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Have you ever faced a challenge that seemed overwhelming?
Whether it is a minor issue or a major obstacle, having the right tools and mindset can make all the difference. In today's fast-paced world, problem-solving is an essential skill, whether you're working in a team, independently, or leading a project. Agile methods emphasise collaboration and flexibility, while traditional approaches offer structure and detailed analysis. By combining these two approaches, you can build a powerful toolkit to tackle any challenge.
Problem-Solving: A Skill Anyone Can Learn
Problem-solving isn’t something reserved for a few people, it is a skill that anyone can develop. As the famous inventor Thomas Edison said:
"There’s a way to do it better—find it." (Source: Edison: His Life and Inventions by Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Martin)
This mindset applies to everyone. Whether you work as part of a team, as an individual contributor, or as a leader, improving your problem solving skills can boost your performance and contribute to your team’s success.
Consider what problems in your work or life could benefit from a stronger problem-solving approach? Let’s explore some practical tools you can use to make improvements.
Making Collaboration Work: Agile’s Approach
Collaboration is key to solving problems effectively. When you involve different perspectives, you get practical and creative solutions that are well informed and tailored to the situation.
Agile Techniques for Collaboration:
- Colour-Coded Dot Voting: Team members vote on ideas using coloured dots to identify which are the most important. This simple technique helps teams prioritise solutions quickly.
- Project Example: During a planning session, your team might vote on which tasks are the highest priority, ensuring that the most critical work gets done first.
- Personal Example: When planning a family vacation, family members can vote on activities using coloured dots to decide which attractions to visit.
- Identifying Strengths: Focus on what’s working well and build from there. Recognising your team’s strengths gives everyone more confidence to move forwar.
- Project Example: If your team excels at delivering Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) quickly, you can use this strength to test and refine ideas in future projects.
- Personal Example: If you are great at organising events, use these skills to plan and execute large family or community gatherings.
Adapting as You Go: Agile’s Feedback Loop
Agile thrives on regular feedback and the ability to adapt quickly. This approach allows teams to improve continuously as they move forward. While traditional methods often involve longer planning and execution phases, combining both can give you the structure and flexibility needed for success.
Agile Techniques for Feedback:
- Mad-Sad-Glad Framework: This tool helps teams reflect on their progress by identifying what went well, what caused frustration, and what could be improved.
- Project Example: After a project phase, your team can discuss what made them "mad" (frustrations), "sad" (disappointments), and "glad" (successes). This helps you celebrate wins and focus on areas for growth.
- Personal Example: After organising a community event, gather feedback from participants about what they enjoyed, what disappointed them, and what could be improved for future events.
- Team Radar: This is a simple chart that measures areas like trust, communication, and collaboration within the team. It highlights internal obstacles that could slow down progress.
- Project Example: If the radar shows a communication gap, you can work on improving information sharing to ensure smoother teamwork.
- Personal Example: Use a similar chart to assess family dynamics and identify areas where communication or cooperation could be improved.
Digging Deeper with Traditional Tools
While Agile focuses on flexibility, traditional techniques provide a structured way to solve complex problems. These methods help teams analyse challenges in detail.
Traditional Problem-Solving Techniques:
- Root Cause Analysis: This technique helps identify the core issue behind a problem rather than just addressing its symptoms. Methods like the 5 Whys or Fishbone Diagram are often used.
- Project Example: If a software feature keeps failing, the team can ask "Why?" five times to uncover the root problem; like insufficient testing or unclear requirements.
- Personal Example: If your car frequently breaks down, ask “Why?” multiple times to identify the root cause, such as poor maintenance or faulty parts.
- SWOT Analysis: This method looks at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a situation to provide a full picture of the problem.
- Project Example: Before launching a new product, a team might conduct a SWOT analysis to evaluate risks and opportunities in the market.
- Personal Example: Use a SWOT analysis to assess a personal goal, such as starting a new hobby or fitness routine.
- PDCA Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act): This is a step-by-step framework for continuous improvement. Teams plan a solution, test it, review the results, and refine it.
- Manufacturing Industry Example: A manufacturing team could use the PDCA cycle to improve efficiency on their production line by testing and refining new processes.
- IT Business Analyst Example: An IT Team could use the PDCA cycle to enhance their software development process. By planning a new feature, developing and testing it, reviewing feedback from users and refining the feature based on the feedback, they can continuously improve the software.
- Personal Example: Apply the PDCA cycle to home improvement projects, such as redesigning your garden, by planning, executing, reviewing and refining your efforts.
Combining the Best of Both Worlds
Why choose between creativity and structure when you can have both? By combining Agile and traditional approaches, you get the best of both worlds: innovation and careful planning.
Examples of Hybrid Techniques:
- Brainstorming with Root Cause Analysis: Start with Agile brainstorming to generate ideas, then use traditional root cause analysis to assess which ideas are feasible.
- Business Analyst Example: After brainstorming features for a new product, you might use root cause analysis to uncover potential challenges or resource gaps.
- Personal Example: Brainstorm ways to improve your daily routine, then use root cause analysis to identify potential obstacles and find practical solutions.
- Time-Boxing with SWOT Analysis: Time-boxing (an Agile technique) keeps meetings short and focused, while SWOT analysis ensures that decisions are thorough and well-informed.
- Business Analyst Example: A team could spend 30 minutes conducting a SWOT analysis on a new idea to make quick but thoughtful decisions.
- Personal Example: Use time-boxing to limit the duration of a family meeting, while conducting a SWOT analysis to make well-informed decisions about holiday plans.
Short Case Study: Simplifying Lending Strategies
Business Analyst Problem-Solving in Action
In a project called Strategy Simplification for Lending Products, I was tasked with identifying and fixing inefficiencies in lending strategies. By combining Agile and traditional techniques, I delivered solutions that improved workflows and reduced bottlenecks.
Have you ever faced outdated processes or slow workflows that held you back?
By using these tools, I was able to address similar challenges and achieve measurable results. Here’s how:
Project Techniques:
- Agile Methods: Cross-functional brainstorming helped identify potential solutions, while Mad-Sad-Glad retrospectives highlighted areas for improvement.
- Traditional Tools: A SWOT analysis revealed inefficiencies in the current processes, and root cause analysis identified outdated practices that needed to change.
Results: The project reduced inefficiencies by 25% and improved team collaboration by streamlining communication and workflows.
This project is a great example of how combining Agile and traditional approaches can lead to sustainable solutions.
Fostering Innovation
Creativity thrives when teams have the freedom to experiment and the structure to implement their ideas effectively. Agile promotes flexibility, while traditional methods help turn those ideas into actionable steps.
Agile Techniques for Innovation:
- Brain-writing: Instead of brainstorming out loud, team members write down their ideas anonymously. This ensures everyone has a chance to contribute.
- Business Analyst Example: In a team retrospective, brain-writing helped gather input on improving the next sprint cycle.
- Personal Example: Use brain-writing during a family meeting to gather anonymous ideas for improving household routines.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Bringing together people from different roles or departments often leads to fresh perspectives and new solutions.
- Project Example: Business Analyst, UX Designers, developers, and Product Owners collaborated to enhance a product’s user experience, leveraging each team’s unique expertise.
- Personal Example: Involve family members with different skills and perspectives to plan a major event, such as a wedding or anniversary celebration.
Problem-Solving is for Everyone
Problem-solving isn’t just for leaders or specialists, it is something anyone can learn. As Albert Einstein famously said: "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." (Source: The Expanded Quotable Einstein by Alice Calaprice)
With a balanced approach, you can unlock creative solutions for even your toughest challenges. What’s the first step you’ll take to strengthen your problem-solving skills?
Conclusion: A Balanced Approach to Problem-Solving
Success in problem-solving comes from balancing creativity and structure. Agile techniques like Colour-Coded Dot Voting or Mad-Sad-Glad complement traditional tools like SWOT analysis and the PDCA cycle.
Whether you're addressing inefficiencies or tackling a complex project, these methods can be tailored to your needs.
Remember, problem-solving isn’t just about tools, it’s about your mindset.
