How do you solve a critical problem?
Define the problem first!
Dealing with problems effectively requires that you first define the problem. This sounds pretty obvious, so obvious in fact that many do not think about it, they just persist with workarounds that address the symptoms, without getting to the core of the problem to solve it.
Not all problems are the same, so logically, they will not all have the same solution.
Classifying them in some way is a good first step, so here are four suggestions.
The ‘Cock-up’ Box.
Something or someone has acted in a way that is inconsistent with normal. There has been a cock-up. It could be a machine broke down unexpectedly, a customer delivery does not arrive, or a key component of a marketing program is missing, and many others. Point is, it is abnormal, so go looking for the root cause of the abnormality. ‘5 Why’ normally works very well in these circumstances.
The ‘Poor Process’ box.
The outcomes of a process done regularly seems to vary each time it is done, there is no reliable standard. The level of reliability is such that someone has to check or rework what has been done. I had a client whose MD routinely checked the detail of quotes done by his staff, looking for the errors he knew they were making, which he corrected, without taking any further action. Unless the process that enables errors of this type to be made is addressed, the problems will persist. Mapping what happens always helps to identify the ‘holes’. In this case, I ‘attached’ myself to a couple of quotes from the point they were initially received, mapping the action taken, by whom, when, and what was the trigger, and created a ‘map’ of the process. It was then obvious to all where the causes of the variations occurred, and steps were taken to remove them. The result was a much greater level of confidence in the accuracy of the quotation process, which freed up a significant chunk of the MD’s time to do more useful things.
The ‘Get Better’ box.
This often looks like the one above, but the motivation is different, it is often the result of an external pressure, resulting in a previously acceptable level of performance no longer being acceptable. The typical examples are cycle times of all sorts of things being shortened, from order to delivery time, design time, response time, to improving the quality, however that is defined. In Australia, the example on everyone’s mind is the management of power. Costs have gone through the roof, and suddenly shaving a percent off the power bills here and there becomes an item of considerable priority, so effort is going into tracking and addressing all points of power consumption that can be modified to cost less, or be eliminated.
The ‘Out of the Box’ box.
As the name implies, this is where the ideas to address the emerging challenges are addressed. These are innovations that you can either implement yourself, or responses to the trends observed that require big change. Having an established process to deal with and leverage innovation, significant improvements, unexpected situations, and opportunities that become apparent, is challenging. What it requires is a continuous focus on strategy and the long term vision, mission, purpose, whatever terms you use in your business. These things are way too easy to stick in the ‘too hard basket’ or the ‘will do it tomorrow’ basket, in the knowledge that tomorrow never comes without another short term crisis to address.
When you need assistance defining, then categorising the problems you face before developing solutions, give me a call.
