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during all phases of the problem-solving process. Throughout this process,
this information is key for exploring and assessing solution options. In
short, the more information that is collected about the problem and its
potential solutions, the more likely that the right problem statement is

crafted and workable solutions are devised. This information gathering
can be facilitated by responding to the following questions:

• Do we have the relevant data, statistics, and information, and, if not,
how can we collect them?

• What are the opinions, expectations, and needs of important
stakeholders and customers?
• What do the experts say about important trends concerning the
problem?

• What are our competitors doing related to this problem?
• Who has solved this problem before, and what did they learn?
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Part of the process of researching the problem involves determining its root
causes. The root cause is a controllable, solvable force that explains why the
problem exists. It's the pivotal reason that started the problem in the first

place and must be dealt with in order to find a long-term workable
solution. However, if the root cause is not controllable within the
organization, any efforts to understand it are a waste of time in many cases.

Effects are often confused with causes; they are merely the by-products or
symptoms of the causes. They indicate the presence of the problem, but

not its real nature. Treating the effects or symptoms of the problem will
not solve it. For example, if you have a headache caused by wearing the
wrong glasses prescription, treating it with aspirin is treating the symptom
and not dealing with the cause. If your organization is finding it difficult
to raise adequate funding, the root of the problem could be lack of

confidence in what the organization is achieving. A fund-raising effort in
that situation is not likely to resolve the problem.

A technique that can be used to generate thinking about possible causes is
brainstorming. Remember, in a brainstorming session, every possibility is

initially equally valid. The idea is the get as many ideas captured as

199 “Team Problem Solving for Pros,” http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/5022_Beatty_Chapter_3.pdf.

David Kolzow 196