Opportunity solving

There are an infinite number of problems out there - if you choose to see it that way - at work, in our personal lives and at a global scale. This is a collection of thoughts on the topic of problems, and how to potentially take a different approach to making your small changes in this world.

As an engineer, my job is primarily based around solving problems and secondly communicating them. We live in a social world, everything that we do is done in relation to others. Communication is the basis of collaboration, and in the world of problem solving it’s the most important thing. Here is a condensation of all the ideas that I’ve had on these topics.

🌈 Opportunities

This post was originally titled Problem solving, but after mulling over it for some time I came to the conclusion that the phrase doesn’t have a good reputation. Just the word “problem” can incite a tightness in the chest, an involuntary contraction or twinge of anxiety.

Let’s wander down the lane of a thought experiment:

🕊️

Let’s say that you were dealing with a problem during your workday. Fixing a broken car for example. Imagine that just for ten seconds, you and every other human on Earth momentarily disappeared. In those ten - incredibly peaceful - seconds, does the problem still exist? Do the birds in the sky see the problem with the broken car?

Everything remains exactly as it is, but there is no human out there to point out that there is a problem. A problem is born out of human thought - it’s purely that - a human that is unsatisfied with the way the world currently is. The world just is, perfect in each moment. Our brains automatically label, dream and categorise. When we wish the world was a different way - it is deemed a problem.

At the root of every problem is just an opportunity to change the current state of the world. The difference between problems and opportunities could be thought of as follows:

⚠️

Problem Fact: The world is a certain way Thought: You want it to be another way and expect it to be so

💡

Opportunity Fact: The world is a certain way Thought: You imagine it could be possible to be another way

Problems and opportunities are analogous in so many ways: a human thought assessing the current state of the world and dreaming up a way that it could be different. Stereotypically, problems are viewed as negative things, and opportunities positive. After the identification of either a problem or opportunity, the steps that follow are the same: either avoidance or action. Through personal experience I’ve found myself defaulting to avoidance after identifying problems, and action after labelling something as an opportunity.

What I’m proposing here is just a way to reframe situations where you need to change the world in some small way. Reframing them in a way that makes them easier and more enjoyable begin. It’s Stoic in some ways, it’s optimistic in others. I don’t mean to diminish the severity of some situations in life and negate the use of the word problem altogether. Rather, specifically in the context of work; I think that viewing most situations as opportunities rather than problems can really make life more peaceful and help you make a difference in the world.

🕰️ Clocks and ☁️ Clouds

Karl Popper has a metaphor: “Of Clocks and Clouds”, and I thought that it was so appropriate to this whole topic. In a nutshell:

⏰

Clocks symbolise systems or problems that are orderly, predictable and deterministic in nature. They can be broken down into individual pieces - like a clock - with each piece having a defined job to make up the whole system. Examples: Software systems, some business processes, absolutely all mechanical devices and chemical processes.

🌥️

Clouds represent disorderly, irregular, and probabilistic aspects of systems or problems. Unlike clocks, clouds are incredibly complex systems that cannot be broken down into smaller pieces for individual examination. They must be viewed as a whole. Examples: Human behaviour, politics, weather systems, ecosystems and financial markets.

In my humble opinion, every single opportunity (or problem) that you come across must first be categorised as either a clock or cloud. Humans like to try shove clouds into clocks, by simplifying or ignoring parts of the situation.

Many frameworks or models exist to try and make sense of these complex systems. Let’s keep it topical and look at the weather. Well, you say, my phone tells me what the weather is going to do next week and it’s almost always right. True, but what about the weather in three months time? The system is just too complex to know with any high degree of certainty. It’s commonly accepted that knowing the specific local weather in a few months time is simply impossible.

Now, I’m no expert in this area. But I have a simple approach to solving cloud ~~problems~~ opportunities:

Give my full attention to the moment 🧘‍♀️

Look for opportunities that are Clocks (that are possible to solve)💡

Collaborate 🗣️

Clouds are not problems that you can solve by yourself. They are not even understandable in full. Lean into your community, just begin, give it effort and your full presence. Clouds can be changed by adding yourself into their complex system and positively influencing it.

🧪 The scientific method

Clocks, on the other hand, are wonderfully simple in comparison. Usually products of human creation, these things can be reliably solved in sometimes the most satisfying of ways. They can also be the biggest causes of frustration when they break. Luckily for us, there is the scientific method.

The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge. Its origins stretch back hundreds of years, and can arguably be credited to the majority of scientific and technological advances that humanity have made over that same time.

The scientific method isn’t something that should be left only to theoretical physicists or people in white lab coats. Possible applications of the process are everywhere, the point of this article is to encourage its use in solving opportunities in your life.

First, let’s go through a counter argument: “I solve problems just fine as it is, I don’t need any scientific method”. That’s probably true, most small mundane opportunities in life have a very simple and obvious answer. By all means, just solve it then and there. What about when the washing machine breaks, or something goes wrong in a highly specialised field at work and the expert is on leave: scientific method time.

The official steps of the scientific method are (disclaimer: we aren’t going to go into depth here, I’m just listing them out here for interest sake):

Question: Identify a clear, specific question you want to answer based on an observation or curiosity.

Research: Gather information and existing knowledge related to your question to understand the context.

Hypothesis: Formulate an educated guess or prediction that answers your question, which can be tested.

Experiment: Design and conduct experiments to test your hypothesis, collecting data throughout.

Analyse Data: Examine the data collected from your experiments to determine patterns or trends.

Conclusion: Draw a conclusion based on your data analysis as to whether your hypothesis is supported or refuted.

Communicate: Share your findings, methodology, and conclusions with others, often through publication or presentation.

During my studies at University, specifically in first year physics, I remember rolling my eyes when the tutor gave us the Friday morning practical assignments that had to be reported within the structure of the scientific method. Four years of relentless problem solving later and I got to call myself an engineer. It’s only recently that I’m realising what an impact the scientific method had on my way of thinking. Do I follow the seven step process every time something goes wrong at work? Absolutely not. Yet, at its root, I think I follow the same process almost involuntarily.

I don’t advocate for you to whip out the scientific method to impress someone when trying to fix the WiFi router (just turn it off and on). Yet I do think that all of us are capable of solving “Clock” opportunities if we approach them methodically. The way that I approach solving clock opportunities - mostly at work, but also when a dear friend calls me to fix their internet - goes like this:

1️⃣

Define the desired state Write down the desired state. List the requirements and values of measurable metrics once you have reached that desired state. Example (in the context of my friend’s broken internet): - When I Google something, I see the result - The download speed on fast.com is more than 20 Mbps - I have full WiFi signal on my phone when sitting next to the router

2️⃣

Define the current state Quantify the current state using those requirements and metrics of the desired state. Scrutinise your knowledge of the current state, do not make any assumptions. Any false assumptions will prevent you from solving this opportunity. If there is something preventing you from defining the current state, then that is an opportunity to solve - use this method to solve it. Example: - I Google something, Chrome gives me a network error - I can’t load fast.com - I have full WiFi signal on my phone when sitting next to the router

3️⃣

Create a list of possible solutions and compare Be creative here. Let your intuition guide you. Then ask an AI and Google for some backup options just to remove any bias that you might have. Then compare and contrast all those solutions to determine which is best. Usually one option will stand out to you, trust your gut. Example: 1. Turn it off and on 2. Validate that the fibre connection is working 3. Call the internet service provider

4️⃣

Implement the best solution and re-evaluate Attempt the solution, give it your all. When you’re done, simply define the current state as per step 2️⃣. If you have reached the desired state then you’re finished! If your solution hasn’t solved it, then try out the other possible solutions. If after attempting all solutions, you still haven’t achieved the desired state. Then implement this same problem solving method to investigate both the initial state and desired state; to ensure that you didn’t have any false assumptions.

While there are many parallels to the official scientific method, I doubt that this method will hold up in any scientific journals. Yet I’ve found it simple and successful as a pragmatic way of solving, and more helpfully, communicating ~~problems~~ opportunities at work.

In the software engineering industry it’s a constant barrage of broken code, decision fatigue, new technologies to use, old technologies to maintain, bugs and more. I’ve been stuck on an issue for days at a time with little hope or light at the end of the tunnel. As my role has changed over the years, I now am more likely to get called in to help someone else who has been stuck on something for a few days. Often they have little to show for their efforts other than despair and sleep deprivation. I began asking people to complete and document the four steps above, and it’s had amazing success. Both with helping them solve the opportunity, and if not solving it, then simply communicating the context of the situation in a way not many can achieve verbally.

🎨 Communicating

This article is all about removing the anxiety and negative feelings that problems can cause. I started with reframing problems as opportunities, and then giving an outline for a way to approach these opportunities. Yet we are social beings, and almost always are doing things with teams or groups of people. Feeling alone, or misunderstood in the process of opportunity solving is the other source of negative responses. Communication is the way to solve this.

My approach to communicating opportunities is quite simple:

Break it down as per the framework above, and write it all down. Share it with people 🎁

Draw diagrams and pictures to explain the complex parts 🖼️

I love words, but that isn’t true for everyone. Many people struggle to internalise technical writing, and that is fine. I love diagrams too, and that is true almost everyone. Nick recently gave me a book titled Stuck? Diagrams Help and, on my, it is fantastic.

Verbal or written communication has so many points of translation, where meaning and understanding can break down. Through either verbal or written communication, the following needs to take place:

🤷‍♂️

Initially, Person A formulates a concept in their mind. This concept is then translated into words, based on Person A's unique understanding of language. These words are either spoken out loud or written down to be communicated to Person B, and during this transmission, there is a possibility that not all words are fully captured by Person B. Person B then interprets these words to reconstruct the concept in their own thoughts. This interpretation is influenced by Person B's slightly different understanding of the language and also their memory of what was communicated

Did that make any sense? Or is a diagram much easier to understand?


sequenceDiagram
    participant A as Person A's thoughts
    participant B as Person A
    participant C as Person B
    participant D as Person B's thoughts
		
		A->>A: A concept appears<br>in thought
    A->>B: Which is translated <br>into words that<br>represent the concept
    Note left of B: Using their unique <br>understanding of language
    B->>C: Which are spoken <br>or written
		Note left of C: During which words<br> may be missed by Person B
    C->>D: The words are then<br>used to create thoughts
    Note left of D: Using a slightly different <br>understanding of the language<br>and relying on memory

    rect rgb(255, 220, 220)
        Note over A,D: It's very easy for Person A's thought to not be properly understood by person B
    end

Diagrams tell the whole story. They allow you to arrive without your full presence of mind, and take in context slowly at your own pace. Speaking or writing requires full attention from the person receiving the information or else they stand a chance to miss crucial words or context.

Putting all your energy into verbally explaining something to someone, only for them to be distracted in the moment is not something that should surprise you. It’s just the way that humans are. Good communication means adapting to the circumstances, and taking into account your audience. Most modern day audiences are distracted and have a short attention span. Adapt your communication style to suit.

Use diagrams in situations where misunderstandings between people pose a lot of risk. My approach has almost always been to draw a diagram to substantiate something technical. (I’ve even drawn a few diagrams that have helped situations in romantic relationships)

🏁 Conclusion

Problems and opportunities only exist as thoughts in the human mind. That doesn’t negate their importance or urgency though. It is just helpful to not allow them to negatively affect us. Treat them as you do any enjoyable chore.

📝

Master opportunity solving guide: First ask: Is it a Cloud or Clock?

☁️

Clouds

Give your full attention to the moment

Look for solvable opportunities

Communicate (with diagrams) and Collaborate

🕰️

Clocks

Define the current state

Define the desired state

Create a list of possible solutions and compare

Implement the best solution and re-evaluate

And in visual form (I can’t wait for DALL-E 3 to be able to redraw Mermaid diagrams):


flowchart TD
    A[START: Opportunity]:::pastelBlue --> B{Is it a Cloud or Clock?}:::pastelPink
    B -->|Cloud| C(1. Give your full attention to the moment):::pastelGreen
    C --> D(2. Look for clock opportunities):::pastelYellow
    D -->|Evaluate opportunity| A
    D --> E(3. Communicate and Collaborate):::pastelPurple

    B -->|Clock| F(1. Define the current state):::pastelGreen
    F --> G(2. Define the desired state):::pastelYellow
    G --> H(3. Create a list of possible solutions and compare):::pastelPurple
    H --> I(4. Implement the best solution and re-evaluate):::pastelBlue
    I -->|Check the new, current state| F

classDef pastelBlue fill:#aec6cf,stroke:#000000;
classDef pastelPink fill:#fdb9c8,stroke:#000000;
classDef pastelGreen fill:#77dd77,stroke:#000000;
classDef pastelYellow fill:#fdfd96,stroke:#000000;
classDef pastelPurple fill:#c9a0dc,stroke:#000000;

I’ve prescribed a framework of sequential steps, but don’t be ruled by it. Take the parts you like, drop the parts you don’t; make it your own as long as it gets the job done. Collaboration is key - we are social beings - use this framework to better help you communicate opportunities to others.

Hopefully reframing problems as opportunities and having this fallback framework can bring some calm into solving the everyday opportunities of your life.