Problem Solving Thinking
A powerful view of system
Posted on August 2023
I have no doubt that one of the most influential moments of my life was when I was pursuing my bachelor degree. I was pursuing engineering physics in Bandung Institute of Technology. There are many things that I learned from this place, whether from inside or outside of the curriculum. When it comes from outside of the curriculum, there is one thing that I always use until now. It is how to solve problems structurally. I have been using this kind of structure in my thesis, my organization, or even when I am analyzing some regulations. Let us walk through this one step at a time.
What is a Problem?
Before we can solve a problem, we should know what a problem is. Problems can be anything. Whether it is collective problems or personal problems. Air pollution is an example of a collective problem. A personal problem could be someone did not pass the passing grade score for a test. Problem does not have to have a negative connotation. Someone wanting to buy a new gadget is also a problem, though in the form of ‘want’.
So what is a problem? Problem is the gap between an ideal condition and a real condition. An ideal condition could be in the form of a written social contract or unwritten social contract. It could also be a subjective condition. Real condition is the current state of matter. A collective problem needs to have an accepted state of both ideal and real condition, otherwise the problem is only partially collective or not for the whole group.
If someone fails a test, their idealized condition would be for them to pass the test while their actual condition is for them failing the test. Or it could be the ideal condition for one is for them to have the new gadget. But they have not gotten the gadget yet. Another example would be how in the government law, there are some requirements of how the air condition of a city should be. When the ideal and real condition has been analyzed, it is easier to tackle the problem.
The Guiding North Star
Knowing our problem is like knowing what our final destination is. But we still need a map to be able to reach our final destination. Likewise, knowing what our problem is does not tell us what we should do. For example, if we know that there is a problem with our math capabilities, how do we know it? It is a matter of epistemology.
We know that there is a problem with our math understanding because we score low on the math test. The math test is the measurement. It is the parameter of our problem solving activity. It is the guiding star. To solve this problem, we need to increase our math score in the next test. If the air pollution of a city is bad, what parameter can we use to solve the problem? It could be the Air Quality Index.
Determining parameters in my opinion is the most exciting thing about problem solving. It can help us simplify our problem. Like earlier, we still do not know where to go if we only know that we should make the air better. But because we have an Air Quality Index, we know that to make the air better we should improve the Air Quality Index.
Methodology as a Set of Tools
The last step after we get our parameters is determining what we should do to achieve that. This is where experience and background come into place. There are numerous ways to increase Air Quality Index and environmentalists should know better which methods can be implemented in each situation. This step is like choosing a set of tools from our garage of mind.
For example, there are many ways to increase one’s score on a math test. One can study on their own, writing important equations and formulas on their notebooks. One can also take a preparation class. Obviously, if one wants to save money, studying on their own could be the best choice. So it is also important to consider the boundaries of the problem.
In Summary
To sum it up, knowing the ideal condition and real condition is the first step to knowing our problem. Then to avoid blindly doing something, we should know the parameters of our problem. Lastly, brainstorm a set of methods to tackle the problem. All of this should be kept within a boundary of the system. This structured problem solving thinking has been helping me simplify a lot of things. From my undergraduate thesis to the time when I was planning an event for my student organization.