Problem-solving follows a four step process

Solving problems (including shifting a paradigm) tend to follow four steps:

1. Recognize the problem – This includes acknowledging that the current approach (strategy, paradigm, etc) is failing.
2. Discover the cause – This involves seeking to understand the system as a whole in order to understand the context and dynamics of the factors and forces constraining the system and causing the problem(s).
3. Address the cause – Adjust the system so as to relax or change the constraints that cause the problem(s).
4. Identify the solution – The process of trial and error may require perseverance, but eventually produces a change (or series of changes) that resolves the problem.

a four step process leads to an insight, which only seems to appear instantly: The current problem solving strategy fails to yield a solution, given the existing constraints. There is a tacit consideration of the new constraints in the strategy. The constraints are relaxed (or changed) in a new way, thus broadening the problem space and allowing for further consideration. Many changes in constraints lead nowhere, but, with perseverance, a change may be made that leads at once to a solution of the problem. ([7](file:///Users/timj/Dropbox/Library/Journal%20Article/Abductive%20Thinking%20and%20Sensemaking_Kolko_22.pdf))^[1]

#metacognition #systems-thinking #innovation

See also:

• Paradigms change when they can no longer address anomalies
• Concept maps are graphical representations of mental models
• Scouts frequently update their maps
• Systems Thinking perceives the relationships and structure of complex systems