Critical thinking helps you learn, understand, and form arguments<\/a>. Problem-solving incorporates the process of critical thinking but is directed specifically at bridging a gap between your current state and a desired state. For example, you know you currently have a job that you don\u2019t enjoy. Your desired state is to have a job that you do enjoy. The gap\u2014or problem\u2014you need to solve is how to go from having a job you don\u2019t enjoy to having one you do enjoy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are five steps to problem-solving, according to Critical Thinking, Logic & Problem<\/em><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To solve a problem, you must first identify it. You can do this using seven basic questions that make up what the authors call the \u201c5W2H\u201d method (five \u2018W\u2019 questions and two \u2018H\u2019 questions):<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another tool for defining your problem is what they call the SCQH (Situation, Complications, Question, and Hypothesis) framework. This method helps you analyze a problem fully to point you in the direction of possible solutions. In this method, you\u2019ll follow four steps: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you understand the problem you\u2019re facing, you can begin forming solutions by first identifying potential solutions. You can use tools such as logic trees to help you identify solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A logic tree<\/a> is a tool that allows you to visually lay out potential solutions so you can consider them more easily. You can format the tree in whatever way works best for you, but begin by writing down your problem or question. Then, add branches that show your options and further branches that provide the details of those options, such as benefits, consequences, or other factors to consider. See the example below of a logic tree where the problem is what math class to take as an incoming college freshman, and the possible solutions are calculus, statistics, and trigonometry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve laid out your potential solutions and weighed them against each other, it\u2019s time to select a solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One tool you can use to help you choose is a pros and cons assessment. To do this, you can list your pros and cons on a two-column chart and then rate each item based on how important it is. Once you\u2019ve listed all your pros and cons and given them a weight rating, add up the sum for each column and then subtract the cons sum from the pros sum. If the result is a positive number, this suggests the overall benefit of the option outweighs the negatives, making it a good solution to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the authors, it\u2019s now time to put your solution into action. You can use the 5W2H<\/a> method again to help implement your plan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, the authors advise that you evaluate the results of implementing your solution. Note what went wrong and what went well, and use that information to make better decisions<\/a> in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The above steps lay the groundwork for solving a problem. Next, we\u2019ll look at four tools you can use to make the problem-solving process even easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cFive Whys\u201d Method is a helpful problem-solving tool for finding the root cause of an issue. When you see a problem, ask yourself five Whys<\/a> in succession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s an example from Toyota where a machine broke down that The Lean Startup<\/em><\/a> by Eric Ries uses to show the effectiveness of the \u201cFive Whys\u201d Method:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final root cause is dramatically different from what you started with. Because it\u2019s a root cause, addressing it will solve all the problems up the line. If you had stopped asking why at each stage, you\u2019d have addressed only a symptom that will recur, instead of treating the underlying disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, if you kept asking why a few more times, you\u2019d probably find other root causes to tackle. The mechanic may have gotten insufficient training on this equipment. Repair of this machine might not have a checklist, which is standard practice. Or the mechanic might have just been a bad hire\u2014in which case bad hiring practices are to blame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This example can be applied to any recurring problem in your life, whether it\u2019s a problem in your kitchen, customer service, engineering, accounting, or more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another effective problem-solving tool is a cost-benefit analysis, which Patrick Bet-David\u2019s Your Next Five Moves<\/em><\/a> and Gabriel Weinberg and Lauren McCann\u2019s Super Thinking: The Big Book of Mental Models<\/em><\/a> <\/em>both stand by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A cost-benefit analysis lists the cumulative costs that a decision will incur alongside its cumulative benefits.<\/strong> It thus quantifies the consequences of your decision. At a rudimentary level, a cost-benefit analysis might weigh individual pros and cons on a scale of 10 to -10, summing these values to recommend a decision\u2014if the total is positive, the decision is worthwhile, and if it\u2019s negative, the cost is too high. If you have a pro-con list<\/a>, you might retool it into the following cost-benefit analysis:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The cost-benefit analysis yields a conclusive verdict: You shouldn\u2019t take a new position, since the cons outweigh the pros. If your problem involves finances, Weinberg and McCann recommend assigning each cost and benefit an explicit monetary value to further improve your analysis. For instance, relocating to a new city might cost $10,000, whereas an extra week of paid leave might be worth $3,000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To use a cost-benefit analysis, devise three possible solutions to the problem you\u2019ve identified and calculate the investment cost, time cost, and benefits each solution offers, writes Bet-David. Then, compare the calculated costs and benefits of each solution and pick the one that offers the most benefits for the lowest cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Blue Ocean Strategy<\/em><\/a>, W. Chan Kim and Ren\u00e9e A. Mauborgne present a graphic tool to help you visualize how a product (and the strategy behind it) differs from others in the market. They call this strategy chart a \u201cstrategy canvas.\u201d While they present this problem-solving tool in the context of a business selling a product, anyone who is stuck between two or more choices can use this tool. The strategy chart consists of a two-dimensional line graph:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For each product, service, or company that you wish to compare, plot the value of each characteristic on the graph as a point. Then connect the points to produce a strategy curve<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The blue ocean strategy chart<\/a> allows you to see at a glance how similar or how different your product\u2019s offerings are. If your curve has a completely different shape from other curves, this implies a unique combination of values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Six Hats method asks you to see thinking as mental exploration in a particular direction<\/strong>. In the physical world, you can always check a compass and then deliberately choose to walk to the north, south, east, or west. Think of the six hats as mental compass points. At any point, you can stop and consciously decide on the best course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Edward De Bono\u2019s six hats represent the following types of thinking, as described in his book Six Thinking Hats<\/em><\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you face an important decision, the hats can help you compartmentalize and organize your thinking. In group discussions, the hats help to keep things clear and orderly, as well as making sure that no important ideas are neglected. Here\u2019s an image that helps visualize this problem-solving tool in effect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trying to walk north and south at the same time would be pointless and exhausting for your physical body. Similarly, trying to engage in two or more types of thinking at once is inefficient and exhausting for your mind. Your brain works best when it can focus on one type of thinking at a time. If it\u2019s looking for danger, let it look for danger uninterrupted. If it\u2019s creatively breaking existing patterns to make new ones, let it do that. Our normal, untrained thinking is usually a poorly controlled jumble of different types of thinking, and we often rely on pure luck to stumble with solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Think of a drunk person stumbling around an area randomly looking for gold. Now think of an explorer with a compass, systematically walking through the area and sketching out a map as she goes. Who\u2019s more likely to find the gold?<\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 1: Identify the Problem<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Form Solutions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Step 3: Select a Solution<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 4: Implement Your Solution<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Step 5: Evaluate the Results<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Problem-Solving Tools to Make the Process Easier<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. The Five Whys<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Cost-Benefit Analysis<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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3. Strategy Chart<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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4. Six Thinking Hats<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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