How to characterise a problem 

Within every organisation, even your own, problems will arise. Understanding how to characterise large and complex problems is the first step into tackling them. But how do we correctly characterise a problem? This short guide will provide you with a lens to frame problems you encounter, no matter how big or small. 

 

Why is it important we frame a problem? 

Framing a problem helps us arrive at potential solutions to solving it. Furthermore, if you’re working with multiple stakeholders, having a shared understanding of the problem can help you collectively solve it. Your stakeholders could be team members, investors, or even your target audience. 

 

Four Key Factors 

There are four key factors you should identify when solving a problem: 1. The Initial State, 2. The Goal State, 3. Obstacles, 4. Scale. 

 

The Initial State: Ask yourself, what is the issue that we are currently facing? What is the state of affairs right now? This helps you understand where your organisation or issue is currently at. 

 

The Goal State: Ask yourself, where do I want to be? What is the state of affairs we’d like to arrive at. If we think about the Initial State as Point A, the Goal State is Point B. 

 

Obstacles: Ask yourself, what is getting in our way? What is stopping us from moving to Point A to Point B? It is helpful at this point to think about the multiple reasons that are in place. You may later want to characterise these obstacles differently. See the article on Constraints, Obstacles, and Barriers for more info. 

 

Scale: Think about the following questions; how big is the problem that we’re facing? Who is affected by the problem? What is the impact of us not solving this problem? This is especially important when you’re trying to obtain buy-in from stakeholders as you’re demonstrating the urgency. 

 

Final Thoughts 

You might not be able to articulate these four key factors straight away and that is okay. Iterating on each of the factors is an excellent way to make sure you correctly identify and characterise the problem you’re hoping to solve. 

Further Support 

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