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How Do You Solve Problems?

10 January 2017

Eden took a FourSight innovation assessment and learned about the way she likes to solve problems and how her preferences can impact group dynamics.

Tags: creativity, eden read, foursight, problem solving and innovation

If someone asked you how you solve problems at home or at work, what would you say? Anyone who has ever worked in a group or been a part of a team knows that we all solve problems in unique ways, but it can be difficult to define exactly what makes us different. I really appreciate frameworks to help me think about messy processes, so I was excited to take a FourSight assessment to learn about my own preferences when it comes to different problem solving approaches.

According to FourSight, there are four stages of problem solving:

1. Gaining a thorough understanding of the problem.
2. Coming up with ideas to solve the problem.
3. Refining and perfecting the solution.
4. Moving the solution to action.

These four stages correspond to four main problem solving profiles. Where would you say you spend the most time and energy? Clarifiers have a preference for stage 1, gaining a thorough understanding of the problem. Ideators, Developers, and Implementers in turn have a preference for stages 2 - 4. You can have a preference for any one of the four core stages, or you can have a preference for any combination of stages. Keep in mind that preference is not the same as skill or ability. Someone with a preference for Clarifying and Ideating might do just fine at implementing solutions, but prefer to spend most of his or her time working to understand the problem and brainstorming ideas. Someone might also have similar preferences for all of the stages. FourSight calls this type an Integrator.

When I took the assessment, my profile showed that I have a preference for the first stage, Clarifying. I like to spend a lot of time thinking about problems and gathering information. I was surprised by my results, but I could easily see how this preference manifests in my life, even in areas not directly related to problem solving. For example, I tend to think that most questions have a “right” answer waiting to be discovered. I find it difficult to start writing papers until I have done enough research to know exactly what I want to say. I have a habit of answering direct questions with another question, just to make sure I understand the question. The Clarifying stage is important because it gives you an understanding of the world as it is so that you can ideate viable solutions, but I’m sure you also see an obvious issue. Clarifiers who spend too much time trying to understand the problem might never actually get around to solving it.

Reading about the FourSight framework also helped me to think about how my preferences might show up to others. Depending on the group, a Clarifier might be perceived as someone who is either thoughtful and thorough or someone who shoots down ideas and is hypercritical. Being aware of this can help me to understand how to communicate and work with team members who have preferences that are different from mine. It can also challenge me to think more creatively. I am better at moving beyond the Clarifying stage than I used to be, but it doesn't always feel comfortable. I often have to remind myself that the answer does not always lie in more information, and that ambiguity is okay.

Think about the last problem you solved in the context of the four stages: Clarifying, Ideating, Developing, and Implementing. Are there any stages you tend to rush or skip entirely? Learning about the different stages and profiles of problem solving can help you learn more about yourself, your team members, and the way you work together. What are you missing by only approaching problems in a way that makes you comfortable?

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