Some people are naturally good problem solvers, and they seem able to do it without effort. The rest of us struggle, especially if the problem is complex, or very high stakes, or even when there are just too many possibilities.
 

Often that’s because we lock ourselves into “solution mode” too quickly, without doing enough exploring and planning at the beginning. If you have ever had the experience of investing time and money to solve a problem, only to realize halfway through that you are solving the wrong problem, then you know what I’m talking about.
 

So how do you teach your kids, your students, your colleagues, your team, and anyone else to be better problem-solvers? I developed the Meta-Problem Process as a structured, teachable approach that you can apply to problems from the trivial to the existential, whatever your role is.
 

Essentially, the Meta-Problem is a way to think differently. It breaks down the problem-solving journey from the initial dilemma through to the best workable solution, into a logical sequence of manageable steps. Each of those steps raises a set of questions and decisions that help you pick the best path to the next step. 
 

Ultimately, the meta-problem is a framework for choosing the best problem to solve,
 

For insights and examples of how to use the meta-problem approach, click on the button below that best represents your role.