{"id":9761,"date":"2018-10-31T00:47:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T00:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lei.flywheelsites.com\/?p=9761"},"modified":"2021-01-11T01:13:16","modified_gmt":"2021-01-11T01:13:16","slug":"whats-your-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lean.org\/the-lean-post\/articles\/whats-your-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s your problem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You learn through solving problems, failing, reflecting on failure, and adjusting course.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

That quote sounds like something from Deming or Toyota. But, no, that\u2019s from that erstwhile problem solver n\u00e9e inventor Steve Jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There may be nothing more fundamental to lean thinking and practice than problem solving. For that matter, there may be nothing more fundamental to being human than problem solving. We breathe, we eat, we create civilizations \u2013 we deal with (solve, tackle) problems every step of the way. The lean transformation framework<\/a> that we at LEI and LGN (Lean Global Network) have been using to frame the challenges of changing ourselves and our organizations in desired directions begins by asking the same question that Toyota begins with: what problem are we trying to solve?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, to label an activity \u201cproblem solving\u201d neither solves any problems nor explains what problem solving even means. It may in fact create some. What is problem solving and how can we do it more effectively? The answer to how we can do it better is \u201cit depends.\u201d But, depends on what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where Art Smalley\u2019s new book Four Types of Problems<\/a><\/em> comes in with a powerful contribution. Born of Toyota\u2019s problem solving approaches and philosophies, Art\u2019s framework gives us a practical yet profound way to move forward. Let\u2019s consider how it is helpful and ponder how you might use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not every problem looks like this familiar lean classic from Taiichi Ohno in which the problem of a machine breakdown can be tackled via a straightforward root cause analysis:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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