Speaker 1: Ideas are what ultimately transform our world, and by using the acronym IDEA for solving problems, it can help you be a productive part of that transformation. Whether one wants to label a situation as an opportunity, challenge, or a problem, IDEA is a simple, four-step process for resolving whatever issues we face. The process includes identifying the problem, developing solutions, executing your plan, and then assessing the extent to which the plan resolved the problem. Most often we start by observing a symptom or effect of a problem. For instance, we observe that a person is not feeling well. But if we want to solve a problem, we need to discover the underlying causes so we can treat the actual problem, not just the symptoms. Often times, problems are like puzzles with pieces that interconnect and overlap, forming a system. This can make it difficult to separate symptoms from the underlying root causes we need to address. To identify root cause or causes, a common method is to ask ourselves why. What is causing the symptom? With each answer, we ask ourselves why again. This creates a chain of responses, ending when we can no longer determine why something is taking place. The end of the chain is the root cause we need to address. For more complex problems, using tools such as a fishbone diagram or a concept map can help provide clarity, structure, and confidence that you have identified those causes most relevant to the problem. After you have identified any root causes, the next step is to develop potential solutions. Often there are a variety of potential solutions, as well as multiple paths or ways in which we can address the problem. Potential solutions are derived directly from the causes that were determined in our previous step of identification. When there is more than a single solution, we need to determine which solution is our best option. This means comparing solutions against one another and selecting the one that will maximize the return on our investment of time and resources. To compare, you can use pros and cons, a weighted rubric, or for a more sophisticated approach, conduct a SWOT analysis, where you look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of each solution. After selecting a solution, we need to develop goals that we can execute. Well-structured goals are SMART, meaning the goals are specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and time-bound. Actionable is a key aspect of goals that takes us to the next step of problem solving, execution. Execution is where we focus on implementing the actionable task in our goals, designed to achieve our solution. As the solution is achieved, the root cause should be reduced or eliminated, and we can then move to assessment. How you choose to monitor progress in executing a goal will depend on the nature and complexity of the goal. For instance, take the simple example of a person that is sick, a symptom of which is a fever. It is determined that the root cause is an infection, and the best solution is prescription medicine. Our goal, then, might be as simple as taking one pill a day for a week. To ensure execution of such a simple goal, one might just commit it to memory or make a note on a to-do list. However, if the goal is extremely complex, we may want to consider using project management tools, in effect converting a complex goal into a full-blown project, monitoring our execution towards the main goals through the use of sub-goals as milestones. Assessment is the last step in our problem-solving process, where we determine and document the extent to which a problem has been solved. It is in the assessment phase that we return to the beginning and look at the initial symptoms or effects that started our problem-solving process to begin with. If the symptoms have not been alleviated, if the effects are still present, then our solution was ineffective, and we must revisit our problem-solving process again. Let us return, for a moment, to our sick person with a fever. If the fever is still present, we want to assess, did the person achieve the goal? In other words, did they take the medicine as directed? Next, was the medicine the right solution? If so, we want to revisit our root cause and ask, are we still confident that the root cause of the fever is an infection? For more complex problems, we can use a variety of assessment tools or methods, including but not limited to surveys, tests, analytics, and focus groups. The assessment phase of problem-solving is where we learn, grow, and move forward. It is our after-action review, our lessons learned. If there is one thing we hope you remember, it is the word idea. Use the word idea the next time you want to solve a problem. Try it and see if it works for you. 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