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Identify solutions


You have identified the problem and understood its root causes. Congratulations!

Next, you need to identify solutions. Here too you can leverage logic trees but you’ll want to build a “how” tree.

As in the the diagnosis stage, this step is iterative: you start by generating hypotheses about how you think you can solve your problem. Then you structure these hypotheses in a “how” tree. Next, decide which hypothesis you want to test first before conducting the actual testing. Finally, conclude: did you find an appropriate solution? If not, you go back to generating hypotheses.

As in the previous two steps, identifying solutions requires you to be highly logical in your thinking. It also requires you to use processes appropriately—in this case not using them—as well as going beyond appearances.

If you’re lucky, your problem is not so new and there might already be a framework than can provide structure to your logic tree; in any case, to truly add value, you’ll have to go further than obvious responses, which requires you to diverge effectively in your thinking.

As always in problem-solving, make sure you practice enough and remember that groups are more intelligent than individuals (in certain circumstances), so enlist others.