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A Problem Well-Defined is a Problem Half-Solved

Updated: May 9, 2024


Revenue or Profitability problem(s)? 


Here are 5 approaches I use with clients to clarify...



...what problems they actually need to solve.



1️⃣ APPLY LEAN PRINCIPLES


(Minimize wasteful analysis)



→ Go past the whiteboard, observe the problem live


→ Engage stakeholders to strengthen & test analysis


→ Use data (vs narratives); map underlying processes.



2️⃣ FISHBONE ANALYSIS


(Visualize to create clarity)



→ Mindmap/diagram the potential causes of a problem


→ Group branches in categories: process, people, etc.


→ Apply MECE analysis (see next)



3️⃣ MECE 


(Mutually Exclusive, Comprehensively Exhaustive)



→ Can any fishbone branch fit in 2 categories at once?


→ If anything doesn't fit in a category, add one.


→ If all are accounted for, is this problem truly solved?



4️⃣ THE THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS


(Get to the biggest drag on the system)



→ Identify the bottleneck limiting overall performance


→ Many factors contribute; one has outsized impact


→ Resolve to address this before other systemic issues



5️⃣ THE 5 WHY'S


(Get to the underlying issue)



→ Ask "Why?" is that happening 5 times.


→ You'll see the cause-effect underlying the surface


→ The first answer is often not the right/full answer


______________



Objection: 


"But this is a lot of work to solve the obvious problem."



Response:


→ Humans are very good at being wrong. Even hashtag#CEOs


→ Chasing the wrong problem is even more work/time


→ It's more work to explain to your board/org why the revenue/profit is still not improving.


______________


If you're a hashtag#CEOhashtag#CRO, or hashtag#COO and 


have had quarters of revenue issues,


or years of profitability challenges...



...perhaps you'd benefit from working with


an independent Operating Partners (iOP)



▶️ REACH OUT ◀️



And we can explore how we might apply


the principles above to truly clarify the problem(s)


design hashtag#strategies to get you back on track, and


optimize hashtag#execution to improve likelihood of success. 

 
 
 

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