The Business of Giving Is Your Nonprofit Solving the Right Problem?
The following is a conversation between Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, the Author of What's Your Problem? To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve, and Denver Frederick, the Host of The Business of Giving.
Denver: The World Economic Forum lists complex problem solving as the number one skill for 21st-century jobs. But how many of us, faced with a problem, just dive right in looking for a solution? My next guest says there's a better way, and that's taking a moment to reframe the problem presented to you and determine whether it, in fact, is the right problem to be working on. He is Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, the Author of What's Your Problem? To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve.
Key Points from This Episode
- Thomas on what led him to write a book about problem-solving [00:42]
- The basic definition of a problem according to Thomas [01:59]
- Reframing is not a new idea [02:50]
- Reframing a problem vs analyzing a problem [04:24]
- Five reframing strategies [06:13]
- How Lori Weise reframed America's shelter dog problem [12:54]
- Why the skill of reframing a problem is important [15:40]
- Reframing is an iterative process [16:26]
- The key contribution Thomas is making through his reframing strategies [18:01]
- Reframing is not just about the big problems but also getting the small things right [19:05]
- The relationship between good problem solvers and frustration [21:41]
- Three framing indicators to keep an eye out for [22:03]
- Real-world problem: The brilliant way a leader reframed his boss problem
- Paralysis Analysis [25:09]
- Thomas' vision [25:49]