Have A Problem You Can't Solve? Reframe It

If you have a problem and you can't solve it, it's time to reframe it.

Reframing a problem is simple. You force yourself to look at it from another perspective.

Why would this help?

Because most of the time the problem is a result of how you are seeing or understanding the problem. You are using your own assumptions and experience to solve what's in front of you, however these are often the same things that created the environment where the problem is thriving.

People will often confuse problems, causes and effects. We take for granted our own default node network and the role it plays in everything we perceive. 

The best approach to reframing a problem has two elements. First you need to understand how something got to the way it is today. Second, you have to drop everything you already know about the situation and start with a beginner's mind.

Innovative solutions are a result of thinking about a problem differently than you (or other people) already have been. You have to challenge conventional thinking but to do this, you need to map out how you got to where you are now.

A few ways you can use to reframe a problem:

1. If We Were Building This Again
   
   This is a strategy I used a lot with my teams over the years. It's common that barriers to solving a problem are linked to the past; constraints that people believe HAVE to be adhered to or some limiting factor from the business, technology, staff, market, etc.
   Often we forget about all of the progress we have made over the years. Challenging yourself on how you would design a solution for today if you were a new start-up for example is extremely powerful
   
   
2. Ask Questions, A Lot More Questions
   
   This is the superpower you forgot you had at 5 years old. Being able to ask good questions immediately improves results, (re)learning to ask more questions and to stay curious longer is where exceptional results come from.
   
   There is a real disconnect between a novice and expert. Most people "with the knowledge" don't even realize how much they skip over, how many small details are so baked into their brain that they don't even think about them when being asked to describe a process. Take the role of novice and ask about each step, how each link is connected to the next.
   The second you get "I'm not sure, that's how it's always been done", you're onto something.
   
   
3. Yes, the Answer is Yes
   
   Start at the end. Describe and frame out your ideal solution. How does it work? What does it look like? What exactly did you build without barriers?
   
   From there, start stepping backwards from that perfect Utopia, identifying all of the things that you need or would have built to make that happen. Keep walking it back to your current state. That's what you need to do to get to where you want to be.
   
   Only one rule. You stay focused on yes and don't deviate from the idea that it will happen. So, not "but" only "yes and".