First, Define the Problem

“If I had only one hour to save the world, I would spend 55 minutes defining the problem and only 5 minutes finding the solution.” – Albert Einstein

This quote may seem extreme, but Einstein understood that the quality of our solutions is directly related to how well we define the problem. The first order of business is not to generate solutions (“Let’s brainstorm!”), but to identify the right problem and define it well. Maybe you have heard the adage that “A problem well-defined is half-solved?” Another version is “A customer need well-defined is half-satisfied.”

Many companies don’t lack creativity, they lack focus. They don’t lack ideas; they have plenty of ideas. What they lack is clarity about where the market is underserved, about where the customers’ needs are unmet.  Many leaders struggle with how to differentiate and grow because they don’t know which of their customers’ needs are left unmet by their own offerings and their competitors’ offering. Consequently, they resort to guessing, which usually leads to failure and frustration. Trying to generate new value for customers without defining the problem (and validating it) is akin to shooting arrows without a target. It’s hard to hit a bull’s eye without a target.

Identify and define your customers’ unmet needs first. Then generating solution ideas is remarkably easier.