Part 3: The 11 Commandments of Problem Solving
Part of a Series on Problem Solving
1. Problems Are Inevitable: “Whatever can go wrong will go wrong.” - Murphy’s Law. Problems are not unusual; they do not care if you are in a growth stage, decline, or stagnation. Something always goes wrong, despite planning and good intentions. This isn’t pessimism. It’s realism. Expect it. Prepare for it.
2. Solutions Are Intentional: Newton’s First Law of Motion: “An object remains in its state unless acted upon.” Systems, like people and organizations, tend toward inertia. Nothing changes until energy, thought, and action are deliberately applied. Solutions require intentional intervention.
3. Problem Solving Comes at a Cost and Requires Change:
Real problem solving will cost you: money, time, cognitive effort (grey matter), physical and emotional exertion. Motivational slogans won’t substitute for the work. “Inspire to perspire to refire” may sound good on a poster, but what you need is wisdom, discipline, and sometimes a bit of luck.
Also, you cannot solve problems with the same mindset, processes, or structures that created them. Solutions require: a shift in perspective, a change in systems or processes, and a willingness to adapt. If nothing changes, nothing improves.
4. Start with Root Cause Analysis
Defining the problem properly is half the battle. Go beneath the surface. Ask why, five times if you must. Even spiritual problems tend to have natural roots. Identify them.
Without root cause analysis, you’re treating symptoms, not problems.
5. Problems are Opportunities in Disguise: This one sounds like motivational talk, but problems are your chance to learn, innovate, or improve.
6. Every Problem Has Multiple Solutions: Even the hardest math problem has multiple ways of solving it. Business problems, by comparison, often have dozens, some better than others. Your job is to find the effective one.
7. Most Problems Are Multi-Dimensional and Dynamic: Problems can evolve, change, or even disappear over time. Complex problems rarely have simple answers. They’re entangled in history, relationships, systems, and culture. The best approach? Break it down. Like eating an elephant, one bite at a time.
8. Solve for Context: Culture will eat strategy for breakfast. Always solve problems in the context in which they exist, industry, people, politics, history, and values matter. One-size-fits-all models usually don’t solve anything worthwhile.
9. You Can’t Solve Every Problem Today: You’re not here to save the world. Focus. Solve one thing well. Leave room for others to solve the rest. Great leaders don’t do everything; they do what matters.
10. Firefighting ≠ Problem Solving: Firefighting is a contingency plan. It may save you today, but over time it will burn you out. If you’re always reacting, never redesigning, you’re not solving. You’re surviving.
11. Every Solution Brings New Problems: Solutions are not ends. They are transitions. Every fix creates ripple effects. Every decision introduces new variables. There is no holy grail. Good problem solvers anticipate risks, test assumptions, and stress-test solutions before they scale.
12. Use Proven Tools and Frameworks: There are tested, reliable problem-solving methods: Root Cause Analysis, 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagrams, PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) Cycle, DMAIC, Design Thinking, Systems Mapping. Master the tools. Choose the ones that suit your context. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
13. Problem Solving Requires Collaboration: Sometimes, the symptom of the problem is in operations, but the root cause is in sales or finance, and vice versa. You need to work across functional boundaries in a lot of cases to solve a problem.
14. Measure What Matters: “When anecdotes and data disagree, the anecdotes are usually right.” - Jeff Bezos. If your KPIs say “green” but customers are complaining, something is off. Customer experience trumps vanity metrics. KPIs exist to serve the customer, not the other way around. This one was so hard to learn early in my career. But do not just benchmark. Listen. Observe. Respond. Solving problems is not just a skill. It’s a discipline. A mindset. A responsibility. It requires curiosity, courage, and clarity.
I think I gave the 14 Commandments. These things happen.