Some Techniques of Problem

Solving
Work out the major factors involved:
Identify the factors that may contribute to the
problem. Draw lines off the spine for each factor, and
label it. These may be people involved with the
problem, systems, equipment, materials, external
forces, etc. Try to draw out as many possible factors as
possible. If you are trying to solve the problem as part
of a group, then this may be a good time for some
brainstorming.
Some Techniques of Problem
solving
Identify possible causes:
For each of the factors you considered in stage 2,
brainstorm possible causes of the problem that may
be related to the factor. Show these as smaller lines
coming off the 'bones' of the fish. Where a cause is
large or complex, then it may be best to break the it
down into sub-causes. Show these as lines coming off
each cause line
Problem Solving (Techniques)
Analyze your diagram:
By this stage you should have a diagram showing all
the possible causes of your problem that you can
think of. Depending on the complexity and
importance of the problem, you can now investigate
the most likely causes further. This may involve
setting up investigations, carrying out surveys, etc.
These will be designed to test whether your
assessments are correct.
The

5 Whysssss tool
The 5 Whys is a simple problem-solving technique that
helps users to get to the root of the problem quickly. Made
popular in the 1970s by the Toyota Production System, the
5 Whys strategy involves looking at any problem and
asking: "Why?" and "What caused this problem?"
Very often, the answer to the first "why" will prompt
another "why" and the answer to the second "why" will
prompt another and so on; hence the name the 5 Whys
strategy.
Benefits of the 5 Whys include:
It helps to quickly determine the root cause of a problem
It is easy to learn and apply
5 Whysssss
When looking to solve a problem, start at the end result
and work backward (toward the root cause), continually
asking: "Why?" This will need to be repeated over and over
until the root cause of the problem becomes apparent.
Tip:
The 5 Whys technique is a simple technique that can help
you quickly get to the root of a problem. But that is all it
is, and the more complex things get, the more likely it is to
lead you down a false trail. if it doesn't quickly give you an
answer that's obviously right, then you may need more
sophisticated technique problem solving techniques.
Example:
Following is an example of the 5 Whys analysis as an effective problem-
solving technique:

 Why is our client, Hinson Corp., unhappy? Because we did not deliver
our services when we said we would.
 Why were we unable to meet the agreed-upon timeline or schedule for
delivery? The job took much longer than we thought it would.
 Why did it take so much longer? Because we underestimated the
complexity of the job.
 Why did we underestimate the complexity of the job? Because we
made a quick estimate of the time needed to complete it, and did not
list the individual stages needed to complete the project.
 Why didn't we do this? Because we were running behind on other
projects. We clearly need to review our time estimation and
specification procedures.
5Whysssss
Key Points:
The 5 Whys strategy is an easy and often-effective
tool for uncovering the root of a problem. Because it
is so elementary in nature, it can be adapted quickly
and applied to most any problem. Bear in mind,
however, that if it doesn't prompt an intuitive answer,
other problem-solving techniques may need to be
applied.
Appreciation/so what!
Appreciation is a very simple but powerful technique for
extracting the maximum amount of information from a simple
fact.
How to Use the Tool:
Starting with a fact, ask the question 'So what?' i.e. what are
the implications of that fact? Keep on asking that question
until you have drawn all possible inferences.
Example:
Appreciation is a technique used by military planners, so we
will take a military example:
Fact: It rained heavily last night
So What?
– The ground will be wet
So what….!!
 So What?
 – It will turn into mud quickly
 So What?
 – If many troops and vehicles pass over the same ground, movement
will be progressively slower and more difficult as the ground gets
muddier and more difficult.
 So What?
 – Where possible, stick to paved roads. Otherwise expect movement
to be much slower than normal.
 While it would be possible to reach this conclusion without the use of
a formal technique, Appreciation provides a framework within which
you can extract information quickly, effectively and reliably.
 Key points:
 Asking 'so what?' repeatedly helps you to extract all important
information implied by a fact.
Problem solving
PLUS
MINUS
INTERESTING (PMI)
 
Help to decide whether we like an idea or not.
Gives the opportunity to see both sides of an idea
Can not only react emotionally, but also have to
think objectively.
 
Six Thinking Hats
 Looking at a Decision from All Points of View

"Six Thinking Hats" is a powerful technique that helps you look at

important decisions from a number of different perspectives. It helps
you make better decisions by pushing you to move outside your
habitual ways of thinking. As such, it helps you understand the full
complexity of a decision, and spot issues and opportunities which you
might otherwise not notice.
Many successful people think from a very rational, positive viewpoint,
and this is part of the reason that they are successful. Often, though,
they may fail to look at problems from emotional, intuitive, creative or
negative viewpoints. This can mean that they underestimate resistance
to change, don't make creative leaps, and fail to make essential
contingency plans.
Six Thinking Hats
Similarly, pessimists may be excessively defensive, and
people used to a very logical approach to problem solving
may fail to engage their creativity or listen to their
intuition.

If you look at a problem using the Six Thinking Hats

technique, then you'll use all of these approaches to
develop your best solution. Your decisions and plans will
mix ambition, skill in execution, sensitivity, creativity and
good contingency planning.
This tool was created by Edward de Bono in his book "6
Thinking Hats".
How to Use the Tool:
To use Six Thinking Hats to improve the quality of your decision-making, look at
the decision "wearing" each of the thinking hats in turn.
 Each "Thinking Hat" is a different style of thinking. These are explained
below:
 White Hat:
With this thinking hat, you focus on the data available. Look at the
information you have, and see what you can learn from it. Look for gaps in
your knowledge, and either try to fill them or take account of them.
This is where you analyze past trends, and try to extrapolate from historical
data.
 Red Hat:
Wearing the red hat, you look at the decision using intuition, gut reaction,
and emotion. Also try to think how other people will react emotionally, and
try to understand the intuitive responses of people who do not fully know
your reasoning.
6 Thinking Hats
Black Hat:
When using black hat thinking, look at things
pessimistically, cautiously and defensively. Try to see why
ideas and approaches might not work. This is important
because it highlights the weak points in a plan or course of
action. It allows you to eliminate them, alter your
approach, or prepare contingency plans to counter
problems that arise. Black Hat thinking helps to make
your plans tougher and more resilient. It can also help you
to spot fatal flaws and risks before you embark on a course
of action. Black Hat thinking is one of the real benefits of
this technique, as many successful people get so used to
thinking positively that often they cannot see problems in
advance, leaving them under-prepared for difficulties.
6 Thinking Hats
 Yellow Hat:
The yellow hat helps you to think positively. It is the optimistic
viewpoint that helps you to see all the benefits of the decision and the
value in it, and spot the opportunities that arise from it. Yellow Hat
thinking helps you to keep going when everything looks gloomy and
difficult.
 Green Hat:
The Green Hat stands for creativity. This is where you can develop
creative solutions to a problem. It is a freewheeling way of thinking, in
which there is little criticism of ideas. A whole range of creativity tools
can help you here.
 Blue Hat:
The Blue Hat stands for process control. This is the hat worn by
people chairing meetings. When running into difficulties because
ideas are running dry, they may direct activity into Green Hat
thinking. When contingency plans are needed, they will ask for Black
Hat thinking, and so on.
6 Thinking Hats
You can use Six Thinking Hats in meetings or on your
own. In meetings it has the benefit of defusing the
disagreements that can happen when people with
different thinking styles discuss the same problem.

A similar approach is to look at problems from the

point of view of different professionals (e.g. doctors,
architects, sales directors) or different customers
6 Thinking Hats
 Example:
 The directors of a property company are looking at whether they should
construct a new office building. The economy is doing well, and the amount of
vacant office space is reducing sharply. As part of their decision they decide to
use the 6 Thinking Hats technique during a planning meeting.
 Looking at the problem with the White Hat, they analyze the data they have.
They examine the trend in vacant office space, which shows a sharp reduction.
They anticipate that by the time the office block would be completed, that
there will be a severe shortage of office space. Current government projections
show steady economic growth for at least the construction period.
 With Red Hat thinking, some of the directors think the proposed building
looks quite ugly. While it would be highly cost-effective, they worry that
people would not like to work in it.
 When they think with the Black Hat, they worry that government projections
may be wrong. The economy may be about to enter a 'cyclical downturn', in
which case the office building may be empty for a long time.
6 Thinking Hats
 If the building is not attractive, then companies will choose to work in
another better-looking building at the same rent.
 With the Yellow Hat, however, if the economy holds up and their projections
are correct, the company stands to make a great deal of money.
 If they are lucky, maybe they could sell the building before the next downturn,
or rent to tenants on long-term leases that will last through any recession.
 With Green Hat thinking they consider whether they should change the
design to make the building more pleasant. Perhaps they could build prestige
offices that people would want to rent in any economic climate. Alternatively,
maybe they should invest the money in the short term to buy up property at a
low cost when a recession comes.
 The Blue Hat has been used by the meeting's Chair to move between the
different thinking styles. He or she may have needed to keep other members
of the team from switching styles, or from criticizing other peoples' points.
6 Thinking Hats
Key points:
Six Thinking Hats is a good technique for looking at the effects
of a decision from a number of different points of view.
It allows necessary emotion to be brought into what would
otherwise be purely rational decisions. It opens up the
opportunity for creativity within Decision Making. It also helps,
for example, persistently pessimistic people to be positive and
creative.
Plans developed using the '6 Thinking Hats' technique are
sounder and more resilient than would otherwise be the case.
This technique may also help you to avoid public relations
mistakes, and spot good reasons not to follow a course of
action, before you have committed to it.