THE 3rd QUESTION IS THE HARDEST!!
All Innovations have two key elements:
Try something NEW.
Bring VALUE.
Daily, we are struck by large and small problems that we are convinced, “someone needs to solve!”
Some are SMALL:
Squeezing the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube.
Designing packing tape that tears cleanly
Preventing clothes from getting caught in a zipper.
Fixing broken Christmas tree lights.
Milk cartons not opening correctly.
The wait time on customer service calls.
3 ring binders not clipping together.
Pringles potato chip cans opening that are too small for your hands to fit.
Throughout history, entire Nations have tried to solve problems that are BIG:
Quality education.
Affordable Health Care.
Responding to natural disasters.
World hunger and malnutrition.
Climate change.
Bias, prejudice, and inequality.
Armed conflict.
Clean Water and Sanitation issues.
Homelessness.
In Young Life, our innovative culture requires several things to work- collaboration, alignment, and integration across departments and creativity. Perhaps, most importantly, there is a need for strong PROBLEM SOLVING skills to handle the ‘heavy lifting’ of identifying the final steps as we RE-tool, RE-think and RE-imagine how to reach the next kid. Over the 5 year span of YL Forward every pilot that was launched had a multi-step process, input surveys, charters, ‘lead teams,’ and coaches. It’s impressive, but without the final steps of how to make an idea ‘operational’ all the work is wasted.
Below are 3 questions and a simple ‘DIY’ exercise you can try as you innovate in any context or scope.
PROBLEM SOLVING QUESTIONS
QUESTION ONE: What is the problem?
We answer this question all the time. Before and after meetings, in hallways, and even tossing and turning in our sleep. Actually, it doesn’t take a lot of talent to spot the problem. Just eyes and ears and some general awareness of your surroundings. This question lives within the world of pet-peeves. Essentially, areas of irritation or frustration that we are committed to addressing.
TRY THIS! Think of a challenge or pet peeve that has come to mind lately. It can be tied to your job, your home-life or your community, but it has to be something that has some degree of a connecting point to you and have the ability to influence and address it. Now: Write it done on a piece of paper. Just one sentence, general description.
QUESTION TWO: What is the Solution?
This question goes a bit deeper but is just slightly harder to address. A base-level understanding can equip even the most entry level expert with the knowledge to come close to a solution. Most can get close to the bulls-eye. You can identify someone coming to grips with this solution with the statement ‘You know what we need to do…..”
TRY THIS! You have listed the problem, now take a guess at the possible solution. What do we need to do? Give yourself some guardrails. We don’t have unlimited resources, time, and funding, but on that same piece of paper, for the next minute, give yourself the freedom to solve the issue and list the solution in your view.
QUESTION THREE: What are the next steps?
Here is where I have seen groups get stalled. This is the ‘now what?’ stage of problem solving and how your group navigates this space will separate them from the crowd. It requires patience, broad based knowledge and most importantly the ability to not just have a plan but work that plan.
TRY THIS! Ask yourself the following 10 questions
Make an effort to take apart the problem. What is the core issue? Not just the symptom symptom?
Who else or what other departments need to be in this conversation? Are there some experts you could learn from?
Has someone else tried to fix this problem before? What happened? What can we learn?
What do you think will be the cost of fixing this problem? People? Resources? Can we afford it?
Is there alignment? Is everyone on board? What could be some hurdles we could encounter internally?
How long will the potential solution take? Weeks? Months? Years? Will there be stages/phases or benchmarks?
What does success look like? What kind of outcome are we looking for?
What is our definition of traction?
Engage ‘thought partners’ and create an outline of a plan. How disruptive could it be? How do you make adjustments for it?
When does this need to happen? Today? Someday? Do we have the bandwidth to do __X__?
The reason the 3rd question is the hardest is because it makes you involve others, think through next steps, and count the cost. That is also the beauty of bringing about change. The work is always hard but if thought through it calls for more patience than effort. Answering these three questions can get you far down the road but as you go through the exercise, share with me your thoughts on the PROBLEM, the SOLUTION, and the NEXT STEPS as you try NEW things that bring VALUE!
Written by: Ken B. Tankersley