Question Maps

Solvable — A three step process to solve complex problems

Sep 19, 2022

Balance humility and confidence

Jan 1, 2020

Use the SCQ rules quick reference sheet

Nov 3, 2019

Embrace the messiness of evidence

Oct 12, 2019

Recognize the different levels of trustworthiness for evidence

Sep 30, 2019

Frame with an SCQ sequence

Sep 23, 2019

Meet William

Apr 14, 2019

Embrace the distributed nature of decision making

Apr 10, 2019

What a problem solver can learn from the unfolding 737 Max story

Apr 4, 2019

Define stuff

Mar 4, 2019

Consider favoring simplicity over completeness

Feb 19, 2019

Don't look for perfection, it can be destructive

Jan 28, 2019

Don’t look for the "right" answer when an acceptable one will do

Aug 16, 2018

Be a specialist and a strategic thinker

Oct 18, 2017

Use the saturation framework, others

May 2, 2017

Don’t underestimate the human side

Feb 17, 2017

Go beyond traditional decision analysis

Nov 16, 2016

Watch for bikes! (expect the unexpected)

Jul 6, 2016

Strategic Thinking is available for pre-order

Apr 19, 2016

Recognize and market your transferrable skills

Jun 27, 2015

The book is coming

Jun 22, 2015

Choose an appropriate level of accuracy

Mar 10, 2015

Borrow ideas from other disciplines

Feb 11, 2015

Use Bayesian inference

Jan 9, 2015

Leverage analogies

Dec 15, 2014

Improve your thinking by mapping it

Oct 9, 2014

Diagnose before looking for solutions

Aug 13, 2014

Use an assertion-evidence structure in your slides

Jun 12, 2014

Manage your confirmation bias

Jun 4, 2014

Focus your analysis on what matters

Jan 5, 2014

Use inductive, deductive, and abductive logic

Oct 10, 2013

Did Chris Froome dope to win the 2013 Tour de France? Part 3 – Conclusion

Aug 2, 2013

Did Chris Froome dope to win the 2013 Tour de France? Part 2

Jul 30, 2013

Did Chris Froome dope to win the 2013 Tour de France? Part 1

Jul 24, 2013

Look for confirming evidence too

Jul 23, 2013

Capture your diagnostic analysis in a why map

Jul 23, 2013

Use a MECE structure but let your ideas be ICE

Jul 2, 2013

Don’t (always) trust your intuition

Jun 25, 2013

Look (primarily) for disconfirming evidence

Jun 11, 2013

(Truly) engage

Jun 5, 2013

(If you’re not an expert,) embrace constraints

May 14, 2013

Make your ill-defined problem a well-defined one

May 7, 2013

Find a good frame

Mar 1, 2013

Help others be successful

Feb 21, 2013

Integrate decision making into your overall problem-solving approach

Feb 11, 2013

Be careful what you conclude

Feb 1, 2013

Check your assumptions

Jan 18, 2013

Frame your problem

Jan 2, 2013

Improve your innovation by leveraging isomorphic problems

Dec 17, 2012

Use crowdsourcing to boost your organization’s innovation capacity

Nov 7, 2012

Boost your working memory

Oct 25, 2012

Work forward in solving problems, not backward

Oct 11, 2012

Improve your (team’s) T

Sep 18, 2012

Change how you recruit, train, and evaluate people

Sep 11, 2012

In appropriate settings, ask only experts

Sep 1, 2012

Don’t overdo that MECE thing – make your ideas independent and collectively exhaustive

Jun 14, 2012

Resist the marshmallow

May 7, 2012

Know when to discard experts

Apr 17, 2012

To create effectively, transcend brainstorming

Jan 29, 2012

Don't over-generalize your expertise

Sep 29, 2011

Build on victories

Jun 13, 2011

Don’t get lost in the terminology

Apr 18, 2011

Triangulate on answers

Mar 22, 2011

Use an Ishikawa diagram… or a diagnosis issue tree

Mar 9, 2011

Diagnose like a Tappet Brother

Feb 25, 2011

Be more MECE (mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive)

Feb 15, 2011

Use Standard Issue Trees – Part 1 – A Profitability Tree

Feb 12, 2011

Adapt your leadership style

Feb 8, 2011

Learn to build issue trees by watching

Jan 31, 2011

Brainstorm effectively

Jan 6, 2011

Get a devil’s advocate

Dec 24, 2010

Don’t look for the single perfect issue tree

Dec 21, 2010

Be insightful

Dec 14, 2010

Reframe your thinking

Dec 12, 2010

Don’t do cargo cult business

Dec 11, 2010

Simplify!

Dec 10, 2010

Put design to your service

Dec 7, 2010

Get technological help (building issue trees)

Dec 1, 2010

Follow the Pareto Principle

Sep 8, 2010

Develop your presentation from the first day

Sep 3, 2010

Balance satisficing and optimizing

Aug 25, 2010

Case study: cables negotiation — part 4/8 — Test your hypotheses

Jul 29, 2010

Case study: cables negotiation — part 3/8 — Build a why issue tree (2/2)

Jul 23, 2010

Case study: cables negotiation — part 2/8 — Build a why issue tree (1/2)

Jul 20, 2010

Case study: cables negotiation — part 1/8 — Build a good problem identification card

Jul 19, 2010

Use existing frameworks wherever possible

Jul 6, 2010

Diverge effectively in your thinking

Jul 6, 2010

Ask “so what?”

Jul 6, 2010

Use processes appropriately

Jul 6, 2010

Use logic

Jul 4, 2010

Build a problem identification card

Jul 4, 2010

Practice and enlist others

Jul 2, 2010

Be MECE—mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive

Jul 2, 2010

Draw question maps

Jul 2, 2010

Only ask how if you know why

Jul 2, 2010

Identify a good problem

Jul 2, 2010