Problem? Opportunity? Problems/Improvement...

Two types of opportunity:-

Those that involve the creation of something new
Those that signal a chance to improve


Problem solving usually gets triggered by a perceived "below-normal" performance measure or similar.
Improvement usually means to try to move above the normal performance measure.

There tend to be few differences between methods/techniques for problem solving vs improvement.

"Simple" means the opposite of "complex". It does not mean "easy to solve".

Flood and Jackson (Creative Problem Solving 1991) :-

Simple Problems:-

• Small number of elements
• Few interactions between elements
• Attributes of elements are predetermined
• Interaction between elements is highly organisaed
• Well-defined laws govern behaviour
• No evolution over time
• Single set of goals
• Strong boundary

Complex Problems:-

• Large number of elements
• Many interactions between elements
• Attributes of elements are not predetermined
• Interaction between elements is loosely organised
• Ill-defined laws govern behaviour
• Evolve over time
• Complex set of goals
• Weak Boundary

It is important to consider the context of the problem - the terms goals and boundary help with this.

Flood and Jackson's three types of political/cultural problem contexts:-

• Unitary (common interests, compatible values/beliefs, agreed ends/means, participative decision making, agreed objectives)
• 
  
• Pluralist (compatibility of interest, some divergence of values/beliefs, compromise on ends/means possible, participative decision making, agreed objectives)
• 
  
• Coercive (no common interests, conflicting values/beliefs, no compromise on unagreed ends/means, coercive decision making, unagreed objectives)

Ackoff's "messes vs problems" (see also B822)
Messes - dynamic situations that consist of complex systems of changing problems that interact with each other
Problems - extracted from messes by analysis. Atomic parts of messes. Individual problems may be "solved".

Ackoff says that the solutions to individual problems cannot be "added" to form a solution to a mess as those solutions will interact with themselves and the mess.

Rittel "wicked vs tame" (see also B822!)

Tame Problems - can be specified in a form agreed by the relevant parties ahead of the analysis
Wicked Problems - many alternative types and levels of explanation of the phenomena of concern, and the type of explanation determines the nature of the solution

Schon's metaphors (again B822!) - swamp vs high ground

swampy lowland - messy confusing problems defy technical solution where the important problems are
high ground - easier to solve less important problems

Ravetz - practical vs technical problems

Technical - those for which at the start of problem analysis there exists a clear function to be performed

Practical - those for which there is at least a basic general statement of purpose



Juran and Gryna's sporadic vs chronic

Sporadic - sudden adverse change in the status quo
Chronic - an adverse situation that has existed for a long time and remedied by changing the status quo


Ackoff says problems can be solved, resolved or dissolved:-

solved - decision maker selects those values of the controlled variables which maximise the value of the outcome
resolved - decision maker selects those values of the controlled variables that do not maximise the value of the outcome but produce an outcome that is good enough
dissolved - changing the calues so the choices available are no longer meaningful (eg the problem of which car to buy; deciding not to bother and take public transport instead)