Problem Solving Frameworks

Humans excel at problem solving. Each day, we are presented with thousands of problems that we solve quickly and efficiently. Some are rather simplistic (e.g. what shirt to wear, avoiding potholes), and others can be more complex. Much of this happens subconsciously. We rely on innate abilities, tools, experience, knowledge, and practice to solve problems we have never encountered before. Some of these problems are quite sophisticated such as building a skyscraper. Logic and mathematical reasoning ability are heavily relied on. Along the way we may develop tools and/or techniques that can help us get to the solution and may rely on collaboration with other experts. NASA and the ability to send manned missions into space is a good example.

Complex Problems

Many more complex problems have no definitive solution, start, or end. They are often affected by many factors outside of our control and typically involve many stakeholders, each with different perspectives and values. For example, the NASA space program was not only about engineers designing the rockets and capsules, but also managers assessing acceptable risks, and administrators and politicians who secured the funds and convinced the public of its value. Solutions did not only rely on mathematical formulas and logic, but also understanding human behavior. No solution was perfect, and there were no widely agreed upon metrics for assessing which solution was best. After the fact, we know the mission was successful, but we don't know if there may have been other approaches that would have been better.

Solving such complex problems requires a level of critical thinking that goes beyond mathematical formulas and logic. There is no preset formula for solving these problems, no single correct answer, or even agreed criteria for determining which answer is most correct. Competing priorities and criteria make consensus difficult.

Dealing With Uncertainty

Our human subconscious is hard-wired to make quick decisions, which often means converting uncertainty to certainty. We make quick decisions, and don't need to consider all the alternatives. We may alter our path to avoid a snake or turn slightly right to avoid a pothole. Once we make the decision there is little immediate value in knowing the snake wasn't poisonous or considering whether turning slightly left to avoid the pothole may have been more efficient. Our culture reinforces that. We are asked to answer yes or no, true or false, not consider all of the possible exceptions.

Once we make a decision, we are wired to defend it. If the answer doesn't pan out, we tend to find "excuses" as to why it didn't work. We may blame it on external factors. An everyday example can be found by listening to fans predict the outcome of the next football game. Before the fact, people tend to talk definitively on why their home team will win the game, and bet on "cant miss" opportunities. If their team loses, more often than not, the reason will be because the quarterback fumbled, the referee made the wrong call.

That is human nature and exists for good reason. Being decisive is often more important than being absolutely correct. We don't have time to revisit every decision.

The Role of Conscious Critical (and Creative) Thinking

This is where critical thinking becomes.. well.. "critical." We use conscious energy to review our decisions, and to determine where to put extra energy and effort into getting a more thorough answer. We have to be more willing to challenge our instincts and mitigate our biases and predispositions. We aren't able to simply rely on what we know or have done before, but have to be more open minded and creative in finding new solutions.

"Frameworks" are proven methodologies that help encourage us be more objective and creative in problem solving. There is no correct methodology, no methodology works for every situation or for every person. They are simply tools that most people find worth exploring and useful. Like much training/education, there is value in trying them out, and adjusting/adapting them for your own style. Below is a compendium of frameworks I have found useful and/or studied over the years arranged in a way to highlight similarities/differences. I was introduced to many of these frameworks in the UMass Boston Critical and Creative Thinking program. Special thanks to Professor Luann Witkowski's Creative Thinking Class! This list is by no means exhaustive but rather presented to provoke thought as you learn what works best for you and the type of problems you face. Keeping an open mind is helpful as you try them out.

Divergent and Convergent Thinking (Micro/Macro - The Forest AND the Trees)

We can learn much about a subject by studying it very closely. But we also need to step back and see how it fits in a bigger picture. Neither is better, we need to continually move back and forth. Likewise in problem solving and creativity, we need to think "outside the box" and consider a wide variety of options, but we also need to focus on detail. Divergent thinking expands the possibilities, whereas convergent thinking narrows the possibilities. The key is to "think outside the box" and not be overly limited, but also to be pragmatic and focus your mindshare on those ideas with the most value.

Another valuable tool to use throughout the process is monitoring/evaluating the process. E.g. Why am I doing this, what are the consequences, how important is it, how complex is it? it is useful to be aware of unintentional bias that may creep into our decision-making. Also, when working in groups, it is important to be aware of leadership styles that can influence the problem-solving process, and lead to sub-optimum solutions.

Key Steps

Problem solving typically follows a progression from identifying the problem, identifying potential solutions and choosing a solution. As people with limited time, we have a tendency to jump to the solution before we have fully understood the problem. Or we choose a less-than-ideal solution because we didn't spend enough time thinking of other options. So, it is good practice to try to take these steps deliberately and patiently. Although it is possible and useful to jump back and forth, it is often best to delay the solution finding aspect to offset our natural tendency to jump to solutions. These steps are especially important when working on complex problems where collaboration and expertise is required of others, and solutions depend on the behavior of others.

A summary of the key steps:

• Pre-analysis. Identify which problem you are going to devote time to addressing
  • There are lots of problems competing for mindshare and selecting/prioritizing which problems to work on is an extremely important step.
• 1. Understand the Problem (Collecting Data)
  • An important first step is to fully understand the problem. Otherwise, we have a tendency to reach elegant solutions that make some incorrect assumptions as to the root problem.
• 2. Identify Potential Solutions (Processing)
  • For complex problems, there are often many potential solutions. Often none are perfect. Finding the best solution means going beyond our initial instincts.
• 3. Choose and Implement Solutions (Concluding)
  • Choosing among many potential solutions is harder than it sounds. None are perfect, and we can't know the future, we can only predict. Sometimes the best solution is just too difficult to implement, and a lesser solution ends up the better choice because it can be easier to implement.
• Post-analysis - go back to step 1
  • Complex problems are seldom "solved," they require review, re-evaluation and adjustment. Most importantly, the world isn't static... the assumptions and basis for the solution may have changed, and there may have been unintended consequences that now need to be considered. Our natural tendency is to "solve problems and move on to the next." Instead, we should look at any shortcomings of solutions as new problems.

NOTE: This page is meant to serve as a reference.  Where possible, hyperlinks exist to learn more about specific topics/methodologies, but some are missing and will hopefully be added in the future.

The following table is a summary of some well-known problem-solving methodologies and key components for each step. Some of these models are referred to as CPS - Creative Problem Solving. A WIP in progress is to add hyperlinks to further describe the processes. Currently some of these hyperlinks link to external sources.

	Understand the Problem	Potential Solutions	Choose and Implement
	Divergent / Convergent	Divergent / Convergent	Divergent / Convergent
CPS Model (Treffinger)	Fact Finding / Problem Finding	Brainstorming / Solution Finding	Acceptance Finding
CPS Model (Puccio)	Assess Situation	Explore Vision / Formulate Challenges / Explore Ideas / Formulate Solutions	Explore Acceptance / Formulate Plan
5 Why's	Why is This a Problem? / Why? Why?	"In What Ways Might we...?"	Why is this the Best Solution?
SCAMPER	Reframe	Substitute / Combine Adapt Modify, Magnify, Minify Put to Another Use
Analogy (Synectics)	Symbolic Analogy	Fantasy Analogy Personal Analogy Direct Analogy
5 A's	Who are the Actors Involved? What Audience does the solution affect?	Affordances Actions	Artifacts
6 Thinking Hats (de Bono)	What Do We Need to Know	Ideas and Alternatives / Critical Judgment Optimism Intuition, Feeling	Overview / Conclusions
Metacognition	Awareness	Planning	Monitoring and Reflection
Bloom's Taxonomy	Remember / Understand	Apply / Analyze	Evaluate / Create

Other Useful Frameworks/Tools

• Education Model (How We Learn)
  • Understand (Cognitive)-> Refine/Apply (Associative)-> Know (Autonomous)
• Triple Loop Thinking (Perspective Focus)
  • Micro (Details) ->Macro (The Big Picture) -> Meta (What Aren't We Seeing)
• Methodological Believing and Doubting

To Learn More

Follow the Hyperlinks on this page for more detailed information on methodologies or topics. Some hyperlinks are still missing content, so let me know if there are specific ones that would be helpful and I'll try to prioritize those additions.

Visit Convergent and Divergent Thinking for a discussion of that topic.

The UMass Boston Critical and Creative Thinking Program offers both a degree program and courses open to a wider audience. The Creative Thinking core course (CrCrTh 602) is a comprehensive view of creative problem-solving techniques and perspectives.

Education Model Link - For now. I hope to find a better link.