
How to make your ‘imposter’ monster a trusted friend
Most of us have an inner demon that says, “You’re not good enough”. And, in an era when leaders are expected to question themselves and their decisions, imposter syndrome could be on...
by Arnaud Chevallier, Albrecht Enders Published 15 September 2021 in Brain Circuits • 2 min read
Although solving problems intuitively can be a disaster, too much analysis can be equally nefarious and potentially lead to paralysis by analysis. What you need is a process that covers all necessary bases at a level of detail commensurate for the problem at hand. We have identified a simple three-step process to get to the heart of complex problems and enable you to make better decisions. Give it a try.
Step 1: Frame
Complex problems are rarely what they appear to be on first look. To better understand what you are dealing with, frame the problem by asking yourself “What is my problem?” Hint: you can safely assume that whatever you think your problem is right now probably isn’t your actual problem.
Step 2: Explore
Do not rely on intuition. No matter how much faith you have in your own judgment, if you rely strictly on your instincts you will miss the opportunity to see things from an alternative perspective. Instead, explore potential solutions. That is, ask yourself “How may I solve my problem?” It is equally important to explore what matters to you; that is, the various attributes of a solution that would make it more attractive to you.
Step 3: Decide
In most cases, one solution isn’t consistently superior to all others on all attributes. To make your decision, answer your question, “How should I solve my problem?” Surface the trade-offs for each solution, identifying what you are ready to give away that you value so that you can get a little more of something else that you value even more.
Frame, explore, decide, or FrED, for short. For most complex problems, your understanding of the problem changes as your progress through the analysis. The three steps aren’t so much a linear sequence as they are elements of an iterative loop. Do not hesitate to revise previous conclusions as new evidence surfaces.
Professor of Strategy at IMD
Arnaud Chevallier is Professor of Strategy at IMD, Director of the Global Management Foundations program, and Co-Director of the Complex Problem Solving program. His research, teaching, and consulting on strategic thinking bridges disciplines to provide concrete tools to improve decision making and corporate problem solving. He has written two books: Strategic Thinking in Complex Problem Solving and Solvable: A Simple Solution to Complex Problems, co-authored with Albrecht Enders.
Professor of Innovation and Strategy at IMD
Albrecht Enders is Professor of Strategy and Innovation at IMD and co-director of  the Transition of Business Leadership program, and the Complex Problem Solving. His major research, teaching, and consulting interests are in the areas of managing discontinuous change and top-team strategy development processes. Before joining IMD, Professor Enders spent three years as a consultant with The Boston Consulting Group in Cologne where he worked on projects in the areas of financial services, energy, and industrial goods.
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