Become a dragon master

As leaders, problem solving is pretty much what we do all day, every day. But it’s also one of the skills that can be tricky. Complex problems, which are often ill-defined with multiple conflicting objectives can be daunting, which is why we developed a three-step framework to tackle such problems: frame, explore, decide—or FrED.

Framing

Framing the problem consists of clearly specifying what it is and what it isn’t. Essentially, you are answering the question, what’s my problem? Although this seems straightforward on the face of it, people often take it for granted, acting too fast. It is important to challenge yourself to check whether you are focusing on the actual pain rather than a symptom or a different problem altogether. When we challenge our assumptions of what the problem is with critical…