Framing work as problems to solve encourages individuals to think creatively and generate innovative solutions. Implementing solutions based on this problem-solving approach involves experimentation. Instead of relying on a single solution, teams test their ideas on a smaller scale, gather feedback, and refine their approach based on the results. This iterative process allows for continuous improvement and refinement of solutions.
Defining the business problem to be solved can be a useful practice. It can be helpful to state the following three things to define a business problem clearly:
- The current goals of the product.
- The problem the business wants to be addressed and how we know this is a problem.
- A request for improvement with success criteria that do not dictate a specific solution.
Where we are building a new product rather than adding to an existing one, the focus can be adapted to define the satisfaction gap we are planning to fill and our strategy to fill it.
A good business problem statement stays focused on the problem rather than a solution and is clear about the associated value for a customer. It will leave space for creative solutions to follow later.
The following Business Problem Statement template can be used:
[Our service/product] was designed to achieve [these goals]. We have observed [in this way] that the product/service isn’t meeting these goals which is causing [this adverse effect/business issue] to our business.
The challenge with taking time to define business problems is that there will often be pressure to move straight to solutions. People will say that the problem is obvious and that we shouldn’t waste time defining it this way. However, the problem is often not obvious, and if we do not take the time to explain it, there is a significant risk that people involved in developing the product will not understand why they are doing the work. This may lead to incorrect choices further down the line due to a lack of fundamental understanding of the work’s origins. If people do not fully understand the problem, there is a significant risk they will not be able to solve it.