Many companies only have two broad Realms of Data, upon which all decisions are made: That which is Known and everything else, which is Unknown. Operating within this Known/Unknown Dichotomy leads to action paralysis and restriction of actions.
There is a third Realm of Data, which I call the Knowable. This bridges the gap between the Known and the Unknown, shining a light on the specter of the unknown.
The key, then, is to determine what we could know. We must approach the problem from a perspective and the fundamental belief that it is possible to discover and learn from what we do not know. This takes us from a state of inaction and paralysis, to one of action. From this perspective, even small actions and tiny bits of new information is useful because it leads to greater knowledge.
Imagine pushing a car downhill. The process of uncovering data begins slow and takes great effort before it can build momentum. The first few steps are the hardest; then momentum takes over and there’s no stopping it. No momentum can be gained if we never even start.
There are two immediately accessible methods:
Narrow your focus
Focus on and rapidly pursue small-scale, immediate, measurable actions. Iterate rapidly and change constantly as new data is obtained. Build out from there until the problem no longer exists. Refuse to stop just because “it’s not as bad as it was” – pursue it to its eradication.
Use a standard analysis approach (seen in LEAN and AGILE frameworks)
- Identify the Symptoms. How do we know there’s a problem?
- Define the Problem. Is it a problem, or just another symptom?
- Describe the Desired End-State. How do we know we’ve found a solution?
- Redefine the Problem by breaking it down into its component parts. Consider impact hierarchies, grade on multiple scales. How specific can we get?
- Examine the Broader Context, look for gaps in your data or analysis. What haven’t we considered?
- Take action based on immediacy and ease of implementation. How quickly can we start correcting?
- Repeat these steps as a cycle.
Other methods exist. But these are two detailed items you can use. I ask a lot of questions. The solution to your problem will only be as good as the questions you ask to find it. That’s why I’m an expert at identifying gaps in values and actions: I’ve been analyzing and asking uncomfortable, difficult questions since I entered the job market in 2005.
Once you identify the approach of your solution, you must Deliberately Guard Against Future Failure.
- Review past attempts to address the problem. Clearly state all actions and assumptions considered at that time. Identify exactly what worked and what didn’t.
- Address gaps in past attempts. Clearly it failed to some extent: here is the problem, again, persisting. Be honest. Did we make assumptions? Did we exclude specific parties? Did we overlook feedback because we didn’t like it?
- Introspection is key. How often do we revisit this problem? Is our explanation for its persistence legitimate? Are we resilient enough to try multiple solutions without immediately-measurable ROI? Are we willing to hold ourselves as leaders accountable for the persistence of this problem?
Many business leaders find themselves in the uncomfortable position of being backed into a corner: they cannot ask hard-hitting questions due to the environment around them. To ask such questions would be “bad.” This is why you hire someone from the outside, someone whose job it is to ask deep questions because they’re trying to save your company.