10.23. Problem Analysis Is a Discipline

Just as project management is a discipline made up of accepted techniques and processes, problem analysis has its own body of knowledge that is captured primarily in the quality management literature. The simple seven-step framework laid out in the box may be adequate for simple problems, but if your team is grappling with complex problems, you could benefit from exploring this field further.

As with other team skills we've described in this chapter, monitor the problem analysis skills of your team to determine if they would benefit from additional training. The presence or absence of these skills will have a tremendous effect on the team's collaborative problem-solving ability.