Understanding Puzzles, Problems, and Messes for Effective Problem-Solving
You can’t effectively solve problems unless you understand Puzzles and Messes and how to distinguish between them.
Problem-solving is a crucial skill in both our professional and personal lives. Despite the wide availability of problem-solving processes, many people still struggle to effectively address challenges in the real world. One reason for this is the confusion between puzzles, problems, and messes. By understanding the differences between these categories and knowing how to approach each, we can significantly improve our problem-solving abilities. This grouping was first proposed by Russell Ackoff in the 1970s and still holds true today. Let’s have a look at the differences between puzzles, problems, and messes and provide insights into how to tackle them effectively.
Puzzles:
Puzzles are situations where there is a clearly defined problem and a single correct solution. They are often encountered in books or training exercises rather than real-world business scenarios. Solving puzzles requires effective resource management and guidance towards achieving the solution. While puzzles may not demand structured problem-solving approaches, they can still enhance critical thinking skills.
Problems:
Problems are characterized by some ambiguity or incomplete information. While it is possible to reach a single agreed-upon definition of the problem, there may be multiple satisfactory solutions. Different parties may have varying opinions about the best course of action. The challenge lies in selecting the most suitable solution option, considering factors like time, effort, and compromise.
An Agile approach can be beneficial, allowing for incremental progress toward a complete solution. However, it is crucial to spend sufficient time understanding the root causes of the problem to avoid rushing into inappropriate solutions. There are many variations on a structured problem-solving process, I like the following, simple steps (there is more hidden behind each box of course):
However, one of the biggest reasons I see people getting stuck here is because they rush the early stages and try to solve a Mess rather than trying to solve a problem.
Messes:
Messes involve a significant amount of ambiguity and incomplete information. Both the definition of the mess and the optimal solution are open to discussion and disagreement, and it isn’t possible to reach a single agreed-upon definition of the problem/mes,. Messes should be unravelled into individual problems before addressing them. It is tempting to rush into solving a mess, but this often leads to wasted time and resources. Extra analysis is necessary to understand the underlying problems fully. Prioritization and sequencing become critical challenges, determining which problems should be addressed first and how they relate to one another.
How to Use the Definitions
To summarise the distinctions:
- Puzzles: Clearly defined problems with a single correct solution.
- Problems: Some ambiguity in information, with multiple viable solutions.
- Messes: High ambiguity and incomplete information, requiring unravelling into individual problems.
Effective problem-solving involves recognizing whether a challenge is a puzzle, problem, or mess. Puzzles are straightforward and often don’t require structured approaches and, in reality, you don’t encounter too many of these in a business context.
Problems demand analysis and careful consideration of solution options. This is where you should be spending your time. There are many tried and tested approaches that will help you solve problems.
Messes, although complex, can be unravelled into individual problems for effective resolution. By understanding these distinctions, we can approach problem-solving more strategically and allocate resources efficiently. Take the time to fully understand the component problems, prioritize them, and evaluate the necessary resources and expertise needed for each. By doing so, we enhance our problem-solving skills and increase our chances of success.
One quote I like to keep in mind is “The opposite of the problem may not be the solution”. For example, people will often say “we don’t have enough people to fix this” and it can easily be assumed that assigning more people is the solution. But this means a whole raft of meaningful questions have been skipped:
Do we have the right people? Do they have the right tools? Do they have the right training? Is this actually the right thing to be doing?
However, with a problem, there is still a good balance between analysing the problem and selecting the right solution option(s).
I will return to further tools for problem solving in the future. But for now, next time you encounter a challenge don’t rush to label it a problem. You may well be facing a mess and the need to take time to fully understand the component problems and evaluate who and what is needed to solve them (and which ones you should be trying to solve).
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this classification and any experiences where this has helped or would have helped.
About the Author
Peter Stansbury is a Principal Consultant with Version1 focused on business transformation generally and digital transformation in particular.
If you have any questions about stakeholder management, then do get in contact — peter.stansbury@version1.com.
