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Step 1 • Orienting the Problem - Part 2

Another good device to try, in attempting to define a problem, is that of writing it out in several different ways. Try to write it out in ten words or less. Try to turn it around—see what happens when you transpose the cause and effect—as we did in the example of the worker complaining about his boss's bad humor. Try to explain the problem to someone who is completely unfamiliar with it—and have him restate it in his own words—not just repeat what you have said. Such devices as these can often help you clarify your own thinking on a problem.

Another way to limit or break down a problem is to concen­trate on the elements of it that you yourself have some control over. In other words, start where you are. This may, of course, include the necessity of "selling" someone else—your boss or your secretary or someone in another department—on the idea of cooperating with you. But this saves you from wasting mental energy on things that you could not possibly do anything about anyway. (But be sure before you say something is not under your control that you aren't just taking an easy way out for yourself!)

The creative problem solver should select his target for initial attack only after he has studied the problem as much as time, money, or the relative importance of the problem itself allows. One of the greatest aids in defining problems—and isolating the real heart of a problem, free of fiction, fantasy, opinion, or misconception—is the use of the creative, well-aimed question. This also includes the development of opportunities.

In his Creative Engineering course, conducted at M.I.T., Professor John Arnold advocated the use of questions like these to uncover new possibilities for improving a company's product:

Can we increase the function? Can we make the product do more things?

Can we get a higher performance level? Make the product longer lived? More reliable? More accurate? Safer? More convenient to use? Easier to repair and maintain?

Can we lower the cost? Eliminate excess parts? Substitute cheaper materials? Design to reduce hand labor or for complete automation?

Can we increase the salability? Improve the appearance of the prod­uct? Improve the package? Improve its point of sale?

Notice that each of these major questions approaches the problem of redesigning the product from a different angle. This is the key to creative questioning—to make sure that you question around a. problem, so that you continually uncover new directions as well as new possibilities for exploration.

Once you are aware of what your real problem is, of course, you must then be able to state it clearly, concisely, and exactly so that you can communicate it to others with the same degree of understanding that you yourself have. But be sure, in presenting your problem statement, that you do not limit the possible types of solutions. Don't ask a man to think up a new toaster if what you want is a new way to brown and dehydrate bread; or don't ask for an improved oil filter if you want to eliminate filtering entirely.

As you can see, just defining the problem calls for imagination, as well as analytical judgment. It takes imagination to search out and find the hidden aspects of a problem. It takes imagination to think of the kinds of questions that are going to produce useful answers. It takes imagination to recognize a specific aspect of a problem as the key or vital aspect. Generally, it will take an alternating of imagination and judgment to define and refine the usual problem "mess" down into a workable problem state­ment that everyone can understand. What it nets down to is this: never try to tackle a big problem—instead, break it down into little problems and tackle them one at a time, starting with the one that is going to gain you the most ground right away!

Related terms include business management course and business strategic planning.