Problem-solving 🤔 (not LeetCode or HackerRank pilled)

I wrapped my journey with the Forward program from McKinsey Forward, and I have something to share.

A big aha moment hit me while I was learning about problem-solving in The Forward program. I discovered that the business/corporate world employs various structured and standardized problem-solving frameworks, two of which are design thinking (DT) and hypothesis-led (HL) approaches. Although I had encountered DT before, I didn’t realize at the time that it was a standardized approach and that it was just one of many. This led me to question why there is a blueprint for solving problems when they can be so diverse and multifaceted.

What I realized is that these frameworks/approaches are not blueprints but rather outlines to guide us through certain types of problems—particularly those that don't require immediate action and allow for more time flexibility. Broadly speaking, DT and HL, along with others like Lean Six Sigma (L6S) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA), share several commonalities. They emphasize the importance of clearly defining the problem, systematically gathering information, and iteratively testing ideas.

Design thinking, for instance, focuses on understanding users' needs, defining the problem, brainstorming ideas, prototyping, and testing solutions in an iterative cycle. It’s a human-centered approach that prioritizes empathy and putting yourself in the users' shoes.

Likewise, The hypothesis-led approach, which I was introduced to during the Forward program, starts with defining the problem and then formulating hypotheses or potential solutions. These hypotheses are then systematically tested through experiments and gathering insights to validate or refute them.

Aside from the structured approaches, there is also problem-solving by intuition. According to the Oxford Dictionary, intuition is the ability to understand something instinctively, without the need for conscious reasoning. While it may seem like intuition is something people are born with, this is not the case. I like to see intuition as something that's built over the years through knowledge and honed through experience. I often revisit topics I previously learned because I had forgotten them, which used to frustrate me because I wanted information to stick the first time. However, I have come to realize that forgetting and relearning are part of the process of building my intuition. Each cycle of learning deepens your understanding and makes you connect the dots as you keep learning new topics and relearning previous ones.

The takeaway is that no one is born a good problem solver. You build the skill through heaps of knowledge and hone it through years of experience. Both structured approaches and intuition have their places. Intuition is valuable for rapid decision-making, which is often required in professional careers or even everyday life situations, while structured methods are ideal for problems with clear deadlines that require systematic analysis.

#ITookAStepForward