Thinking frameworks
Structured approach to problem solving
A conversation that goes back probably a few years back when we were working on a consulting gig and I asked this colleague of mine - What do you do? The answer surprised me then, as he said “I create frameworks”. This helps detail out for the larger team on how to approach a problem and the steps they need to take to reach their goal, he added. When I heard this, I thought this didn’t make sense, as it was too abstract for me then. He was trying to shy away from execution and adding to the paperware glut, was my thought on it.
As years go by, what I start to realize is, what he said makes perfect sense. As the problems you try to solve; get more complex, and abstract, the contours get hazy we need a different approach to look at this.
Now I appreciate the idea of framework and I see this being used in every aspect of life and work to present an idea, sell a concept, or even how stories are structured
The most notable ones are
Joseph Campbell - The Hero’s Journey on StoryTelling
2 × 2 Growth Share Matrix from BCG Founder Bruce Henderson and a favorite among all consultants
Hook, Story, Offer from Russell Brunson on Marketing
I use frameworks extensively to think through complex challenges and I will share two recent incidents where it has helped me
I was recently asked to write on what my role would be in an upcoming engagement
The way I built a framework to expand on it is by focusing on: What the customer wants now, What should they focus on new, What should they focus on next and how do I enable them to navigate through this journey to achieve their objectives
I am also working on my side gig which is to become a life coach
Since this is a business idea I started thinking about how to sell this and I came across this nugget Any business gets rewarded if they figure out what society wants, but doesn’t know how to get, and becomes the conduit to deliver this and I am paraphrasing Naval here. This led me down a rabbit hole of building a framework around - who are my customers, what they need, which areas I would focus on, what areas where I need help and what is the timeline to get there.
Thinking in terms of frameworks helps me break down the problem into smaller manageable chunks and then address them one by one. The beauty of it is, that it can be applied to any problem and helps you arrive at a solution or the goal. It has been a big Aha moment for me and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
Interesting to know how creating frameworks can help in problem solving.