What is the Problem?
Kip Landergren
(Updated: )
My checklist flow for identifying and solving problems.
Contents
Forward
The following is largely a summary of the lessons from “Are Your Lights On?”, by Donald C. Gause and Gerald M. Weinberg, a short treatise on the discretization of problem identification and definition into steps, illustrated by whimsical parables. I recommend it!
How to Solve Problems
A problem is a difference between:
- things as desired
- things as perceived
and its solution starts by establishing:
- who has the problem
- what exactly the problem is
From there one can then attempt to solve the problem.
Who Has a Problem?
Who is Affected?
To identify who has the problem, first ask:
Who is affected by the difference in perception vs. desire?
Multiple people may be affected and the problem may need multiple solutions, but this identification step helps give clues to potential solutions and constrains the problem by establishing the stakeholders.
Who Should Solve It?
Don’t solve other people’s problems when they can solve them perfectly well themselves. A person identified as having the problem is the best candidate to solve it. If they don’t solve it, a misfit solution—one where there is a mismatch between the solution and the human beings who have to live with it—can arise.
Sometimes the only person who can solve a problem does not feel its effects. When this arises one should attempt to change the situation so the effects are felt by the person with means to solve it: this alignment leads to better solutions.
Finally, consider blaming yourself and see how the potential solutions change.
What Exactly is the Problem?
Recognizing and articulating problems is the difficult part of problem solving. Good problem definition requires experience, understanding, and empathy. Various tactics exist to create a strong problem definition:
- think of at least three things that might be wrong with your understanding
- don’t leap to conclusions, but don’t ignore your first impression
- to combat fading first impressions: test your problem definition on somebody very different from yourself, like somebody much older or much younger, or somebody from a different culture
- change the problem statement to make the solution different
- play with the words to intentionally create varying—sometimes worse, sometimes better—problem statements until it is clear in everyone’s head
The existence of a problem definition does not mean that the real problem has been uncovered. Problem definitions are influenced by known solution methods (e.g. “to a man with a hammer, everything is a nail”) and even after solving you may never know if the real problem was solved.
Attempt to Solve the Problem
The origin of a problem—the reasons and conditions why the problem exists—gives insight into its solution. Avoid ascribing problem origins to nature and prefer objects or humans (including, more often than not, yourself): nature is remote and indifferent while humans and objects are close and able to be influenced.
Be aware of our own limitations as humans when considering solutions: we are easily habituated and conditioned by our environment. Schooling has taught us to expect clear problem definitions and actionable answers when in reality there may be neither. We naturally seek to cancel out the constants in our environment, leading to biases and omissions of consciousness. This clouds our ability to see the real factors of a problem and potential solution paths. Remember that “the fish is always the last to see the water”.
Accept that solutions may not actually solve the problem (or, the “real problem”): few people want their problems solved, those that do seldom know what they want until you give it to them, and there is the sobering fact that all solutions will have auxiliary consequences. We may not like the outcome, or the outcome may upend our feeling of participation in it. “We never have enough time to consider whether we want it, but we do have time to regret it”. These side effects end up being the origins of tomorrow’s problems. Even solutions themselves which last into the future may still exist when their original problems are long gone, becoming new problems themselves.
Finally a warning: the arrival at problem solutions may cloud moral judgment. It is better to consider moral questions before solving, before problem definition, so that you have a clear view of what you believe.