Three Techniques for Analyzing Problems

Before you can solve any problem, you need to understand it. As Einstein once said, “If I had an hour to save the world, I’d spend 55 minutes analyzing the problem and 5 minutes solving it.” This approach may seem overly abstract, but it delivers excellent results. Remember, the human brain has two thinking systems. One is based on fast, instinctive processes, which often lead us to make rash (note: rash) decisions. The other is conscious and takes more time, but helps us develop the most rational approach. Today, we’ll look at techniques that allow you to thoroughly and comprehensively analyze a problem, providing a solid foundation for generating ideas and making decisions.

The “Why” Diagram Method

We analyze things primarily to get to the heart of the matter, identify cause-and-effect relationships, and break the problem down into smaller pieces that are much easier to handle. Think about how three-year-old children learn about the world—the biggest problem of all. They ask a thousand simple “Why?” questions, digging as deep as possible. For every answer you give, they have a new “Why?” ready.

This approach works just as well for adult challenges. The idea is simple. On a sheet of paper, briefly state the problem. Ask yourself why it occurred and write down the main reasons next to it. Then, ask “Why?” again for each of those reasons, and continue until you reach the “atoms” of the problem. Using mind maps for this process can be very helpful.

Once you reach the root causes, you’ll be able to see the whole picture. You’ll immediately get ideas on how to influence the situation by targeting the most vulnerable elements of the system. This method is especially effective for solving complex problems.

You can make the task a bit more challenging by setting a minimum number of answers before moving to the next level. For example, you must find at least six answers to each “Why?” question. Then, for each answer, ask “Why?” again and find six more reasons. This might seem a bit artificial, but such constraints stimulate and discipline your mind. Later, you can discard any explanations that seem far-fetched.

The Twelve Questions Method

There’s another technique that can expand on the previous one, allowing you to look at the problem from many more angles. This method consists of six main questions: “What?”, “Why?”, “When?”, “Where?”, “How?”, and “Who?”. Each is asked in both a positive and negative context. Here’s how it looks in practice. Suppose we’re analyzing the problem of accidents at nuclear power plants:

• What happens at nuclear plants during accidents?
• What does NOT happen at nuclear plants during accidents?
• Why do disasters occur at nuclear plants?
• Why do they NOT occur at other plants?
• When do emergencies usually happen at nuclear plants?
• When do they NOT happen?
• Where do nuclear plant accidents occur?
• Where do they NOT occur?
• How does it happen?
• How is it avoided or prevented?
• Who influences the risk of accidents?
• Who does NOT influence the possibility of disasters?

So, you end up with twelve questions that examine many sides of the problem, including the negative aspects that are often overlooked.

The Path to the Ideal

While the previous methods focus on understanding the causes of problems—looking at them from the past—this one is more about finding solutions. Here, you’ll need to look from the future.

Take three sheets of paper. On the first, describe the problem, its causes, features, pros, and cons. Title the second sheet “Path.” On the third, describe the ideal situation after the problem is solved.

Now, on the second sheet, write down the main actions and steps that will take you from the first sheet to the third. Don’t go into too much detail; just outline the key milestones or “magic points” that, if achieved, will bring you to the ideal. This will help you see the problem from a solution-oriented perspective.

Later, you can turn these milestones into guiding questions for brainstorming, applying idea generation techniques to them.

Summary

• A deep understanding of the essence of a problem helps you solve it.
• To get to the root of a problem, keep asking yourself “Why?” until you reach the underlying causes.
• Discipline your mind by limiting the number of answers you require.
• Use the 12 Questions technique to view the problem from more perspectives.
• The “Path to the Ideal” technique lets you look at the problem from the standpoint of its solution.