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7. Looking for clues? Study successes for principles to apply. If you can find three times that
something worked, ask why it worked despite differences in the situations. What was common to
each success, or what was present in each failure but never present in a success? Focus most on
learning from the successes—it will yield more information about underlying principles you can
replicate. Look for patterns about the people involved, the work processes, or the larger ecosystem.
Reduce your insights to rules of thumb you can repeat or tailor to the current situation. Also, hunt for
similar underlying issues in other organizations, including those totally outside your field. For
example, who has to manage to razor-thin profit margins (grocery stores, airlines)?

8. Overwhelmed by complexity? Break it down. This is the era of organizational and market
uncertainties. With this as the norm, it’s likely that the problems you face daily are becoming more
and more complex. One way to deal with complex problems is to turn something that looms large into
a series of smaller problems. People who are good at this are incrementalists. They make a series of
smaller decisions, get instant feedback, correct the course, get a little more data, then move forward
a little more until the bigger problem is under control. They don’t try to get it all right the first time.
Going a little at a time means that glitches or unintended consequences will be more manageable
too. Another trick if you’re overwhelmed by complexity is to put all like elements into conceptual
buckets (e.g., everything to do with costs in one bucket, people in another). Analyze how the buckets
can work in sync or in opposition. Be careful not to overcomplexify. If a solution is obvious or
elegantly simple, let it be.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…

Goodman, N. (2013, February 28). Creative problem-solving strategies to test your business idea.
Entrepreneur.

Wooden, J. (2009, March). John Wooden: The difference between winning and succeeding [Video
file]. TED.

Zwilling, M. (2011, July 19). Nine steps to effective business problem solving. Business Insider.

9. Perfectionist? Balance perfection with action. Want to wait for all of the information to come in?
Need to be 100% sure you have the right solution? Many of us would prefer that. Perfectionism is
tough to let go of because most people see it as a positive trait—one that’s helped them succeed so
far. It’s understandable that you want to collect more information to boost your confidence in making a
fault-free decision, which will reduce risk or criticism. But face it: numerous studies show that more
data may increase confidence but doesn’t necessarily increase decision accuracy. The problem may
be getting worse while you keep gathering more information. It’s about finding the right balance.
Listen to your trusted colleagues. If they think you tend to overanalyze, start taking action sooner so
you can land on a workable solution.

10. Overloaded with information? Learn to discern. Information overload is indeed a reality. In fact,
the Institute for the Future has named Signal/Noise Management as an imperative leadership skill.
Having this skill means you are able to filter meaningful information, finding the useful parts from the
massive streams of data produced and received. When effectively distilled, categorized, and
integrated, data provides a road map to many best-possible solutions. A road map that helps alert
you to signals that trouble may be brewing or that opportunities are ripe. Work with leadership to craft
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