thirtymlmusings

In 1990, the United States Park Service noticed that the walls of the Jefferson Memorial were deteriorating rapidly. The structure was being power washed frequently to clean up massive amount of bird droppings. But before jumping to expensive solutions like sealants or bird nets, investigators used the “5 Whys” method to discover that the birds were there to eat spiders, which were there to eat midges, which were swarming the monument because the spotlights turned on right at dusk. By simply delaying the spotlights by two hours each evening, the insects stopped swarming, the birds left, the cleaning stopped, and the monument was saved at zero cost. 

This story highlights how properly framing the problem – shifting the focus from structural damage to insect behaviour – ultimately unlocked an elegant and cost-effective solution.

“If I have an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about the solution.’ – Albert Einstein

We tend to jump to solutions, but before we do that, we need to be sure that we are working on the right problem. Today’s business problems are often complex. Framing the problem helps distil the problem to be solved and more importantly what isn’t the problem. 

Investing time on framing the problem is the first step to getting the right answers. Too often, we don’t invest time to frame problems, because of our bias towards getting answers quickly. This focus on velocity short-circuits deliberation and deep-thinking and rewards jumping to conclusions. We’re also uncomfortable with ambiguity, in exploring a different explanation of the problem, we may encounter ambiguity, partial information or find information with multiple interpretation. It’s easier to accept a widely accepted narrative or problem definition and jump to solutions.

Framing articulates and clarifies what the problem is, identify data gaps, focus efforts and prevents waste. It also determines how other important stakeholders see the problem and help secure the right level of support and resources. 

Here are some practical tips to frame problems.  

First get the facts in place. We can’t solve problems based on spurious data. Getting data also helps ground stakeholders on the facts. As you collect data, zoom-out to take a broader perspective. Try to look for connections between data sets. And then zoom in to the specifics. 

Frame the problem as a question and not as a statement. Framing consists of defining the problem, the root cause and synthesizing it into a single overarching key question.  Interrogative statements open the mind to new ideas and thoughts. Avoid using negative words like ‘reduce’ or ‘prevent’ but use positive words like ‘increase’ or ‘create’. 

A good framing is easily understood even by a novice. Its scope is neither too narrow nor too broad and yields potential solutions and does not lead to more analysis. 

There are several tools and techniques available to frame problems. The Hero-Treasure-Dragon-Quest is a useful framework from Arnaud Chevallier’s Solvable. 

How should the ____ (hero) get the ____ (treasure) given the ___ (dragon)?

The hero is the individual, the team or the organization who wants to solve the problem. Add information to provide some color and context. The treasure is the prize or the desired outcome. The dragon is the hurdle or something that creates the tension. And the quest brings all this together. 

How can we increase sales for NoName when framed becomes how should NoName increase sales by 15% in the next 12 months given that not many stores stock the product? 

In this example, framing the problem clarifies the challenge and helps direct efforts. If distribution is the key challenge, solutions may range from making a renewed push to increase distribution or identifying new channels. 

The How-Might-We (HMW) technique, introduced by P&G, is another method to frame problems. Given that _____ (business situation) how might we help ____ (the person or group or team) to _______ (Do / Achieve / Be – the goal) so that _______ (measurable outcome)?

Some experts speak about a 40-20-10-5 rule. What this means is that if you start with a 40-word problem statement, try to whittle down the words to make it crisper to 20 words and ten try to whittle it down to 10 words or lower. A good punchy problem statement holds the potential to become a fulcrum to rally stakeholders around the issue. 

The Jefferson Memorial story reminds us that the real breakthrough often lies not in rushing to solutions, but in reframing the problem itself. When leaders invest time in defining the challenge – asking sharper questions, clarifying root causes, and rallying stakeholders – they unlock solutions that are not only effective but elegant. 

In a world obsessed with speed, problem framing is the discipline that ensures we’re asking the right questions and running in the right direction.

First published in BW BusinessWorld here.