Are Your Lights On?

Part 1: WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

1. A PROBLEM

What is the problem?
Who has a problem?
What is the essence of your problem?

2. PETER PIGEONHOLE PREPARED A PETITION

How can we determine "What is wrong?"
What is wrong?
What can be done about it?

3. WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?

A problem is a difference between things as desired and things as perceived.
Phantom problems are real problems.

Part 2: WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

4. BILLY BRIGHTEYES BESTS THE BIDDERS

Don't take their solution method for a problem definition.
If you solve their problem too readily they'll never believe you've solved their real problem.

5. BILLY BITES HIS TONGUE

Don't mistake a solution method for a problem definition - especially if it's your own solution method.

6. BILLY BACK TO THE BIDDERS

You can never be too sure you have a correct definition, even after the problem is solved.
Don't leap to conclusions, but don't ignore your first impression.

Part 3: WHAT IS THE PROBLEM REALLY?

7. THE ENDLESS CHAIN

Each solution is the source of the next problem.
The trickiest part of certain problems is just recognizing their existence.
If you can't think of at least three things that might be wrong with your understanding of the problem, you don't understand the problem.

8. MISSING THE MISFIT

Don't leap to conclusions, but don't ignore your first impression.
Test your definition on a foreigner, someone blind, or a child, or make yourself foreign, blind or childlike.
Each new point of view will produce a new misfit.

9. LANDING ON THE LEVEL

How could we change the problem statement to make the solution different?
What am I solving?

10. MIND YOUR MEANING

Once you have a problem statement in words, play with the words until the statement is in everyone's head.

Part 4: WHOSE PROBLEM IS IT?

11. SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES

Whose problem is it?
Don't solve other people's problems when they can solve them perfectly well themselves.
If it's their problem, make it their problem.

12. THE CAMPUS THAT WAS ALL SPACED OUT

Whose problem is it?
If a person is in a position to do something about a problem, but doesn't have the problem, then do something so he does.
Try blaming yourself for a change - even for a moment.

13. THE LIGHTS AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Whose problem is it?
If people really have their lights on, a little reminder may be more effective than your complicated solution.

Part 5: WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

14. JANET JAWORSKI JOGGLES A JERK

Where does this problem come from?

15. MISTER MATCZYSZYN MENDS THE MATTER

Where does this discourtesy come from?

16. MAKE-WORKS AND TAKE CREDITS

Where does the problem come from?
There's two kinds of people in the world...

17. EXAMINATIONS AND OTHER PUZZLES

Where does the problem come from?
Who sent this problem?
What's he trying to do to me?

Part 6: DO WE REALLY WANT TO SOLVE IT?

18. TOM TIRELESS TINKERS WITH TOYS

In spite of appearances, people seldom know what they want until you give them what they ask for.

19. PATIENCE PLAYS POLITICS

Not too many people, in the final analysis, really want their problems solved.

20. A PRIORITY ASSIGNMENT

Do we really want a solution?
We never have enough time consider whether we want it, but we always have enough time to regret it.
The fish is always last to see water.