How we solve problems

Throughout any consulting engagement, several problems are presented to us. At TRIARII, we put a lot of effort into determining whether we were given the right problem to look at. We dig deep: we ask questions and gather facts. But facts alone are not enough; we approach problems in a rigidly structured manner, a process that if followed correctly, will get us to a much faster and effective resolution.

We first acquire a general understanding of the problem at hand by talking to the people involved. This is the first step of the process. Over the years, we have observed that clients often have a distorted perception of the underlying reasons for their poor performance.

Following the first step, we start identifying the problem’s key drivers. For example, if the client problem is “I have to increase my company sales by 14%”, we look carefully at what might be preventing the company from achieving this. Facts, our industry knowledge, and consulting experience might indicate, for example, that the problem’s key drivers are both the post-sale customer service and go-to-market strategy.

We then make high-level, actionable recommendations to address each of these two drivers. This forms our initial hypothesis, a theory to be proved (or disproved). This is not the final answer at all; it just serves as our problem-solving map.

Next we take each recommendation and break it down to the level of issues; that is, concerns for debate and discussion. What general issues might be linked with each proposed recommendation?

We then go down another level: we design an “issue tree”; that is, for each issue, what analysis do we need to make to prove or disprove the initial hypothesis? The hard work begins here – we dig deeply into the issues, a process that we call “Hypothesis Testing”.

The diagram below illustrates our problem-solving methodology: