Posted 15 December 2015 by
Chris Farmer
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How to Solve a Problem
Here is how you could figure out how to solve your current problem. Draw out a Problem-Cause-Solution mind map, and spend time filling it in.
Remember: All problems have causes
All problems have causes; in fact, all problems have multiple causes.
All problems are created and maintained by a network of related causes.
If you want to stop a problem, then you need to:
- Identify the network of related causes.
- Remove the causes or
- Nullify their effects.
If you remove the causes, or nullify their effects, then the problem will disappear.
For example, a fire. There are three causes of a fire: Heat, Oxygen, Fuel.
If you put heat, oxygen and fuel together in the same time and place, you will have a fire. And if you remove any one of those three elements, then the fire will immediately go out.
Since we live in a cause-effect universe, if you stop the causes, then you stop their problematic effects.
When you have a problem, your task is to sit down and try to figure out the major causes of the problem and interrupt them.
How could you do that? The simplest way I know of, is to draw a diagram that looks like this.
Use this diagram to frame your problem - cause - solution - analysis.
Example: On 27th January 1967, there was a terrible fire on board the Apollo 1 service module test rig, which killed all three crew members: "Gus" Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee. The fire completely destroyed the Command Module.
The three major causes of the deaths were found to be:
- High oxygen content of the atmosphere in the command module.
- Electrical cables capable of generating sufficient heat to ignite surrounding combustible materials.
- Escape hatches that could not be opened by the astronauts.
Each of these three causes, had subset causes and each of these subset-causes suggested remedies.
- Reduce the oxygen content.
- Insulate the cables.
- Reduce the amount of combustible material.
- Redesign the escape hatch.
All these steps were then taken.
Forward Planning
It is a shame that things have to go wrong before someone thinks to fix the problem.
A better way would be to use this method to pre-empt problems and to figure out how we, (you) could prevent problems from happening in the first place.
Use the diagram above to predict, pre-empt and prevent problems before they even have a chance to occur.
Prevention is better than cure.
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