8.2Diagnosing purposes and problems

Purposes

In Breakthrough thinking, Gerald Nadler and Shozo Hibino explain why focusing on purposes is fundamental to successful problem-solving.1 They emphasize that defining the purposes of working on a problem ensures that you will apply your efforts in areas where you can have the greatest impact. Instead of starting diagnosis by asking “What’s wrong here? What’s the matter?”, the consultant should ask first “What are we trying to accomplish here? What are we trying to do?” This will help to avoid (a) the conventional urge to start by collecting data and analysing the situation, and (b) working on or being sold a solution to a wrong problem (“moving faster in the wrong direction”).

An array of purposes to be achieved by the project should be constructed. In this way the consultant acknowledges that there is a wide range of motivations and results possible in applying change to an existing condition. The problem will be seen in the right perspective if the array of purposes listed is broad enough, and includes small and immediate purposes as well as very broad and far-reaching purposes that are beyond any immediate solution.

It will then be important to identify the focus purpose. This will be one that meets all or most of the criteria discussed and chosen by the consultant and the client (such as management’s aims, potential financial benefits, cost and capital factors, time limitations, constraints imposed by legislation, future development potential, employment potential, learning opportunities, etc.). Small, limited and trivial purposes that cannot meet these criteria will be eliminated. Excessively broad, distant, risky, costly or unrealistic purposes, as well as those that the stakeholders would not support, will also be eliminated (see example in box 8.1).