Skip to main content

"You Are Solving The Wrong Problem"

Paul MacCready, considered to be one of the best mechanical engineers of the 20th century, said it best: 
The problem is we don’t understand the problem.
"You Are Solving The Wrong Problem" outlines the fundamental steps, mental processes, strategies, and common hurdles involved in effective problem-solving.

Summary

  • Problem-Solving Steps: It details a structured, multi-step approach: identifying the issue by gathering and analyzing information, deciding to address the problem by weighing the pros and cons of taking action, understanding the issue to avoid making it worse, investigating various options to make an informed decision, and finally, taking steps to achieve your objectives based on a clear understanding of the root cause.
  • Mental Processes: The article explains the cognitive aspects of problem-solving, such as identifying a problem cognitively (recognizing and correcting biased thinking), making a mental representation of the situation (visualizing the problem to gain new perspective), and taking into account important pertinent information.

Problem-Solving Strategies

  • Algorithms: A step-by-step procedure that guarantees a correct outcome but can be time-consuming.
  • Heuristics: A mental shortcut or "rule of thumb" that simplifies complex problems but doesn't guarantee a correct solution.
  • Trial & Error: Trying different solutions until one works, best for a limited number of possibilities.
  • Insight: When the solution appears suddenly, often by recognizing a pattern from a previous experience.

Hurdles

The article also identifies common obstacles to effective problem-solving, including assumptions about limitations, functional fixedness (only seeing an object's typical use), irrelevant or deceptive information, and mental preparedness (relying on old solutions instead of exploring new ones).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Secret to Increased Productivity – Single Tasking

There is a myth of multitasking, which many have bought into, but which reduces their effectiveness and productivity. I still remember when I was struggling with this in my job and an article in   Time magazine  from 2006 struck a cord with me as I read it: There’s substantial literature on how the brain handles multitasking. And basically, it doesn’t. The Time magazine article focuses on what a 2005 Kaiser Family Foundation study dubbed "Generation M," a group of young people (ages 8 to 18) who were increasingly engaging in "media multitasking." The article found that while the total time spent with electronic media hadn't increased significantly, the amount of media consumed within that time had, thanks to activities like instant messaging while watching TV or doing homework. The key scientific finding highlighted in the article is that the human brain does not truly multitask. Instead, it performs a rapid toggling between tasks . When an individual attempts ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Love like it's the only thing that can save you

There is this something about love, about friendship - this something which I've identified as vulnerability. When we are insecure (or/if because) we've been hurt before by friends, family, lovers...there is a tendency to hide ourselves. We hide who we are so that we don't get hurt...because when we are rejected for living as we know, it is easier to hide so that the rebukes stop. I've experienced this and it hurts now to talk about it. I've felt my trust and confidence betrayed. Sometimes the worst betrayal, is when the deceiver is in my past. Or in my heart, still there. Deceiving with fantasy. Then, if that fantasy is projected onto a real person and they reject you...or reject who you pretend to be, in your fantasy, the pain doubles. To have true relationships we must feel comfortable with who we are, at least comfortable enough to show who we really are - to be vulnerable to criticism, to rejection. Otherwise we always feel like they don't know us,...
2 comments
Read more