“Great problem-solvers avoid being trapped into solving the wrong problem by defining the problem without prejudice or assumption” — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“Great problem-solvers also have opinions; what makes them different is that they recognize them for what they are and then set them… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“every unsolved problem is bottlenecked by not understanding the root cause at a fundamental level, and every single one needs some great… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“Truly great problem-solvers powerfully communicate the value of the problem-solving process and difficulty of the problem once the solution is found.” — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“Great problem-solvers resist the temptation to guess at every stage of the process. Guessing is a tough habit to break, so get… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“Great problem solvers develop the questions that they want to answer before they go about collecting information and data, rather than depending… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“Great problem-solvers aren’t afraid of their ignorance, and they’re not afraid of others seeing it. Great questions shatter assumptions, provoke new insight,… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“Great problem-solvers know that they must become masters of the unique problem and the process it affects, and that when they walk… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“Know what problem you’re solving. Often, people work on the wrong problem entirely by making some implicit assumption about what’s causing it.… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“If you believe that success is inevitable, you’re less likely to work your tail off in order to achieve it. Hard problems… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“If you believe that success is inevitable, you’re less likely to work your tail off in order to achieve it. Hard problems are definitely… — Nat Greene Copy Share
“To solve truly hard problems, you’ll need to use a method that doesn’t involve guessing in any step.” — Nat Greene Copy Share
“Defining the acceptable and unacceptable ranges for this variable means that the problem definition is objective and immune to opinion.” — Nat Greene Copy Share
“Embrace your ignorance. Most people try to solve problems using the knowledge they already have about a process, but it’s what you don’t know… — Nat Greene Copy Share
“When a system isn’t working right, someone has to understand how it’s meant to work, at the right depth, in order to fix it.… — Nat Greene Copy Share
“When you move down your tree, keep in mind there may be multiple variables contributing to the failure.” — Nat Greene Copy Share
“There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the latter ignorance. —HIPPOCRATES, ANCIENT GREEK FOUNDER OF THE SCIENCE OF… — Nat Greene Copy Share
“We need to understand what variables most directly control our primary variable by understanding the science behind how the system works.” — Nat Greene Copy Share
“Perhaps many aid organizations make assumptions about the problem they are solving, and throw hundreds of billions of dollars at the problem to little… — Nat Greene Copy Share
“The last major risk to getting good facts is our own prejudices. While we may not always test a solution based on our opinions… — Nat Greene Copy Share
“most methods disguise the guessing stage in some fancy language, such as “determine possible root causes.” This is making a list of guesses, and… — Nat Greene Copy Share
“Perhaps the most useful approach for defining the problem well is structuring it as a measurable variable.” — Nat Greene Copy Share
“Don’t confuse believing in a simple solution with hoping that a simple guess will work.” — Nat Greene Copy Share
“Keep in mind that the method you choose to guide you is of little use without strong problem-solving behaviors.” — Nat Greene Copy Share
“Even when diving into a problem, there’s a fear of looking ignorant or “stupid” by asking questions one is “supposed to know.” — Nat Greene Copy Share
