Greetings from Atlanta.
I came across a helpful HBR article this week on problem finding so I decided to take one more bite at the “how to reframe” apple. I promise that I’ll pick a new topic for next week. Further below, I’ve shared prescriptions for cultivating a Beginner’s Mind (or Shoshin) from a short internet guide. These practices can help us remain open to learning new ideas or noticing opportunities even as we become experts in our field.
Creativity: Problem Finding
Problem finding is a critical but often overlooked precursor to problem solving. It is the act of framing the issue to be resolved or question to be answered in a way that leads not merely to a solution but the best possible one (however defined - the cheapest, the longest lasting). Most people are actually pretty good problem solvers. But as Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg’s article and research reveals, 85% of CEOs strongly agreed or agreed that their organizations were bad at problem diagnosis. This failure carries significant long term costs.
The difficult thing about reframing a problem may not actually be the mechanics of adjusting our frame. Rather, it is our penchant to assume that our incumbent frame is the best or only way to look at our challenge. Why do we fall into this trap? These frames are not consciously determined. They emerge fully formed, either when they are described to us by someone or when we first put language to our own struggle.
Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg’s shares a fantastic example: the slow elevator problem.
Imagine you own an office building with an old elevator. One evening you receive an email from a tenant complaining that the elevator is too slow. The tenant even threatens to break their lease if it isn’t fixed soon. The tenant is very clear about the problem: speed. And this inherited problem frame shapes the possible solutions you recognize: you could invest in a better motor or replace the elevator altogether, however pricey.
Again, our instinct is to assume the way the tenant frames the problem is THE way to do so. The elevator must be faster.
But is there another way to frame the problem? Imagine you then chat with a creative building manager patient enough to question if there is a different way to look at the problem: the wait is annoying or boring. This frame offers a different solution space. Perhaps we could make the wait feel shorter without eating into our rainy day fund. Solutions might include putting up mirrors for folks to look at themselves in, a free coffee station, or embedding a TV news screen into the wall.
These ideas may not satisfy the frustrated tenant. But they are quick and cheap to implement during the time you do your due diligence on bigger fixes. You may even learn that they do the job at a fraction of the cost of a technical fix or replacement of the elevator.
As Wedell-Wedellsborg points out, the point of reframing here isn’t to find the real problem. Rather, it is to find a better (or easier, cheaper, etc.) version of the problem to solve. We can nearly always assume 1) there are multiple ways to look at the problem and 2) whoever identified the problem didn’t take the time to explore each of these alternative frames.
The article also shares a bunch of tips for how to reframe problems. I’ll share two:
Categorize the Problems: The elevator problem is originally framed as a “speed” problem but the new frame suggests it might be a “perception” problem. Or let’s consider another example: imagine your team isn’t performing well at work. Is it an “incentive” problem, an “expectations” problem, or a “talent” problem?
If we can classify our original frame, we can often back into a new problem frames simply by identifying a different type of problem.
Consider Bright Spots: One way to identify new (and better) problem frames is to identify positive exceptions or bright spots. That is, when in the recent past did the problem that you are dealing with not occur? Once you have a few examples, you can ask: what was different about those situations?
Continuing with the elevator example, maybe the elevator’s speed wasn’t a problem on days when the tenant was too engrossed in their phone to notice how long it took. If so, you might think: we just need to give them something to do while they wait.
There are countless other ways to generate better problem frames. But the big takeaway is realizing that our incumbent frame isn’t the one or best way to think about our problem. Our problems have many more solutions than we think if we simply take a minute to question our frame. A little tinkering.
Exploration: Shoshin, or a Beginner’s Mind
One paradox of expertise is that the more we learn, the less curious we become. This tendency makes us dismissive of new ideas shared with us. It also means we fail to notice opportunities staring us in the face (only to then see a novice seize upon them).
One step we can take to remain open to new ideas or opportunities is to cultivate Shoshin, or a beginner’s mind. I came across a helpful guide this week which explains what it is, why it matters, and how to practice it. These recommendations include:
Establish a realistic sense of your knowledge: Try explaining something you believe you know very well to someone. Take note of where you fumble to explain it, any gaps in your understanding, or questions you may struggle to answer.
Disagree with yourself: Consider at least one vulnerability in your perspective.
Change how you think about intelligence: People with a “fixed mindset” tend to look at knowledge as facts to be collected (like money in a bank account). They are loathe to let go of these accumulated facts. People with a “growth mindset” do not have their identity tied up in their current knowledge. They don’t feel the same sense of loss.
Invoke the emotion of awe: Experience things that humble you (like nature).
Collectively, these practices should help you us maintain a bit more intellectual humility. If we can do that, we are less likely to dismiss the next big idea or opportunity that walk by our door.
That’s it for this week. Please let me know what topics resonated with you. If someone you know would enjoy this week’s newsletter, please don’t hesitate to pass it along.
Thanks for reading. Aaron