One thing we can all agree on right now is that we are facing some serious problems. Sometimes it feels like we are treating or addressing symptoms rather than getting to the heart of the matter to create systemic solutions. What if we all became better problem solvers in our communities, companies, and families? On this week’s riff I am joined by my longtime friend Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, a master problem solver and author of What's Your Problem: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve, the step-by-step book that shows you why you are solving all of the wrong problems and how to start solving the right ones.
"The author makes a compelling case that we often start solving a problem before thinking deeply about whether we are solving the right problem. If you want the superpower of solving better problems, read this book." -- Eric Schmidt, former CEO, Google.
Highlights from this episode:
7:27 Problem Finding 8:08 A Solution in Search of a Problem: Cisco Example
12:40 BP and Castrol Examples 15:30 Anchor Into Market Needs
16:45 Co-created by Prehype 19:45 The Adjacent Possible and Radical Innovation
21:30 Corporate Venturing
22:15 Incremental Change and Risk Management
24:15 Nokia Example
25:25 Reframing Problems: Is This the Right Problem to Solve?
33:35 Optionality
35:55 Problem Reframing Process
37:40 Co-created by Prehype
39:35 Democratizing Problem Solving
43:00 Problem Solving for Kids Hudson Labs Example
46:39 Reframing for New Problems
49:45 Publishing a Book During COVID-19
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