Problem Solving Leadership Archives - Page 2 of 2

5 Questions to Frame the Problem Space

by Don Gray | Feb 7, 2025 | blog post, Problem Solving Leadership

Jerry Weinberg defined a problem as “a difference between what I have and what I want.” When solving our own problems, this can be difficult enough. When we solve problems for other people, which is most of what software development is about, the...

Don’t Just Do Something …

by Don Gray | Jan 28, 2025 | blog post, Problem Solving Leadership

The First Rule of Problem Solving Odd as it seems, not all problems have to be solved. Action may actually create a problem that didn’t exist in the first place. The problem-solving starting point should be “Don’t just do something, stand...

Training or Learning?

by Esther Derby | Jan 21, 2025 | blog post, Problem Solving Leadership

Many training classes are designed to reduce variation—to ensure that people approach a task the same way. These classes reduce variety another way. They’re designed for people in a particular functional role or specialty. Think programming language classes,...

Mess or Problem?

by Don Gray | Jan 16, 2025 | blog post, Problem Solving Leadership

Most of us in the software field are problem solvers. When we face a problem, we try to solve it. But some problems are vexatious—they don’t stay fixed. In that case you may be facing many problems that are all tangled together—a mess. The Zeroth Rule of Problem...

Solving Other People’s Problems

by Don Gray | Jan 9, 2025 | blog post, Problem Solving Leadership

I love to solve problems. Most people I’ve met in software development love to solve problems too. When you develop skill at problem solving, you get bigger, more complicated problems. These problems are given to you by someone such as the product owner, your...

What Is Congruence?

by Esther Derby | Dec 16, 2024 | blog post, Influence, Problem Solving Leadership

At its very simplest, you might think that congruence means “say what you mean and mean what you say.” However, that definition has real limitations. Consider a conference session I attended. Brad, a consultant, stood at the front of a packed room, and shared stories...

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