Problem Definition

  • Few People Get Promoted For Asking Difficult Questions

    Research indicates that even when everyone within a group recognizes who the subject matter expert is, they defer to that member just 62% of the time; when they don’t, they listen to the most extroverted person   Khalil Smith Innovation must be founded… Continue reading

    Few People Get Promoted For Asking Difficult Questions
  • Turn Your Company Into A Problem Solving Machine

    Last week I spent four and half hours in a room with my colleagues trying to get to the root of a problem. Six colleagues: 27 hours of just thinking. Einstein believed the quality of the solution you generate is in direct… Continue reading

    Turn Your Company Into A Problem Solving Machine
  • How To Kill Ideas (Part 53)

    Many organisations act as inhibitors of innovation. Rules and protocols are put in place, often for very good reasons, that preserve the status quo.  Over time, organisations develop a set of social norms – ‘the way we do things around here’ –… Continue reading

    How To Kill Ideas (Part 53)
  • Three Reasons Why We Fail To Solve Problems

    Why do some problems get solved whilst others stick around? Here are three examples of why we sometimes fail and what we could do differently. Continue reading

    Three Reasons Why We Fail To Solve Problems
  • The Problem With Constantly Finding Problems

    Our brain is constantly searching for problems to fix, even when that problem is reducing. When something becomes rare, we tend to see it in places more than ever. Anyone whose job involves reducing the prevalence of something should know… Continue reading

    The Problem With Constantly Finding Problems
  • How To Avoid Corporate Initiativitis

    We’ve never felt so busy at work, and never been less engaged. 90% of people say they expect to find a substantial degree of joy at work, yet only 37% report that they do. Many of our organisations remain afflicted… Continue reading

    How To Avoid Corporate Initiativitis
  • The Problem With Finding Answers

    Don’t Look for a Great Idea. Look for a Good Problem – Greg Satell Yesterday I spent five and half hours in a room with my colleagues Carole and Simon trying to get to the root of a problem. Three… Continue reading

    The Problem With Finding Answers