Identify Goal | Define Problem | Define Problem |
Gather Data | Define Causes | Identify Options |
Clarify Problem | Generate Ideas | Evaluate Options |
Generate Ideas | Choose the Best Solution | Implement Solution |
Select Solution | Take Action | - |
MacLeod offers her own problem solving procedure, which echoes the above steps:
“1. Recognize the Problem: State what you see. Sometimes the problem is covert. 2. Identify: Get the facts — What exactly happened? What is the issue? 3. and 4. Explore and Connect: Dig deeper and encourage group members to relate their similar experiences. Now you're getting more into the feelings and background [of the situation], not just the facts. 5. Possible Solutions: Consider and brainstorm ideas for resolution. 6. Implement: Choose a solution and try it out — this could be role play and/or a discussion of how the solution would be put in place. 7. Evaluate: Revisit to see if the solution was successful or not.”
Many of these problem solving techniques can be used in concert with one another, or multiple can be appropriate for any given problem. It’s less about facilitating a perfect CPS session, and more about encouraging team members to continually think outside the box and push beyond personal boundaries that inhibit their innovative thinking. So, try out several methods, find those that resonate best with your team, and continue adopting new techniques and adapting your processes along the way.
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Problem solving
From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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Problem solving forms part of thinking . Considered the most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of more routine or fundamental skills. [ 1 ] It occurs if an organism or an artificial intelligence system does not know how to proceed from a given state to a desired goal state. It is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping .
Problem solving is of crucial importance in engineering when products or processes fail, so corrective action can be taken to prevent further failures . Perhaps of more value, problem solving can be applied to a product or process prior to an actual fail event ie. a potential problem can be predicted, analyzed and mitigation applied so the problem never actually occurs. Techniques like Failure Mode Effects Analysis can be used to proactively reduce the likelihood of problems occurring. Forensic engineering is an important technique of failure analysis which involves tracing product defects and flaws. Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures.
Overview Europe USA and Canada Characteristics of difficult problems Some problem-solving techniques See also Notes References External links |
[ edit ] Overview
The nature of human problem solving methods has been studied by psychologists over the past hundred years. There are several methods of studying problem solving, including; introspection , behaviorism , simulation and computer modeling , and experiment .
Beginning with the early experimental work of the Gestaltists in Germany (e.g. Duncker, 1935 [ 2 ] ), and continuing through the 1960s and early 1970s, research on problem solving typically conducted relatively simple, laboratory tasks (e.g. Duncker's "X-ray" problem; Ewert & Lambert's 1932 "disk" problem, later known as Tower of Hanoi ) that appeared novel to participants (e.g. Mayer , 1992 [ 3 ] ). Various reasons account for the choice of simple novel tasks: they had clearly defined optimal solutions, they were solvable within a relatively short time frame, researchers could trace participants' problem-solving steps, and so on. The researchers made the underlying assumption, of course, that simple tasks such as the Tower of Hanoi captured the main properties of " real world " problems, and that the cognitive processes underlying participants' attempts to solve simple problems were representative of the processes engaged in when solving "real world" problems. Thus researchers used simple problems for reasons of convenience, and thought generalizations to more complex problems would become possible. Perhaps the best-known and most impressive example of this line of research remains the work by Allen Newell and Herbert Simon [ 4 ] .
Simple laboratory-based tasks may be useful in explicating the steps of logic and reasoning that underlie problem solving; however, they omit the complexity and emotional valence of "real-world" problems. In clinical psychology, researchers have focused on the role of emotions in problem solving (D'Zurilla & Goldfried, 1971; D'Zurilla & Nezu, 1982), demonstrating that poor emotional control can disrupt focus on the target task and impede problem resolution (Rath, Langenbahn, Simon, Sherr, & Diller, 2004). Working with individuals with frontal lobe injuries, neuropsychologists have discovered that deficits in emotional control and reasoning can be remediated, improving the capacity of injured persons to resolve everyday problems successfully (Rath, Simon, Langenbahn, Sherr, & Diller, 2003).
[ edit ] Europe
In Europe, two main approaches have surfaced, one initiated by Donald Broadbent (1977; see Berry & Broadbent, 1995) in the United Kingdom and the other one by Dietrich Dörner (1975, 1985; see Dörner & Wearing, 1995) in Germany. The two approaches have in common an emphasis on relatively complex, semantically rich, computerized laboratory tasks, constructed to resemble real-life problems. The approaches differ somewhat in their theoretical goals and methodology, however. The tradition initiated by Broadbent emphasizes the distinction between cognitive problem-solving processes that operate under awareness versus outside of awareness, and typically employs mathematically well-defined computerized systems. The tradition initiated by Dörner, on the other hand, has an interest in the interplay of the cognitive, motivational, and social components of problem solving, and utilizes very complex computerized scenarios that contain up to 2,000 highly interconnected variables (e.g., Dörner, Kreuzig, Reither & Stäudel's 1983 LOHHAUSEN project; Ringelband, Misiak & Kluwe, 1990). Buchner (1995) describes the two traditions in detail.
To sum up, researchers' realization that problem-solving processes differ across knowledge domains and across levels of expertise (e.g. Sternberg, 1995) and that, consequently, findings obtained in the laboratory cannot necessarily generalize to problem-solving situations outside the laboratory, has during the past two decades led to an emphasis on real-world problem solving. This emphasis has been expressed quite differently in North America and Europe, however. Whereas North American research has typically concentrated on studying problem solving in separate, natural knowledge domains, much of the European research has focused on novel, complex problems, and has been performed with computerized scenarios (see Funke, 1991, for an overview).
[ edit ] USA and Canada
In North America, initiated by the work of Herbert Simon on learning by doing in semantically rich domains (e.g. Anzai & Simon, 1979 ; Bhaskar & Simon, 1977 ), researchers began to investigate problem solving separately in different natural knowledge domains - such as physics, writing, or chess playing - thus relinquishing their attempts to extract a global theory of problem solving (e.g. Sternberg & Frensch, 1991). Instead, these researchers have frequently focused on the development of problem solving within a certain domain, that is on the development of expertise (e.g. Anderson, Boyle & Reiser, 1985 ; Chase & Simon, 1973 ; Chi, Feltovich & Glaser, 1981 ).
Areas that have attracted rather intensive attention in North America include such diverse fields as:
- Reading ( Stanovich & Cunningham, 1991 )
- Writing ( Bryson, Bereiter, Scardamalia & Joram, 1991 )
- Calculation ( Sokol & McCloskey, 1991 )
- Political decision making ( Voss, Wolfe, Lawrence & Engle, 1991 )
- Managerial problem solving ( Wagner, 1991 )
- Lawyers' reasoning ( Amsel, Langer & Loutzenhiser, 1991 )
- Mechanical problem solving ( Hegarty, 1991 )
- Problem solving in electronics ( Lesgold & Lajoie, 1991 )
- Computer skills ( Kay, 1991 )
- Game playing ( Frensch & Sternberg, 1991 )
- Personal problem solving ( Heppner & Krauskopf, 1987 )
- Mathematical problem solving ( Polya , 1945; Schoenfeld, 1985 )
- Social problem solving (D'Zurilla & Goldfreid, 1971; D'Zurilla & Nezu, 1982)
- Problem solving for innovations and inventions: TRIZ (Altshuller, 1973, 1984, 1994)
[ edit ] Characteristics of difficult problems
As elucidated by Dietrich Dörner and later expanded upon by Joachim Funke , difficult problems have some typical characteristics that can be summarized as follows:
- commencement opacity
- continuation opacity
- inexpressiveness
- enumerability
- connectivity (hierarchy relation, communication relation, allocation relation)
- heterogeneity
- temporal constraints
- temporal sensitivity
- phase effects
- dynamic unpredictability
The resolution of difficult problems requires a direct attack on each of these characteristics that are encountered.
In reform mathematics , greater emphasis is placed on problem solving relative to basic skills, where basic operations can be done with calculators. However some "problems" may actually have standard solutions taught in higher grades. For example, kindergarteners could be asked how many fingers are there on all the gloves of 3 children, which can be solved with multiplication. [ 5 ]
[ edit ] Some problem-solving techniques
- Divide and conquer : break down a large, complex problem into smaller, solvable problems.
- Hill-climbing strategy, (also called gradient descent /ascent, difference reduction, greedy algorithm ) - attempting at every step to move closer to the goal situation. The problem with this approach is that many challenges require temporarily moving farther away from the goal state. For example, traveling 1,000 miles to the west might require driving a few miles east to an airport. (see river crossing puzzle ).
- Means-ends analysis , more effective than hill-climbing, requires the setting of subgoals based on the process of getting from the initial state to the goal state when solving a problem.
- Trial-and-error (also called guess and check)
- Brainstorming
- Morphological analysis
- Method of focal objects
- Lateral thinking
- George Pólya 's techniques in How to Solve It
- Research : study what others have written about the problem (and related problems). Maybe there's already a solution?
- Assumption reversal (write down any assumptions about the problem, and then reverse them all)
- Analogy : has a similar problem (possibly in a different field) been solved before?
- Hypothesis testing : assuming a possible explanation to the problem and trying to prove the assumption.
- Constraint examination: are you assuming a constraint which does not really exist?
- Incubation: input the details of a problem into the mind, then stop focusing on it. The subconscious mind will continue to work on the problem, and the solution might just "pop up" while are doing something else
- Build (or write) one or more abstract models of the problem
- Try to prove that the problem cannot be solved. Where the proof breaks down can be the starting point for resolving it
- Get help from friends or online problem solving community (e.g. 3form , InnoCentive )
- delegation: delegating the problem to others.
- Root Cause Analysis
- Working Backwards (Halpern, 2002)
- Forward-Looking Strategy (Halpern, 2002)
- Simplification (Halpern, 2002)
- Generalization (Halpern, 2002)
- Specialization (Halpern, 2002)
- Random Search (Halpern, 2002)
- Split-Half Method (Halpern, 2002)
- The GROW model
- TRIZ 40 Principles: Segmentation, Extraction, Local Quality, Asymmetry, Consolidation, Universality, Nesting, Counterbalance, Prior Conteraction, Prior Action, Cushion in Advance, Equipoteniality, Do It in Reverse, Spheroidality, Dynamicity, Partial or Excessive Action, Transition to a New Dimension, Mechanical Vibration, Periodic Action, Continuity of Useful Action, Rushing Through, Convert Harm to Benefit, Feedback, Mediator, Self Service, Copying, Disposable, Replacement ofMechanical system, Pneumatic or Hydraulic construction, Flexible Membranes or Thin Films, Porous Material, Changing the Color, Homogeneity, Rejecting and Regenerating Parts, Transformation of Properties, Phase Transition, Thermal Expansion, Accelerated Oxidation, Inert Environment, Composite Materials (Altshuller, 1973, 1984, 1994)
- Eight Disciplines Problem Solving
[ edit ] See also
- Abductive reasoning
- Artificial intelligence
- Common sense
- Common sense reasoning
- Creative problem solving
- Deductive reasoning
- Divergent thinking
- Educational psychology
- Executive function
- Facilitation
- Forensic engineering
- General problem solver
- Inductive reasoning
- Intelligence amplification
- Kepner-Tregoe
- Morphological Analysis
- Newell, Allen
- Portal:thinking
- Problem Statement
- RPR Problem Diagnosis
- Simon, Herbert
- Soar (cognitive architecture)
- Transdisciplinary Studies
- Troubleshooting
- Wicked problem
[ edit ] Notes
- ^ Goldstein F. C., & Levin H. S. (1987). Disorders of reasoning and problem-solving ability. In M. Meier, A. Benton, & L. Diller (Eds.), Neuropsychological rehabilitation . London: Taylor & Francis Group.
- ^ Duncker, K. (1935). Zur Psychologie des produktiven Denkens [The psychology of productive thinking]. Berlin: Julius Springer.
- ^ Mayer, R. E. (1992). Thinking, problem solving, cognition . Second edition. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.
- ^ * Newell, A., & Simon, H. A. (1972). Human problem solving . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
- ^ 2007 Draft, Washington State Revised Mathematics Standard
[ edit ] References
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Rath J. F.; Langenbahn D. M.; Simon D.; Sherr R. L.; Fletcher J.; Diller L. (2004). The construct of problem solving in higher level neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 19, 613-635. doi:10.1016/j.acn.2003.08.006
Rath, J. F.; Simon, D.; Langenbahn, D. M.; Sherr, R. L.; Diller, L. (2003). Group treatment of problem-solving deficits in outpatients with traumatic brain injury: A randomised outcome study. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 13, 461-488.
[ edit ] External links
- Computer Skills for Information Problem-Solving: Learning and Teaching Technology in Context
- Problem solving-Elementary level
- CROP (Communities Resolving Our Problems)
- The Altshuller Institute for TRIZ Studies, Worcester, MA
- Edit this page
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Leni Peterson R. (MS/MBA 2023): Solving Big Problems Through Entrepreneurship
Who are you & what are you building?
I am Leni Peterson R. (MS/MBA 2023), CEO and cofounder of Celeste . My background is in Mechanical Engineering and Human Centered Design, product leadership, and innovation consulting.
I am originally from Mexico City, the largest metropolis in North America with a population of 23 million people. The city simultaneously has every possible water issue including scarcity, flooding, sinking, poor quality, and unequal access. It is here I realized how water touches every aspect of our lives, and how we often fail to appreciate its value until it's gone.
Without water, companies cannot operate. Water is not only a key indicator of climate change, but also a major factor behind supply chain disruptions. Poor water access can exacerbate health and political crises through flooding, scarcity, and fires. Given the macro nature of water crises, individualized strategies are insufficient for managing operational, regulatory, and reputational risks. Collaboration is key to tackling these challenges effectively.
Celeste, through watershed project development, is poised to address the $400 billion water risk and management opportunity. Our goal is to streamline and scale engagement with at-risk suppliers, industry peers, and key stakeholders to stabilize supply chains and enhance water stewardship.
What inspired you to start a company, what resources did you need, and what fears did you face in the process?
From an early age, I was inspired by simple products like the Hippo Roller (a device used to carry drinking water) and insecticidal nets, realizing their potential to significantly improve communities. This revelation shaped my guiding principle: to use design and engineering to solve complex social and environmental issues.
During my time at Mawa Modular – a startup designing modular shelters for refugees in Jordan – I discovered that innovative business models can be as impactful as product design. This experience solidified my desire to join a program that would equip me with the technical skills and business acumen to start my own impact venture. The MS/MBA at Harvard was the perfect fit.
My biggest worries about starting my own venture were, “What if I fail?”, “Where do I even begin?” and “Is entrepreneurship right for me?” For the first question, I have redefined success with every milestone by starting my own company. No job teaches you as much as being your own boss and making tough decisions daily. Even if my company does not achieve the impact I envision, I still gained invaluable experience. So truly, there is no failure in trying. To answer the question “Where do I start?” I recommend finding a problem you can become obsessed with rather than just an idea you thought of in a vacuum. Understanding the problem deeply is the hardest part, but once you do, the idea will come naturally. The world is full of problems, so make a list of profound issues or pain points you have either heard or faced directly. Focus on problems you are genuinely interested in.
If you do not know if entrepreneurship is right for you, think about two things:
1. It is hard but fun. The day to day is not glamorous, but there is nothing quite like it. However, not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur.
2. You will not know if it is right until you try it. You need to start to get a sense if you like the autonomy, chaos, impact, and sheer feeling of building something from nothing, and the vivid, heart-pumping, and mind-blowing journey of ups and downs.
How did the MS/MBA help you build your company?
I knew of product design engineering before coming to Harvard, but it was not until I started the program that I understood how to design a tech company, incentivize people to care and work as a team, and align different plans (financial, engineering, and hiring). The classes that are part of the MS/MBA, such as the Technology Venture Immersion and Launch Lab I/II, guided me to achieve the proper mindset to start my own company. As I saw others fearlessly jump into their own ideas, I realized I really needed three key things to start a company: high levels of optimism in my idea, a dauntless ability to learn new things, and an unapologetic capability to ask for what you need – even if it makes you uncomfortable. The MS/MBA created a perfect environment to test these out in a safe and risk-mitigated way.
How has the MS/MBA program empowered you as a woman in the start-up space?
The MS/MBA program made entrepreneurship approachable. I came in with this dream, but when I started the program, I realized that it was not far-fetched. It gave me the tools to start. It surrounded me with women and men that were equal parts kind and smart, who knew they could solve a big problem through entrepreneurship. With a community to lean on, a head full of plans, and the learnings to achieve them, there was no way I would not take the jump. And here we are today.
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e. Problem solving is the process of achieving a goal by overcoming obstacles, a frequent part of most activities. Problems in need of solutions range from simple personal tasks (e.g. how to turn on an appliance) to complex issues in business and technical fields. The former is an example of simple problem solving (SPS) addressing one issue ...
The disciplines are: D0: Preparation and Emergency Response Actions: Plan for solving the problem and determine the prerequisites. Provide emergency response actions. D1: Use a Team: Establish a team of people with product/process knowledge. Teammates provide new perspectives and different ideas when it comes to problem solving.
Problem solving. Problem solving is a mental activity related to intelligence and thinking. [1] It consists of finding solutions to problems. A problem is a situation that needs to be changed. [2] It suggests that the solution is not totally obvious, for then it would not be a problem. A great deal of human life is spent solving problems.
Creative problem-solving (CPS) [1] is the mental process of searching for an original and previously unknown solution to a problem. To qualify, the solution must be novel and reached independently. [1] [2] The creative problem-solving process was originally developed by Alex Osborn and Sid Parnes.Creative problem solving (CPS) is a way of using creativity to develop new ideas and solutions to ...
Verywell Mind - Overview of the Problem-Solving Mental Process; The University of Hawaiʻi Pressbooks - Problem Solving; Massachusetts Institute of Technology - CCMIT - Introduction to Problem Solving Skills; University of Central Florida Pressbooks - General Psychology - Pitfalls to Problem Solving; The Balance - What are problem-solving skills?
Problem-solving is a mental process that involves discovering, analyzing, and solving problems. The ultimate goal of problem-solving is to overcome obstacles and find a solution that best resolves the issue. The best strategy for solving a problem depends largely on the unique situation. In some cases, people are better off learning everything ...
Perhaps your view is more pragmatic: problems simply signify differences between what is actually happening and what needs to happen . Whichever way you look at problems, you would know from experience that problem solving requires good management. Excellent communication skills, the ability to gather relevant information and properly analyse ...
The implementation of a solution requires planning and execution. It's often iterative, where the focus should be on short implementation cycles with testing and feedback, not trying to get it "perfect" the first time. Input: decision; planning; hard work. Output: resolution to the problem. 5.
The term problem solving means slightly different things depending on the discipline. For instance, it is a mental process in psychology and a computerized process in computer science. There are two different types of problems, ill-defined and well-defined: different approaches are used for each. ... Wikipedia introduction cleanup from February ...
Problem-solving enables us to identify and exploit opportunities in the environment and exert (some level of) control over the future. Problem solving skills and the problem-solving process are a critical part of daily life both as individuals and organizations. Developing and refining these skills through training, practice and learning can ...
How to Solve It suggests the following steps when solving a mathematical problem: . First, you have to understand the problem. [2]After understanding, make a plan. [3]Carry out the plan. [4]Look back on your work. [5] How could it be better? If this technique fails, Pólya advises: [6] "If you cannot solve the proposed problem, try to solve first some related problem.
In insight problem-solving, the cognitive processes that help you solve a problem happen outside your conscious awareness. 4. Working backward. Working backward is a problem-solving approach often ...
1. Define the Real Problem. This is the biggie. Ensure that you are solving the right problem. Toyota is justifiably famous for its problem-solving savvy in perfecting its production methods. According to Toyota, the key to their method is to spend relatively more time defining the problem and relatively less time on figuring out the solution. 2.
Problem-solving therapy is a brief intervention that provides people with the tools they need to identify and solve problems that arise from big and small life stressors. It aims to improve your overall quality of life and reduce the negative impact of psychological and physical illness. Problem-solving therapy can be used to treat depression ...
At its simplest, the meaning of problem-solving is the process of defining a problem, determining its cause, and implementing a solution. The definition of problem-solving is rooted in the fact that as humans, we exert control over our environment through solutions. We move forward in life when we solve problems and make decisions.
Balance divergent and convergent thinking. Ask problems as questions. Defer or suspend judgement. Focus on "Yes, and…" rather than "No, but…". According to Carella, "Creative problem solving is the mental process used for generating innovative and imaginative ideas as a solution to a problem or a challenge.
It is part of the larger problem process that includes problem shaping and problem solving. Problem finding requires intellectual vision and insight into what is missing. Problem finding plays a major role in application of creativity. [1] Different terms have been used for problem finding in literature including problem discovery, problem ...
Problem solving forms part of thinking. Note: The above text is excerpted from the Wikipedia article "Problem solving", which has been released under the GNU Free Documentation License. For more ...
Problem solving forms part of thinking.Considered the most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of more routine or fundamental skills. [1] It occurs if an organism or an artificial intelligence system does not know how to proceed from a given state to a desired goal state.
A. Adaptive reasoning. Ariadne's thread (logic) Attitudinal fix. Autodidacticism.
Pages in category "Problem solving". The following 15 pages are in this category, out of 15 total. Problem solving.
I recommend finding a problem you can become obsessed with rather than just an idea you thought of in a vacuum. Understanding the problem deeply is the hardest part, but once you do, the idea will come naturally. The world is full of problems, so make a list of profound issues or pain points you have either heard or faced directly.
The term "problem structuring methods" as a label for these techniques began to be used in the 1980s in the field of operations research, [8] especially after the publication of the book Rational Analysis for a Problematic World: Problem Structuring Methods for Complexity, Uncertainty and Conflict. [9] Some of the methods that came to be called PSMs had been in use since the 1960s.
A3 problem solving is a structured problem-solving and continuous-improvement approach, first employed at Toyota and typically used by lean manufacturing practitioners. [ 1] It provides a simple and strict procedure that guides problem solving by workers. The approach typically uses a single sheet of ISO A3 -size paper, which is the source of ...