Problem Solving 101: A Simple Book for Smart People

by Ken Watanabe

Problem solving isn’t a talent that some people have and others don’t. It’s a habit. By developing the right skills and adopting the right attitude, anyone can become a problem-solving kid.

If you never take action, you’ll never get any feedback on your attempts, and without feedback, you’ll never grow as a problem-solving kid.

Problem solving is a process that can be broken down into four steps: (1) understand the current situation; (2) identify the root cause of the problem; (3) develop an effective action plan; and (4) execute until the problem is solved, making modifications as necessary.

All you have to do is understand the situation, identify the root cause, develop an effective plan, and execute. Even if the problem you face is big and complicated, if you learn how to break it down into smaller, manageable problems, you will be able to solve it. Once you learn

People often fall into the trap of collecting information and conducting analyses just for the sake of doing them. Don’t forget that the point of all this research is to help you make informed decisions.

If you start collecting and analyzing data without first clarifying the question you are trying to answer, you’re probably doing yourself more harm than good.