Effective Problem Solving Method:

1. 🫁 Take a Deep Breath:

The way we approach a problem directly impacts our ability to solve it. Essentially, if you allow frustration, stress, anger, or full-on despair to cloud your mind there is usually a low likelihood of success. To calm down, Andrew Huberman (Stanford Neurology and Ophthalmology Professor) suggests performing a Physiological Sigh. To perform this protocol He says to take a double inhale through your nose to full inflate your lungs. Then, exhale fully through your mouth. From his research he claims that this protocol rebalances the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen in your body and reduces stress. I learned the deep breath technique from my dad when solving any problem as a child. His step one was always: “Take a deep breath.” And he was right.

2. 🖐️ Fully Define the Problem:

A problem can’t be solved by putting a band-aid on a symptom of the true problem. To discover the root cause of the problem use the 5 Why's Method. Here’s a quick example:

1. Our company is no longer profitable. Why?

2. Our products are not selling. Why?

3. We are competing with a similar company on price. We lowered our prices and our customers no longer see our product as valuable. Why?

4. We thought that we would sell more units at a cheaper price than our competitors. Why?

5. We thought our target customer would chose our product over our competitor’s product because it was more affordable than theirs. Why?

   Root Problem: We incorrectly predicted what our target customer would do.

3. ✌️ Apply the Two Pass Method:

Divergent Thinking:

Generate as many ideas as you can and be as creative as possible. In this stage the goal is quantity. Write them down without passing judgement.

TIP: When in a group setting, encourage your team to be creative as possible and to allow their mind to play with radical solutions.

Convergent Thinking:

Evaluate each idea with the problem constraints such as time, money, practicality, etc. Then, converge on the quality solutions by thinking critically.

4. 🪞 Reflect:

Has the solution addressed the root problem?

If yes, then celebrate and find a new problem to conquer.

If no, then go back to step one with the expectation that there is a solution.

Final Thoughts

What problem solving technique have you found helpful? I’d love to hear your insights.

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Rock on,

Camden