# The Root Problem ## 1. Summary **Problem** People often accept the problem statement that is handed to them and then immediately start jumping in to try and solve it. **Answer** 1. Never let anyone define the problem for you. Find the root problem (the right problem). Ideally this will be the problem that is a the *cause* of *symptoms*, not a symptom itself. 2. Separate *identifying the problem* and *finding the solution*. 3. Ask "What would need to be true for this problem to not exist in the first place?" 4. See whether solving a problem will stand the test of time. 5. Get agreement on what the root problem is from everybody involved. 6. Create a problem statement that includes what you want to move towards and where you currently are. **Automatic Behavior** > Never let anyone define the problem for you. ## 2. Arguments and Context One of the most common things that distracts great decision makers from taking charge and moving intentionally towards their objectives is *accepting the problem statement* that is given to them and jumping into solving it. Often the first person to define a problem dictates the problem to be solved. This back fires if the problem has not been defined properly. So, before we accept a problem we need to know it is the right problem. Most of the time, *the first problem we put on the table is not the problem we are trying to solve*. And once we have a problem, we immediately go into problem solving mode (this is because we are taught that having a solution is how we add value)! When we think about [framing](360%20Framing%20and%20Multiple%20Lenses.md), we must make this incredibly clear: > How we *define* a problem *shapes* the *solutions* we come up with. Take a minute to appreciate how important that is. If we define a problem incorrectly, it may mean that the entire *class of solutions* that we are considering are the *wrong ones*. We may spend months working through the properties of each one, and select the best possible decision from that class, but we only found a *local optima* (which may not be very good at all from a global perspective)! **How can we be sure to solve the right problem?** 1. Never accept someone else's definition of the problem 2. Put up a firewall between the problem definition and the problem solution. This entails separating them by a day, a meeting, etc. This should be a physical separation. #### Heuristics/Actions * The first step to ask yourself when presented with a problem is to ask yourself: > Is this the *symptom* or the *problem*? Am I dealing with the *root problem* or the *secondary problem* that the *root problem* is creating? * To identify the root problem, ask: 1. What would have to be true for this problem to not exist in the first place? 2. Will solving this problem stand the test of time? "If I solve this problem, will it just pop up again in 3 weeks? 3 months? 3 years?" * This will help us hone in on the underlying *causes*, sorting them out from the visible/surface level *symptoms*. * We can also consider the *real* problem vs. the *framed* problem as it may be seen by everyone else on the team. #### Problem Statement To ensure that we get maximal clarity on the problem, we can force ourselves to define a **problem statement**. This contains: 1. What we want 2. Where we want to go 3. What is preventing us from getting there This formal process will ensure that you cannot start working on a solution with a vaguely defined problem. --- tags: #decision-making #problem-solving #critical-thinking links: [Decision by Design MOC](Decision%20by%20Design%20MOC.md) created: 2020-12-01 modified: 2020-12-01