identify the problem can be one of the hardest steps of problem-solving.

For example, let’s consider welfare in the United States. The US welfare system dates back to the 1930s during the Great Depression when more than 60% of households were living in poverty. Oxford Learner Dictionaries says that the purpose of welfare is a "practical or financial help that is provided, often by the government, for people or animals that need it". One might say that the problem welfare addresses could be identified as people who do not have money to adequately survive. The solution might be to provide more money to those in need. Some countries, like Ecuador, provide a cash transfer to extremely poor families each month, but their children must regularly attend school and visit health clinics.

Others would counter that it is better to teach a man to fish rather than giving a man a loaf of bread. However, either way, welfare is not perfect and many countries are trying to solve the problem of poverty. Is the problem that people do not have enough money and, if so, is the correct solution to give monetary handouts with or without strings attached?

In the early 1930s, the United States decided, as a result of the Great Depression, to implement the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to solve the problem of individuals and families living in poverty. Instead of providing monetary support for welfare assistance, jobs were created that allowed individuals to learn a job skill, gain experience, and work for a monetary reward. As a side note, there is a debate as to what really solved the Great Depression (e.g., WPA, World War II, taxes, and so on).

However, in this case, the problem was not that individuals needed a government handout but, instead, that individuals needed a job. The government provided employment that resulted in an individual receiving stable wages, which, in turn, alleviated the problem of individuals needing the government to provide welfare. People were able to use skills learned through the program to find other employment. This provided money that was used to lift the family out of poverty and thus help solve the Great Depression.

In the future, the next time you need to solve a problem, first consider if the problem you need to solve really is the problem. And even though you selected a solution, you might end up having to revisit the problem, define a new solution, and keep trying until you determine the actual problem.

Step 2: Define the Goal

What was the goal of the WPA? The goal was NOT to provide a handout, but instead to offer a means for individuals to provide for themselves that in turn could solve or eliminate the problem.

When you identify a problem, you must think of the ultimate goal for solving the problem. You might be able to temporarily solve the problem, but there needs to be a final resolution. However, there are some problems that have simple solutions.

For example, I am currently hungry. Solution? Eat some food. You might think that the goal was to eat food. However, what is the true goal? I can eat something and solve the problem of hunger, but the problem will resurface within a certain amount of time. Is the goal to alleviate hunger in that moment or to continually alleviate hunger forever?

Knowing the goal of solving the problem will provide you with the necessary information to create a list of solutions. Otherwise, in the next step you might be creating solutions that are not feasible in solving the actual problem and achieving the desired goal.

One way of defining the goal is to talk with others involved in the problem-solving experience. Talk with the individual closest to the problem. Talk with other parties affected by the problem. This is a process where you become the detective, and you put on your logical-thinking hat. By investigating the problem, you can also decide what the actual goal trying to be achieved is when the problem is eliminated or its effects are reduced.

Step 3: Make a List of Solutions

Consider the following example:

PROBLEM: An infant is crying.

GOAL: Stop the crying and make the child happy.

What are the solutions? You could just try the first thing that comes to your mind.

This might solve the problem of stopping the child from crying. However, is the child happy? If we have instead made a list of possible solutions and investigated each one, then the proper solution could have been ascertained and met all of the defined goals.

Let’s take a look at some of the other solutions that could be considered.

1. Feed the infant.

This could be a common solution when an infant is crying and is not happy. However, maybe eating is what caused the child to cry and be unhappy.

2. Change the diaper.

Possibly the diaper needs to be changed, but maybe upon further inspection, the diaper is clean but the infant has a rash. So maybe the solution is to change the diaper AND put on some ointment for the rash.

3. Rock the child to sleep since it is tired.

One could try and rock the child to sleep, but maybe the child just woke up from a nap and is not tired anymore.

There are a variety of solutions that could be explored, and there isn’t really the time to thoroughly evaluate and test each of the solutions. But at this point, instead of becoming overwhelmed with trying to determine which is the right solution, don’t worry about evaluating any of the options yet.

By simply creating a list of solutions, you have a greater chance of finding one of the solutions that might actually solve the problem. This leads us to the next step.

Step 4: Evaluate the Feasibility of Each Option

Looking at the list above, we can look at each solution and see if it truly will solve the problem. In fact, one can even do some small tests and investigate whether the solution will work.

As seen in the previous section, each of the solutions could be evaluated, and you could even do a little more analysis and testing to see if any of the solutions can actually be considered viable. Some can be eliminated immediately. For example, if the infant just woke up crying and is unhappy, you can make the educated guess that the child is not tired, so you should not try and put it back to sleep.

One step in evaluating the feasibility of each solution might be to use the internet to discover whether or not the problem has already been solved. Even if the problem has not been solved, you can use the internet to determine what might have already been tried and maybe the solution you are evaluating has already failed.

Another step might be to ask other people involved to see if they have any history with the problem or with any of the proposed solutions.

You can even identity the different risks associated with each solution and build a sample solution to see if the solution is even possible to implement.

Step 5: Choose Your Solution

Now that you have made the list of solutions and evaluated each solution, it is time to make your choice. Choose the solution that is most feasible to implement, (possibly) has the lowest risk, and—more importantly—the option you have the most confidence that you can implement the solution.

Remember that in choosing your solution, the most feasible solution might not be the solution chosen. For example, you might be forced into choosing a different solution based upon a legal requirement. Or possibly you do not have the financial resources to work with the best solution, so you have to settle for your second choice.

There are many factors that could affect your choice. This step is where you do your due diligence in trying to ascertain what is the most feasible solution. However, just because the step seems like it could be the best one to implement, you need to consider all ramifications (e.g., is it affordable, can it really be implemented, does the technology exist, is the step safe, and is it legal).

Step 6: Implement the Solution

Now that a solution has been chosen, it is time to go all in and get the problem solved. As long as you have identified the correct problem, defined the appropriate goal, included the correct list of solutions that are feasible, and chosen the most feasible solution, chances are you are creating a great environment to solve the problem.

This is where you would want to make sure you have good project management processes in place to give yourself every possible chance of solving the problem.

You will want to make sure you have the necessary resources in place before you implement the solution.

Step 7: Evaluate the Success of the Solution

Once a solution is implemented, that doesn’t mean your job is completed. The implementation of the solution needs to be constantly evaluated. It might boil down to simply asking, “Did it work?” This might require a qualitative analysis to gather information about attitudes, behaviors, or experiences. It might require a quantitative analysis to look at facts, numbers, and measurements. Looking at continued “snapshots” of the implementation of the solution can help provide a level of confidence that the solution is working.

When the implementation has been completed, it is time to ask the following:

• Did the solution solve the problem?

• Did you accomplish this on time?

• Did you accomplish this within budget?

• Did the solution meet the defined goals?

• Did the solution prevent the problem from reoccurring?

However, even though the goal is to solve the problem and it was successful, you still need to consider what you learned and if you could have accomplished it in a more efficient, quicker, or less expensive way if the problem arises again.