Complex Problems are Big Opportunities…
…if you find the right problem to solve. One of the most valuable things a leader can do is help their team filter the noise and choose the right opportunity to focus on. To make a bigger impact on customers and stakeholders, you need to move the needle on issues that matter — you’ve got to identify the problem worth solving.
YES! Go Big with your ambitions, but don’t let people waste time on the wrong problems or spin their wheels talking in circles.
Be bold, but be focused. This is exactly what The PA Early Learning Investment Commission (PA ELIC) did when they engaged Align to help address the complex socio-economic challenge of increasing access to affordable childcare.
There’s a very good chance you know someone with kids in childcare or at home with their young kids.
Lack of affordable childcare affects over 100,000 Americans monthly and costs $122 billion in lost earnings each year. In December 2023, the Shapiro administration unveiled plans to tackle complex problems facing Pennsylvanians, including economic development, affordable housing, and the childcare crisis. Here’s how Align is helping public and private sector leaders tackle the childcare crisis.
Define the Problem Worth Solving in Five Steps.
Often, when teams try to address complex problems, like the lack of affordable childcare, they get stuck on the first step. They struggle to define the specific aspects of the problem where they could get traction. And not for the reasons you might think. Sometimes, teams get distracted by the symptoms of a problem, get stuck agonizing over root causes, or settle for bandaids that don’t improve the big picture. On the other hand, some teams get stuck rehashing the issues, without knowing where or how to take action.
Because many problems are multifaceted it’s challenging to move the needle without a strategic process.
Strategic problem-solving is a creative process.
Bring on the colorful stickies!
What if I told you there’s a proven, structured method for analyzing, defining, and addressing problems, like the affordable childcare crisis, starting with a humble pack of Post-it notes?
Back in December, Align facilitated an innovation workshop for the PA ELIC using our 5-step structured strategic exercise. Using this process, the team determined that the key issue to address is non-competitive wages (an average of $12/hr) for early learning teachers.
Here’s how we clarified and built consensus around this key aspect of the problem.
Step 1: Decide to shake things up.
The antidote to unstick a team stuck on defining a problem is to be lean and iterative. Just. Get. Started.
We helped leaders see that things could be different. More of the same efforts would lead to more of the same results. Instead - we showed them how a structured innovation process would change the game, if they just got started.
Step 2: Talk about People.
Using Align 4 I’s Strategic Innovation Process, we gathered stakeholder insights that would spark curiosity and build empathy. We put people at the center of the discussion - specifically, stakeholders who are most affected. We clarified the types of stakeholders who experience the most friction, and where improvements would make the biggest difference.
In a workshop that began with a rousing challenge framed by the Governor and Lt. Governor, we leveled the playing field by listening to the voices of stakeholders on the front lines (educators, program managers and HR leaders who see working parents struggle to stay in the workforce because of the lack of childcare). We got people talking and they uncovered new intersections with peers who could be partners.
Step 3: Conduct Thought Experiments.
To See Things Clearly, Sometimes You Gotta Squint.
The team experimented with a few ideas to spark creative thinking and clarified what success would look like. We asked the team to “squint” when they considered possible solutions. The “squint” technique forces a team member to look for the kernel of a good idea by “fuzzing out the details.” The “squint” technique gives the spark of a new idea a fighting chance to be developed into something that could work, without being bogged down with undue objections too early. These thought experiments helped clarify which aspect of the problem would move the needle. We asked ‘would this solve the problem or would it still exist and why?’
Step 4: Mine For Insights.
Ask Why. No other question is more efficient for uncovering the reason behind the reason. We presented our hypothesis and added first-hand input from stakeholders to add color and character to the challenge. This allowed participants to view the issues from a perspective that was different from their own. Challenging assumptions and shining a light on blind spots is key to seeing the real problem behind the problem. This exercise was a light-bulb moment for several team members.
Step 5: Map & Prioritize.
Lastly, we used that iconic brainstorming tool - the Post-it Note, pre-printed with key information that needed to be prioritized. By sorting and prioritizing the issues using a difficulty/impact matrix, team members identified the most important obstacles and had a structured format for talking about them from various perspectives.
The results went into a Project Charter that contains a clear problem statement and project goal. Now there’s a focused, deeper understanding of the problem and the right starting point for identifying solutions.
So What -
Using the right process makes all the difference.
Investing a little time in problem analysis helped ELIC get everyone on the same page. Now the team knows what’s in scope, what success looks like, and how we’ll get there. ELIC decided to keep the momentum rolling and hired Align to facilitate a strategic innovation project. Using the charter produced from this process, we’re now in month four of a 10-month innovation program. The program will generate pilot projects that will increase the number of childcare providers and improve access to quality childcare.
What’s Your Big Opportunity?
To increase the value your organization provides stakeholders, you’ve got to identify a problem worth solving. When you solve the big pain points and complex challenges — your organizational value skyrockets!
So, if you want to start moving the needle, you need a structured process for strategic innovation. Align’s 4 I’s Strategic Innovation process and a quick-start problem analysis workshop are great ways to get started.
Email Jen Reiner (jreiner at alignltd) to learn how this process can be customized for your organization. Connect with us at www.Alignltd.com/connect.