Book Review : Are your lights on?

I recently came across the book "Are your lights on?" which was highly recommended by some of the product management experts on problem solving and decision making.

I found the book quite interesting and a breezy read. The authors have taken a case study based approach to explain their concepts , so it does not feel like you are reading a non fiction book. I have summarized my learnings from the book below –

What is a problem?

A problem is a difference between things as desired and things as percieved.
A problem could be solved either by reducing desires or increasing perception. Side Note here is that I think this is why meditation is a wonderful practice which teaches us to be grateful for what we have and helps reducing our desires. Therefore, our troubles are reduced.

What is the problem?

Problem Definition is the trickiest part of the problem.

Common Challenges Faced when defining the problem

Don’t take the solution proposed by someone for the problem definition
If you solve their problem too readily, they’ll never believe you’ve solved their real problem.
Moral issues tend to melt in the heat of a juicy problem to solve but it is important to always keep that in consideration
Don’t mistake a solution method for a problem definition—especially if it’s your own solution method.
You can never be sure you have a correct definition, even after the problem is solved
Don’t leap to conclusions, but don’t ignore your first impression.
You can never be sure you have a correct definition, but don’t ever stop trying to get one.
The really important thing in dealing with problems is to know that the question is never answered, but that it doesn’t matter, as long as you keep asking.
The trickiest part of certain problems is just recognizing their existence.
As you wander along the weary path of problem definition, check back home once in a while to see if you haven’t lost your way.
In spite of appearances, people seldom know what they want until you give them what they ask for.

Things to keep in mind when trying to solve a problem

Each solution is the source of the next problem
We never get rid of problems. Problems, solutions, and new problems weave an endless chain.
Sometimes, we make the problems less troublesome by putting them in someone else’s back yard—or back end. This technique is called problem displacement, and is often very useful when consciously and conscientiously done. But new problems—more often than not—are created unconsciously.
If you can’t think of at least three things that might be wrong with your understanding of the problem, you don’t understand the problem.
When some machine goes wrong, we’re inclined to blame the person who gets his bottom punched, rather than the person who made the tool.

Different ways to solve a problem

How could we change the problem statement to make the solution different?
Once you have a problem statement in words, play with the words until the statement is in everyone’s head.

Whose problem is it?

Don’t solve other people’s problems when they can solve them perfectly well themselves.
If it’s their problem, make it their problem.
If a person is in a position to do something about a problem, but doesn’t have the problem, then it is important to empathize the person whom you are solving for before jumping to the solution
For societal issues like pollution, environment etc. – Try blaming yourself for a change—even for a moment. That will make a huge difference in getting motivated to solve the problem
If people really have their lights on, a little reminder may be more effective than your complicated solution.

Where does it come from?

The source of the problem is most often within you.
In the valley of the problem solvers, the problem creator is king, or president, or dean.
"There’s two kinds of people in the world, those that do work and those that make work for others to do. Keep away from the make-workers and you’ll do all right."
"There’s two kinds of people in the world, those that do work and those who take credit. Keep in the first group—there’s much less competition there."
Knowing from where the problem comes from benefits the problem solver.
The clever student "Reads" the exam with an eye to its progenitor. If you don’t give the professor the answer he wants, you’re a fool.
Where does the problem come from?Who sent this problem? What’s he trying to do to me?
The first essential step is to deduce from where the problem arose and will therefore be reading it. Without the step of asking, you might make the mistake of praising the Romans instead of the Greeks, Burns instead of Browning, or transubstantiation instead of consubstantiation.

Not all problems are meant to be solved

Even if what we’re solving isn’t the "Real" problem, it becomes the real problem to us because we want to solve it—the more heroically the better. In other words, leave us alone!
In spite of appearances, people seldom know what they want until you give them what they ask for.
Not too many people. In the final analysis, really want their problems solved.
By becoming immersed in the problem, you, the resolver, risk yet another oversight. Fascinated with the problem-solving aspects, you may neglect to consider whether you would morally approve of a solution. One person’s sin is another’s virtue.
To be true to yourself, in this problem-resolving business, you must consider moral questions before you get close to a solution, or even a definition, and thereby begin to lose your sensibility. Such consideration will never waste your time, for problem-resolving can never be a morally neutral activity—no matter how much it fascinates its practitioners.