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Use logic

By Arnaud, on July 4th, 2010%



Effective problem-solving requires you to be deeply logical, as much in your thinking as in your communication.


The good news is that a few basic rules can help you at both stages. To guide our conversation, I have embedded a presentation that we use in our professional abilities workshops at UDEM and below is a summary.


This is a preview of Use logic. Read the full post (530 words, 3 images, estimated 2:07 mins reading time)

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12 comments   1. Define, 2. Diagnose, 3. Identify solutions, 4. Execute   , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

Only ask how if you know why

By Arnaud, on July 2nd, 2010%


To solve your problem you’ll have to ask “why” or “how”. Which one should you?

Formulate your problem with a “how” only if you already know its root cause(s)

Formulating your problem with a “how” is attractive because it forces you, right from the start, to think about potential solutions: you are dedicating yourself to finding the various ways in which you can solve it. Soon, you’ll decide which one is the best, implement it, and give yourself a pat on the back.
The problem is that much of your effort can be misplaced thinking “how” if you don’t know the root cause of your problem.


This is a preview of Only ask how if you know why. Read the full post (343 words, 2 images, estimated 1:22 mins reading time)

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6 comments   1. Define, 2. Diagnose, 3. Identify solutions   , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

Practice and enlist others

By Arnaud, on July 2nd, 2010%


It’s like tennis, you can’t become a good problem-solver just by reading about it. You have to practice it. And just like tennis, you’ll become much better if you practice with others rather than by yourself.

That’s why my graduate-level problem-solving course is not exactly a course. Rather, it’s a practical workshop. Each of the 20 students brings one problem— professional or personal—that causes them significant stress and we all work on it. So let’s talk about what works well there.

This is a preview of Practice and enlist others. Read the full post (548 words, 1 image, estimated 2:12 mins reading time)

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One comment   1. Define, 2. Diagnose, 3. Identify solutions, 4. Execute   , , , , , , , ,  

Identify the right problem

By Arnaud, on July 2nd, 2010%

Identifying the right problem requires identifying the right key question and its environment. Each problem should have only one key question: the overarching question you propose to answer. The key question will have sub-questions, or sub-issues, but there is only all-encompassing question.

“The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong questions.”

— Peter Drucker

This is a preview of Identify the right problem. Read the full post (392 words, 1 image, estimated 1:34 mins reading time)

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