TriAgile 2021

How do you prove you have problem-solving skills? Every organization has problems they want to solve. And most knowledge workers claim to be critical thinkers. (So much so, the phrase “problem-solving skills” has become such a cliché that Monster.com says is one of the top 10 terms that “ruin a resume.”)

Whether you claim to be a problem-solver or not, the reality may be less common than you think. People report they feel they have to make quick judgments or decisions that keep them from applying the inter-related skills that make-up problem-solving. (Like analysis, evaluation, and creativity.) A sign you have fallen into the trap of cause-and-effect or first-level thinking is when you hear phrases along the lines of “This is the obvious answer.”

Second-level thinking is applying critical thought processes to go beyond the apparent cause and effect to thinking through various consequences of actions. Things to listen for from Second-Level thinkers are questions such as “And then what?”

How do you amplify your second-level thinking? Discovery techniques can help us explore second-level thinking and demonstrate our problem-solving. A few techniques are Cost of Delay, Impact Mapping, and Opportunity Tree Mapping. These techniques help us explore questions like “What is the range of likely future outcomes? Which outcome do I think will occur? What is the probability I’m right?”

Demonstrating the ability to solve complex problems is a powerful skill. Whether your competition is eating your market share, or it’s a more personal journey like competing in a saturated job market, or you have a growing desire to work on more strategic objectives, we can all learn to do better. In this interactive workshop, we will explore Theresa Torres’ method Opportunity Tree Mapping. This exercise brilliantly combines second-level thinking with elements of design thinking. Along the way, you will discover the power of breaking your own confirmation bias, making your thinking visible so that others can critique it, and how to flex your problem-solving skills.