Shane Parrish on Defining the Problem
Background
The book Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish, is one of my favorite books on mental models and decision making. The following is a summary and interpretation of the chapter “Define the problem”.
Defining the problem starts with identifying two things:
- What you want to achieve.
- What obstacles stand in the way of getting it.
Example
A decision-maker assembles a diverse team to solve a critical and time-sensitive problem. There are then people in the room all giving input about what’s happening—each from a different perspective. Within a few minutes someone announces what they think the problem is, the room goes silent for a microsecond and then everyone start discussing possible solutions.
Often the first plausible description of the situation defines the problem that the team will try to solve. Once the group comes up with a solution, the decision-maker feels good. That person the allocates resources toward the idea and expects the problem to be solved. But it isn’t. Because the first ens into an issue rarely reveals what the real problem is, so the real problem doesn’t get solved.
Principles
He refers to the following two principles for decision-making:
- The Definition Principle Take responsibility for defining the problem. Don’t let someone define it for you. Do the work to understand it. Don’t use jargon to describe or explain it.
- The Root Cause Principle Identify the root cause of the problem. Don’t be content with simply treating its symptoms
He says, “A mentor once told me that the best way to avoid finding the perfect solution to the wrong problem, is to hold two separate meetings: one to define the problem, and one to come up with the solution.” This is not always practical of course, but I think it’s a good idea to internalize this concept.
Parrish also advise to create a space between the problem definition and yourself. He says, “Give yourself time to get clear on what the problem is before you jump into solving it. More often than not, you’ll discover that your first attempt to define the underlying issue is rarely the most accurate”.
Safeguard
- Build a problem-solution firewall. Separate the problem-defining phase of the decision-making process fro the problem-solving phase.
- Use the test of time. Test whether you’re addressing the root cause of a problem, rather than merely treating a symptom, by asking yourself whether it will stand the test of time. Will this solution fix the problem permanently, or will the problem return in the future? if it seems like the latter, then chances are you’re only treating a symptom.
Test of time
Suppose, for example, that Downtown Dog Rescue in Los Angeles had tried to solve its problem with overcrowding by hosting a spring dog-adoption campaign, rather than addressing one of the root causes: pet owners’ inability to continue caring for their dogs. The campaign might have succeeded in reducing the number of dogs the rescue housed at the time, but only temporarily. A few months later, the facility would have once again been overcrowded.