How To Breed An Innovative Business Idea — #25 of 31 Proven Skills [Research]
Skill #25 See the Problem as the Pathway
The negative human attitude to problems encourages us to turn our backs on them rather than seeing them as a source of opportunity. This erodes the possibilities for personal innovating because invariably innovative solutions are often hidden behind ‘undesirable’ problems. Unless problems are welcomed — even sought out — the potential for innovation is severely diminished
The Problem with Problems
Let’s conduct a little experiment. Here are some common dictionary definitions of the word “problem”:
OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY
“a thing that is difficult to deal with or to understand”
MERRIAM-WEBSTER
“a question or difficulty calling for a solution or causing concern”
COLLINS ENGLISH DICTIONARY
“a problem is a situation that is unsatisfactory and causes difficulties for people”
DICTIONARY.COM
“any question or matter involving doubt, uncertainty, or difficulty”
Admittedly one of the definitions also encompasses the notion of a problem also being something that requires a solution but the overall thrust of these definitions is their tenor — they are overwhelmingly negative.
Not surprisingly, this sentiment carries into our day-to-day living. For most of us, problems are something we prefer not to experience. We don’t like them; we don’t want them. Out of sight, out of mind is an ideal category in which to lump them. That is the problem with problems. They are very unpopular.
The notion of ideas is positive. The prospect of problems is negative. This unfortunate juxtaposition seriously inhibits progress in personal innovating. As we will see shortly, if you want to innovate deliberately, you must start with the problem that is stopping you from doing what you want to do. The more intimately you know and understand a problem, the more likely it is that you will be able to innovate through it. Even indifference can hinder any innovative efforts. In fact, instead of harboring a negative view of problems, you should embrace them as you would a friend. Problems are the pathway to an innovative solution.
A Fresh View of Problems
We have been conditioned to regard problems negatively. As human knowledge has increased, and more tellingly, as the communication and sharing of human knowledge have increased, the undesirable role of problems is being reinforced. Almost by definition, any explaining or recounting of the ebb and flow of human affairs must acknowledge the part played by problems. Progress is described and celebrated in its achievements in spite of the many and varied problems encountered along the way. Rarely is advancement observed as having occurred because of problems.
But this hasn’t always been the case. In his stimulating book, The Obstacle Is The Way, Ryan Holliday establishes his entire thesis on a few words written by the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, in the year 170. After a short preamble, the monarch concludes with:
“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way”.
It would be a mistake to regard what Marcus Aurelius wrote from his lofty position as merely a shrewd comment on what he had seen and experienced. He wasn’t reflecting on the past; he was arguing for the need to see difficulties as the key to progress. Ryan Holiday elaborates on this from multiple perspectives in his book. Problems should be searched out rather than avoided; they should literally be embraced because they are the elusive means to otherwise unobtainable ends. They can turn liabilities into assets and adversity to advantage.
From the research I have completed into thousands of business problems that were resolved innovatively, the path to an eventual solution invariably passed through the intrinsic problem. This is not to say that those involved knowingly focused on the problem right from the start. Sometimes the solution is achieved through relentless trial and error. Sometimes it is stumbled upon fortuitously. Sometimes a known, parallel situation proves to be adaptable to the one at hand and an analogous solution is formulated. But even though it may be clumsy or lucky, a forensic look after the event reveals the central role that the inherent obstacle plays, whether the champion of the initiative realizes it or not.
With the benefit of hindsight and an understanding of the facilitating role that a problem plays in the generation of a successful innovative result, it is obvious that Skill #25: See the Problem as the Pathway is indispensable. To become proficient in the 31 personal innovative skills that research has revealed, it is essential to acquire the art of seeing problems as your friend.
Defining Problems
As a first step, let’s adopt a problem definition that is reasonably impartial, one that is not loaded with negativity. A useful definition is:
“A problem is something that blocks us from achieving an objective or goal.”
It is important to avoid being dragged into an arm wrestle over just what the real problem is. Many books are written on how to identify and define problems. Admittedly there is complexity involved. At what level should you define the problem? At the strategic level? At the tactical level? What is the root cause? How do you know it is the root cause? And so on.
But here, we are going to keep it simple. If problems are the pathway, we do not concern ourselves as to whether it is technically the right path. Ultimately, we want an innovative solution that enables us to achieve our goal. At that point, the exactitude of our problem-defining efforts is totally inconsequential.
Here is an approach that works.
Let us assume that a medical practice experiences loss of income when patients fail to turn up for appointments.
A simple way of identifying a problem is to reduce it to its nucleus or crux, using as few words as possible. Just the obvious problem obstacle and a suitable adjective that captures why the obstacle is a problem.
And then, expressing the opposite of the nucleus of the problem, automatically reveals what the solution looks like.
So, continuing with our example where no-show patients are costing money:
The goal: Avoid loss of income from missed patient appointments.
Problem Nucleus: Unreliable patients
Problem Solution: Reliable patients
The desirable goal state — the problem solution in other words — is therefore one where all patients turn up for their bookings. The required innovative answer is one that achieves an outcome that achieves or is close to this ideal.
To complete the illustration, the medical practice concerned commissions an analysis of essential data it holds about its patients and can construct a clever algorithm that predicts the type of patient who might not show up for their appointment. This is used to schedule such people at times when a ‘no-show’ has the least financial impact. This could be at the end of the day for instance, outside of normal hours. This innovative initiative goes a long way toward achieving the desired goal state of “Reliable patients”.
As counter-intuitive — and indeed as uncomfortable — as it might feel, adopting a problem-friendly mindset is a critical stepping stone on the path to regular, successful innovating. This does not need to be a highly intellectual undertaking. Reducing an obvious problem to its fundamentals, simply described, not only brings clarity, but also allows maximum concentration on its innovative resolution.
Takeaway
*Thousands of categorized innovative business ideas can be found at Sebir.com
