A Problem Well-Defined is a Problem Half-Solved

Revenue or Profitability problem(s)? 

Here are 5 approaches I use with clients to clarify...

...what problems they actually need to solve.

1️⃣ APPLY LEAN PRINCIPLES

(Minimize wasteful analysis)

→ Go past the whiteboard, observe the problem live

→ Engage stakeholders to strengthen & test analysis

→ Use data (vs narratives); map underlying processes.

2️⃣ FISHBONE ANALYSIS

(Visualize to create clarity)

→ Mindmap/diagram the potential causes of a problem

→ Group branches in categories: process, people, etc.

→ Apply MECE analysis (see next)

3️⃣ MECE 

(Mutually Exclusive, Comprehensively Exhaustive)

→ Can any fishbone branch fit in 2 categories at once?

→ If anything doesn't fit in a category, add one.

→ If all are accounted for, is this problem truly solved?

4️⃣ THE THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS

(Get to the biggest drag on the system)

→ Identify the bottleneck limiting overall performance

→ Many factors contribute; one has outsized impact

→ Resolve to address this before other systemic issues

5️⃣ THE 5 WHY'S

(Get to the underlying issue)

→ Ask "Why?" is that happening 5 times.

→ You'll see the cause-effect underlying the surface

→ The first answer is often not the right/full answer

______________

Objection: 

"But this is a lot of work to solve the obvious problem."

Response:

→ Humans are very good at being wrong. Even hashtag#CEOs

→ Chasing the wrong problem is even more work/time

→ It's more work to explain to your board/org why the revenue/profit is still not improving.

______________

If you're a hashtag#CEO, hashtag#CRO, or hashtag#COO and 

have had quarters of revenue issues,

or years of profitability challenges...

...perhaps you'd benefit from working with

an independent Operating Partners (iOP)

▶️ REACH OUT ◀️

And we can explore how we might apply

the principles above to truly clarify the problem(s)

design hashtag#strategies to get you back on track, and

optimize hashtag#execution to improve likelihood of success.