Strategies to Solve Problems in Times of Uncertainty

There’s at least one solution or outcome for even the most inscrutable problem out there. We are all involved with problem solving at every moment — across our work and our personal life. After years of problem solving with leaders and experts across business, and specific areas of lifestyle, I’ve found that having an open and a curious mindset, while developing a systematic process for cracking even the most unfathomable problem works the best — especially when conditions of uncertainties are at their peak.

Here are the five strategies and approaches that you may adopt to crack the code:

1. Be curious about every part of the situation

2. Have a high tolerance for ambiguity

3. Keep a 360 view and see through multiple lenses

4. Experiment relentlessly and create your own data

5. Storytell by showing data and results to drive action

And here’s how you do it:

Be curious about every part of the situation

Remember the times when we were in preschool and used to ask the never-ending “whys”? We were on a mission of discovery and determined to figure things out. Unfortunately, between preschool and the board room, we have stopped asking. We make sense of massive amounts of data points and identify patterns and trends that have worked for us and others in the past. So, at the beginning of solving a problem, it is worth to take a step back and ask why the prevailing conditions and assumptions are so, until you arrive at the root of the problem.

Often, we shut down the options of solutions too early. This is due to the prevalent and rooted natural human biases in decision making.

With the structural changes in business models and the evolving brand purpose narrative that are touching every industry due to the nature of the pandemic, it is important that such natural biases end, and better — and more creative — solutions come from us developing curiosity about exploring and assessing the diverse range of potential solutions.

Ask the question of “why” to your initial hypothesis. It tends to open up multiple solution paths and puts the focus on assembling evidence and facts. Why is this solution better? Why not that one? Novel and innovative solutions come from embracing uncertainty. And for that, curiosity is the key.

Tolerate Ambiguity

There is no straight path to problem solving and involves a lot of trial and errors. It is more like the apparent randomness of football than the precision of linear programming. We form hypotheses and make assumptions, analyse the data and account for outliers, narrow the data that’s representative of the problem we are solving, and then surface and refine our insights to come up with possible solutions. It is therefore important to embrace imperfection, and tolerate ambiguity, and develop a sense of probabilities.

The reality is that there is uncertainty in every aspect of our lives. Reality unfolds as the complex outcome of stochastic events and social reactions. The impact and effects of COVID-19 is just one example. We are addressing the nature of the pandemic and its effects on the economy with absolutely no prior knowledge. It is therefore important to estimate probabilities to make decisions to the best of our judgments.

When uncertainty is high, take small steps or acquire information iteratively to edge out into a solution set. Perfect knowledge is extremely rare, especially for complex business that are being operated on a large scale.

Embracing imperfection and tolerating ambiguity is a must in situations of high uncertainty.

Take a 360 view

Think of taking a 360 view on a problem as expanding on multiple and to new subjects that might have a high impact on your outcome. The idea is to see beyond familiar elements that hitherto is considered, so that the uncertainties are factored into the problem. This will result in a new set of patterns and trends which will eventually show the doors to opportunities and threats.

The secret to developing a 360 view is to collaborate with more than just your market of customers and suppliers. Partner with players in a different but related industry or space.

Experiment relentlessly

Complex problems don’t reveal their secrets easily. Sometimes, data that has been collected and made available might not be enough.

In such instances it is important to invest time to explore whether evidence on the facets of a solution can be observed, or conducting experiments and customized research to test hypotheses.

This approach is critical for uncertain times where COVID-19 has shaken up market sentiments and business models. Brands are in a way creating a new market as a new lifestyle, and a change in expectations, mindset, and behaviours is shaping up. It also comes in handy when crunching old and conventional data is leading to stale solutions.

For brands ambitious to win in the unknown, especially in emerging segments — such as virtual reality experiences that is being developed and adopted as a way of life due to COVID-19 — good problem solving typically involves designing experiments and research to mitigate uncertainties, not just relying on existing data. Each move, (for instance, buying state of the art technology or acquiring an AI component supplier) and each experiment (for instance, a symphony played by an orchestra of musicians together from different locations) not only provides additional information to make decisions, but also builds assets and capabilities that enhance competency.

The lack of external data from agencies and consulting firms needn’t necessarily mean an impediment — it may actually turn out to be fruitful sometimes, since purchasable data is almost always a conventional way of meeting needs, and is available to your competitors too.

Your own experiments and research allow you to generate insights that has been shaped by elements factored in by you. That is hyper-personalisation for you right there that others don’t have.

Story-tell backed with data to drive action

Connect with your audience by showing and telling what the problem is, and then use combinations of logic and persuasion that’s supported by your data to get action.

This Show-and-Tell behaviour has a domino effect in that it brings decision makers into the problem solving domain that you have created.

To get better at Storytelling, start by being clear about the action that should flow from your problem solving and findings. Then find a way to present your logic visually so that the path to your solutions remain transparent, and that can be debated and embraced. Present the argument subjectively tapping on sentiments and emotions, as well as logically, and show why the preferred action or solution provides an optimal balance between risks and rewards. Lastly, and perhaps the most important one that adds on a great finishing touch — outline the drawbacks of not adopting the solution or the action recommended by you, which often have a higher cost than imperfect solutions or actions have.

The attitude and mindsets of great problem solvers are just important as the sophisticated and advanced methods they employ. Embrace curiosity, imperfection, and ambiguity. Develop a 360 view and create new data from personalized study and experiments. Drive action and solution through compelling Storytelling. These strategies will create radical and innovative possibilities in a broad range of circumstances — even under high levels of uncertainty and unpredictability.