“Great problem-solvers avoid being trapped into solving the wrong problem by defining the problem without prejudice or assumption” — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“For problems of any significant difficulty, you need to start with your hands in your pockets, and your senses open. You need… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“In my own experience I have found that most problem-solving methods promote guessing at some point in the process, but that it… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“Keep in mind that the method you choose to guide you is of little use without strong problem-solving behaviors.” — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“Clear your mind of prejudices and assumptions, and look to define the problem as something you can objectively measure to determine whether… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“To solve truly hard problems, you’ll need to use a method that doesn’t involve guessing in any step.” — 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
“how do you utilize experts properly? The first rule is stop asking them to solve your problem. Don’t ask them, “what’s causing… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“So what is a relevant fact? It’s a fact that’s going to answer the question you’re asking that takes you to the… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“If you believe that complex solutions are better than simple ones, or if you believe it’s better to take a simple guessing… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“When a system isn’t working right, someone has to understand how it’s meant to work, at the right depth, in order to… — 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
“Truly solving the problem involves understanding what’s wrong and why it happened, through investigation and understanding—not by spending days or weeks testing… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“There are even a lot of formal problem-solving methods that actively encourage expanding possibilities when problem-solving. As I’ve said before, expansive thinking… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“Embrace your ignorance. Most people try to solve problems using the knowledge they already have about a process, but it’s what you… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“whenever you read a method step such as “determine possible root causes,” this is a red flag for your problem-solving method.” — 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
“problem-solving that relies on pattern-finding is of no use at all. If we look at the Challenger space shuttle catastrophe, there weren’t… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“A great problem-solver won’t attempt to learn everything: To do so will waste tremendous time without making progress. Spending a few weeks… — Nat Greene Copy Share Image
“Successfully solving hard problems requires knowing what problem you’re solving. You should put great care into defining the problem in an accurate… — 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
