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www.quora.com

This questions-and-answers site is a little like Twitter and LinkedIn Answers all in one. Its focus when it started was tech and Silicon Valley startups, but the topics have broadened as more people sign on. What makes Quora unique is that many high-profile CEOs, from Netflix to Apple, have answered questions about their companies.

You need an account to browse, but it only takes a minute to sign up. Like Twitter, you can follow people and industries/topics that interest you. Those are the only questions and answers that will show up on your home page.

The site presents several opportunities for businesses:

• Market research — Follow industry leaders or competitors to get a sense for what people are talking about.
• Problem solving — If you’re trying to figure out how to go about something, try asking a question or search for similar questions people have already asked.
• Authority marketing — Answering questions that other professionals have about your field helps position you as an authority.

Next time you have a tough problem, try using the following question to start the process: 

We want [insert audience, e.g. associates] to [insert desired behavior, e.g be more accountable].

This simple sentence, which can spark a lot of debate, ensures that everyone is on the same page about the problem and focuses on appropriate solutions.

The CIA developed the Phoenix Checklist to help agents apply a thorough, consistent process when confronting the complex problems they often see in the field.

Part I  of the Phoenix Checklist showed how to define a problem effectively before you begin to solve it. Part II focuses on building a good plan to solve the problem.

The following are the key questions in Part II of the Phoenix Checklist:

1. Can you solve the whole problem? Part of the problem?
2. What would you like the resolution to be? Can you picture it?
3. How much of the unknown can you determine?
4. Can you derive something useful from the information you have?
5. Have you used all the information?
6. Have you taken into account all essential notions in the problem?
7. Can you separate the steps in the problem-solving process? Can you determine the correctness of each step?
8. What creative thinking techniques can you use to generate ideas? How many different techniques?
9. Can you see the result? How many different kinds of results can you see?
10. How many different ways have you tried to solve the problem?
11. What have others done?
12. Can you intuit the solution? Can you check the result?
13. What should be done? How should it be done?
14. Where should it be done?
15. When should it be done?
16. Who should do it?
17. What do you need to do at this time?
18. Who will be responsible for what?
19. Can you use this problem to solve some other problem?
20. What is the unique set of qualities that makes this problem what it is and none other?

CIA agents likely confront complex problems on a frequent basis. Finding an effective solution can have significant ramifications on our national security.

The CIA recognized that properly understanding problems was critical to finding the right solution. The organization developed its Phoenix Checklist to help agents apply a thorough, consistent process when confronting a complex problem.

The checklist doesn’t define the problem. It helps users examine the problem’s different parts; determine where to start given available information and resources; and avoid wasting resources on parts of the problem that cannot be solved.

The following are the first 16 questions in the Phoenix Checklist:

•  Why is it necessary to solve the problem? 
• What benefits will you receive by solving the problem? 
• What is the unknown? 
• What is it you don’t yet understand? 
• What is the information you have? 
• What isn’t the problem? 
• Is the information sufficient? Or is it insufficient? Or redundant? Or contradictory? 
• Should you draw a diagram of the problem? A figure? 
• Where are the boundaries of the problem? 
• Can you separate the various parts of the problem? Can you write them down? What are the relationships of the parts of the problem? 
•  What are the constants (things that can’t be changed) of the problem? 
•  Have you seen the problem before? 
•  Have you seen this problem in a slightly different form? 
•  Do you know a related problem? 
•  Can you think of a familiar problem having the same or a similar unknown? 
•  Suppose you find a problem related to yours that has already been solved. Can you use it? Can you use its method?
   

Creativity expert Michael Michalko recommends using the Phoenix Checklist as a starting point of a personal checklist for solving problems specific to your business or role in your company.

The next Atkinson Advisor will discuss using the Phoenix Checklist to create a plan of action.

Some people say that a problem is nothing more than a decision waiting to be made. Yet, decisions can be problematic if they result in misunderstanding, hurt feelings, and second guessing. This problem is often not the decision itself but a lack of agreement on the process for reaching the decision.

Success guru Brian Tracy believes there are basically three types of decision processes:

1. Command. A command decision is made by a single person based on instinct, previous experience, and available information. Think of a general on a baTtlefield ordering troop movements. Command decisions are especially important in crisis situations where immediate action is paramount.
2. Consultative. A consultative decision is a milder version of the command. One person still makes the decision but only after seeking the advice and insights of others. This decision requires more time to formulate but has the advantage of additional points of view.
3. Consensus. A consensus decision is made by a group of people. For example, any form of voting is a consensus decision. Consensus decision can take on many forms from a super majority to a majority to a plurality (if many choices are on the table). Consensus decisions have the advantage of debate around the pros and cons of alternatives.
   Agreeing to the decision process clarifies how and when the decision will be made. It prevents misunderstandings and hurt feelings. It sets expectations for input. And, it sets an expectation for how long the decision process will take.

Smart Choices by John Hammond, Ralph Keeney, and Howard Raiffa

Smart Choices centers on the belief that every business is the sum of its decisions. The better the decisions, the better the business.

The authors present a detailed yet approachable system that makes the decision-making process creative, thorough, and precise.

The authors’ process for making smart choices includes:

• Work on the right “decision problem”
• Define your objectives
• Create imaginative alternatives
• Understand the consequences
• Grapple with tradeoffs
• Clarify your uncertainties
• Think hard about your risk tolerances

The authors say most important step is creating imaginative alternatives because the final choice will only be as good as the alternatives considered.

In addition to the process, the authors share valuable insights about the psychological challenges and traps of making and committing to a decision.