Define the problem

It’s always good to be able to solve a problem, but it’s often far better to help make the problem crystal clear before you try to solve it.

I was recently watching the excellent movie “Moneyball”, and this scene shows exactly what I’m talking about:

The scouts are all trying to solve the problem and “we all understand what the problem is”, but they’re all on very different pages. As Dan Roam said (via “ The Personal MBA “):

“Whoever best describes the problem is the one most likely to solve it.”

Albert Einstein said it like this (via “ Inspired Every Day “):

“If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend fifty-nine minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it.”

Problem solving is a fantastic skill, but it only works if you have a clearly-defined problem to start from.

Originally published at https://www.mickmel.com on July 16, 2024.