Stop guessing! Nine Strategies to Solve Any Problem (Stop Guessing: The 9 Behaviors of Great Problem Solvers) (Category Management)
Yesterday I read this interesting book by Nat Greene about problem solving. As I read the book, I caught on to the discrepancy between the content and the title, and then compared the names of the Russian translation and the original source. The original emphasis is on problem solvers’ behavioral patterns – this emphasizes that this is not about methodology, but about systematic behavioral skills. The Russian translation, on the other hand, talks about strategies for solving any problems, which simplifies the concept somewhat, losing the important emphasis on the fact that these are behavioral models, not just algorithms.
When it comes to Nat’s approach, effective problem solvers show nine key behavioral patterns: 1. Systematic approach to the problem Head. 1. Stop guessing and move on to structured analysis Head. 2. Study the problem in detail, using all available senses and tools to understand the failure pattern Head. 3. Accept their ignorance instead of trying to protect an expert’s reputation by asking questions that others might consider “stupid.” 2. Exact definition of the problem: Head. 4. Determine which problem to solve by avoiding working on the wrong problem because of false assumptions Head. 5. Deepen into the basics by learning how the process works, including the basic science behind it 3. Independence from expert opinion: Head. 6. They don’t rely on experts as saviors, they see them as help. Head. 7. Believe in a simple solution, persist and don’t stop until they get to the root of the problem. 4. The factual approach: Head. 8. They make decisions based on facts, not opinions, votes or subjective systems. Head. 9. Stay focused by measuring the drivers that most directly control the problem
In the tenth chapter, the author talks about how to choose his method of solving problems and offers his approach through the analysis of variables. The central idea of his method is to create a tree of variables - a systematic analysis of how the process works, and the development of levels of secondary variables that affect the target problem. This approach includes: Definition of the problem – a precise description of what exactly is not working Detailed study of the problem - collecting evidence about the failure pattern Creating a Tree of Variables – a structured analysis of all factors affecting the problem Green stresses that when a team has hundreds of potential causes, it means a complete lack of understanding. If variables 200The true root cause is probably not even on this list. Effective problem solvers eliminate variables, and each excluded variable contains many sub-variables that can now be ignored.
I liked the book, and Greene's ideas overlap well with thinking.from first principles" I saw similarities. Both approaches require breaking down complex problems into fundamental components. Abandoning analogies and previous solutions in favor of deep understanding Challenge existing assumptions and search for basic truths But there are also significant differences that make Green’s approach more practical. First Principles begins with the philosophical foundations and fundamental laws of nature. Green’s approach is more pragmatic and focuses on behavioral patterns and analysis of variables of a particular problem. First Principles are more suited to innovation and creation, whereas Greene’s method is optimized to solve existing problems.
If we talk about the application of the approach in software development, it seems that this approach is applicable to treadshooting performance problems. (Brendan Gregg's domain, here's an example of his performance that I handler). In principle, the solution to the problem in the event of an incident is approximately the same. told about our stage of the interview called troubleshooting for SRE engineers, as well as separately conducted public interview
#Engineering #SRE #Interview #Processes #Postmortem #Management #Software