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I recommend an indirect approach, which is to
restate the problem in as many different ways as we can think of. We
simply shift our mental gears into a divergent mode (more easily
said than done, I realize) and start pumping out restatements
without evaluating them.
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The key here, as in all divergent thinking, is
letting the ideas flow freely, without attempting to justify them.
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Sometimes restating the problem is difficult
because the original statement was poorly articulated. All the more
reason, then, to more clearly define it.
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One can generally gain most of the benefits of
restating a problem in five or ten minutes. However, those minutes
are quality time where analysis is concerned.
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Sometimes restating a problem points to a
solution, though usually it shows there is more than one problem and
helps identity them.
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Most important of all, restatements should,
whenever possible be put into writing so we - and our consumer, if
the problem is owned by someone else - can study them. A record copy
of the agreed-upon problem statement should be retained for
reference as our analysis proceeds. Retaining it not only enables us
to check from time to time to see if our analysis is on target.
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