Problem-Solving Frameworks, Explained

Short, practical guides to the methods in The Problem-Solving Toolkit: what each framework is for, how to use it step by step, and where it tends to go wrong.

• 5 Whys Root Cause Analysis: Dig Past the Symptom Without Blaming People

  How to run a 5 Whys root cause analysis that rests on evidence: a measured problem statement, verified answers, branching chains, the "therefore" test and a countermeasure with an owner.

• Hypothesis-Driven Problem Solving: Start with a Best Guess and Try to Kill It

  How hypothesis-driven problem solving works: writing a falsifiable hypothesis, breaking it into must-be-true claims, setting kill criteria before you see data, and updating honestly.

• Issue Tree Example: Turn One Big Question into Work You Can Assign

  How to build an issue tree step by step, with a worked diagnostic issue tree example, the answerability and so-what tests, and the mistakes that make trees useless.

• SCQA Template: Frame Any Problem in Four Moves (with Examples)

  A practical SCQA template for kickoffs and recommendations: Situation, Complication, Question, Answer, the tests for each block, and the answer-first ASC version.

• MECE Examples: How to Break Down a Problem with No Gaps and No Overlaps

  What MECE means, the five splitting logics that make it work, worked MECE examples, and the two tests that tell you whether your categories are clean.

Want the whole method in one place? Read Chapter 1 for free.