How do you use tools and frameworks to solve problems and learn from failure?

Problem solving is a vital skill in any domain, but it can also be challenging and frustrating. How do you approach a complex or ambiguous problem and find a solution that works? And how do you learn from your mistakes and failures along the way? In this article, you will discover some tools and frameworks that can help you solve problems and learn from failure more effectively.

Find expert answers in this collaborative article

Selected by the community from 2 contributions. Learn more

1 Identify the problem

The first step in problem solving is to clearly define the problem you are facing. What is the root cause, the goal, and the constraints of the situation? A tool that can help you with this step is the 5 Whys technique, which involves asking "why" repeatedly until you reach the core of the problem. For example, if your website is not loading, you can ask: Why is the website not loading? Why is the server not responding? Why is the network connection down? Why is the router malfunctioning? Why is the router not configured properly? By identifying the problem, you can focus on finding the best solution.

Add your perspective

Stephen Huynh

Supplier Quality Supervisor
Report contribution
In my experience, I used 5 Whys technique and Cause & Effect diagram to identify the problem. With Cause & Effect diagram, you can summary all potential problem in one diagram, so you identify the problem easily.

Like

2 Generate solutions

The next step is to brainstorm possible solutions to the problem. You can use various techniques to stimulate your creativity and generate multiple ideas, such as mind mapping, SCAMPER, or reverse brainstorming. The key is to avoid judging or rejecting any idea at this stage, and to aim for quantity and diversity. For example, if you want to increase your sales, you can use mind mapping to create a visual diagram of all the related factors, such as product, price, promotion, place, customer, competition, etc. Then, you can generate ideas for each factor, such as creating a new product, offering a discount, launching a campaign, expanding to a new market, etc.

Add your perspective

Thamarai Muruganandam

Manufacturing |Operations| R&D|Regulatoy Compliance -Certification Management(MDR,CE,FCC,ISED)
Report contribution
In my experience systematic problem solving approach involving 8D(define the problem/impact 1st!) ,Fish bone, 5 why's has always helped -especially having worked at high-volume fast paced semiconductor organizations often we need to deal with complex problems and work under time pressure to resolve . If its a big data analysis commonality study for tools,process ,operation steps specific deep dive would help. Also ,correlation study of the final test parameter Vs. processes which would impact the drift would be next step if the issue is not straightforward. Detailed investigation of timeline mapping ,change implementation(before/after the issue has surfaced),equipment downtime,spare changes,SPC drift based data analysis is critical.

Like

3 Evaluate solutions

Once you have a list of potential solutions, you need to evaluate them and select the best one. You can use various criteria to compare and rank your solutions, such as feasibility, effectiveness, cost, time, risk, impact, etc. A tool that can help you with this step is the decision matrix, which involves assigning scores and weights to each criterion and solution, and calculating the total score for each option. For example, if you have four solutions to increase your sales, you can create a table with four rows and five columns, where the first column lists the solutions, and the other four columns list the criteria (feasibility, effectiveness, cost, time) with their weights. Then, you can score each solution for each criterion from 1 to 5, and multiply the score by the weight. The solution with the highest total score is the best one.

Add your perspective

4 Implement solutions

The next step is to put your chosen solution into action. You need to plan and execute the steps required to implement your solution, and monitor the results and feedback. A tool that can help you with this step is the SMART framework, which involves setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals and objectives for your solution. For example, if your solution is to launch a campaign to increase your sales, you can set a SMART goal such as: Increase sales by 20% in the next three months by creating and promoting a new offer for existing customers.

Add your perspective

5 Learn from failure

The final step is to learn from your problem solving process and outcome, and improve your skills and performance. You need to reflect on what worked and what didn't, what you learned and what you can do better next time. A tool that can help you with this step is the After Action Review (AAR), which involves asking four questions: What was supposed to happen? What actually happened? Why was there a difference? What can we do differently in the future? For example, if your campaign did not increase your sales as expected, you can use the AAR to analyze the reasons and identify the lessons and actions for improvement.

Problem solving and learning from failure are essential skills for any professional. By using tools and frameworks, you can enhance your ability to tackle problems and learn from your experiences. What tools and frameworks do you use to solve problems and learn from failure?

Add your perspective

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

How do you use tools and frameworks to solve problems and learn from failure?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify the problem

2 Generate solutions

3 Evaluate solutions

4 Implement solutions

5 Learn from failure

6 Here’s what else to consider

Problem Solving

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Problem Solving

More relevant reading

How do you use tools and frameworks to solve problems and learn from failure?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify the problem

2 Generate solutions

3 Evaluate solutions

4 Implement solutions

5 Learn from failure

6 Here’s what else to consider

Problem Solving

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Explore Other Skills