A collection of the best problem solving techniques with related prompts that you can use in everyday business situations.
1. Fishbone Diagram
Key Data Points:
- Also known as Ishikawa or Cause-and-Effect Diagram
- Visualizes contributing factors to problems
- Categories typically include: People, Methods, Machines, Materials, Measurements, Environment
Sample Prompts:
- “Create a fishbone diagram analyzing the causes of [specific problem].”
- “Identify the root causes of [issue] using a fishbone analysis.”
- “Help me visualize all contributing factors to [problem] in a cause-and-effect diagram.”
Application Examples:
- Manufacturing: Identifying causes of product defects
- Healthcare: Analyzing factors contributing to patient care delays
- Software Development: Troubleshooting recurring bugs or system failures
- Education: Understanding reasons behind declining student performance
2. SWOT Analysis
Key Data Points:
- Evaluates Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
- Internal factors (S, W) vs. External factors (O, T)
- Helps in strategic planning and decision-making
Sample Prompts:
- “Conduct a SWOT analysis for [business/project/idea].”
- “Help me evaluate the internal strengths and weaknesses of [organization].”
- “What are the external opportunities and threats facing [industry/market]?”
Application Examples:
- Business Planning: Evaluating market entry strategies
- Personal Development: Assessing career growth opportunities
- Product Development: Determining viability before launch
- Competitive Analysis: Understanding position in the marketplace
3. MECE Principle
Key Data Points:
- Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive
- Ensures categories don’t overlap and nothing is missed
- Creates clear, comprehensive frameworks
Sample Prompts:
- “Create a MECE framework for categorizing [data/customers/issues].”
- “Help me develop mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive criteria for [decision].”
- “Structure this problem using the MECE principle to ensure nothing is overlooked.”
Application Examples:
- Marketing: Customer segmentation strategies
- Management Consulting: Problem structuring
- Data Analysis: Creating comprehensive classification systems
- Project Planning: Breaking down work into discrete components
4. Force Field Analysis
Key Data Points:
- Identifies driving and restraining forces for change
- Visualizes the balance of forces affecting a situation
- Helps prioritize which forces to address
Sample Prompts:
- “Create a force field analysis for implementing [change initiative].”
- “What are the driving and restraining forces affecting [proposed change]?”
- “Help me evaluate the forces supporting and opposing [new process/system].”
Application Examples:
- Organizational Change: Implementing new technologies or processes
- Personal Goal Achievement: Identifying barriers and enablers
- Public Policy: Analyzing stakeholder dynamics for policy implementation
- Team Development: Understanding resistance to new methodologies
5. Decision Matrix
Key Data Points:
- Compares options using weighted criteria
- Provides objective, quantitative evaluation
- Helps make complex decisions with multiple factors
Sample Prompts:
- “Create a decision matrix to evaluate [options] based on [criteria].”
- “Help me compare these alternatives using weighted factors of importance.”
- “Develop a quantitative comparison of these choices with weighted criteria.”
Application Examples:
- Purchasing: Selecting vendors or products
- Hiring: Evaluating job candidates
- Location Selection: Comparing potential sites for a facility
- Technology Implementation: Choosing between different systems or platforms
6. First Principles Thinking
Key Data Points:
- Breaks problems into fundamental truths
- Builds up from basic elements rather than by analogy
- Encourages innovative thinking unconstrained by existing solutions
Sample Prompts:
- “Apply first principles thinking to redesign [system/process].”
- “What are the fundamental truths or elements of [problem]?”
- “Help me break down [complex issue] to its most basic components.”
Application Examples:
- Product Innovation: Creating novel solutions
- System Design: Building efficient processes from scratch
- Strategy Development: Creating unique approaches to market challenges
- Environmental Solutions: Redesigning waste management systems
7. Analogous Reasoning
Key Data Points:
- Applies solutions from unrelated domains
- Transfers insights across different contexts
- Leverages existing successes in new areas
Sample Prompts:
- “How might principles from [unrelated field] apply to solving [current problem]?”
- “What analogies from other industries could inspire solutions for [challenge]?”
- “Help me transfer successful approaches from [domain] to address [issue].”
Application Examples:
- Product Design: Applying nature’s solutions to engineering problems (biomimicry)
- Business Model Innovation: Adapting strategies from unrelated industries
- Education: Transferring engagement techniques from gaming to learning
- Healthcare: Implementing logistics approaches from manufacturing
8. Inversion Technique
Key Data Points:
- Solves problems by reversing assumptions
- Focuses on avoiding failure rather than achieving success
- Helps identify hidden constraints and obstacles
Sample Prompts:
- “Apply inversion thinking to [goal/problem]—how can we achieve the opposite?”
- “Instead of asking how to succeed at [objective], what would guarantee failure?”
- “Help me identify pitfalls by inverting our approach to [challenge].”
Application Examples:
- Customer Retention: Identifying all reasons customers might leave
- Risk Management: Determining worst-case scenarios to avoid
- Process Improvement: Eliminating factors causing inefficiency
- Investment Strategy: Focusing on avoiding losses rather than maximizing gains
9. SCAMPER Method
Key Data Points:
- Acronym for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Reverse
- Systematic approach to idea generation
- Transforms existing concepts into new solutions
Sample Prompts:
- “Apply the SCAMPER method to improve [product/service/process].”
- “How might we substitute, combine, or adapt elements of [existing solution]?”
- “Use SCAMPER to generate innovative variations of [current approach].”
Application Examples:
- Product Development: Creating new product features or variations
- Service Innovation: Transforming traditional service models
- Content Creation: Generating fresh approaches to existing material
- Space Utilization: Reimagining how physical or virtual spaces are used
10. Cost-Benefit Analysis
Key Data Points:
- Quantifies trade-offs between solutions
- Evaluates both tangible and intangible factors
- Provides financial justification for decisions
Sample Prompts:
- “Perform a cost-benefit analysis for [proposed initiative].”
- “Quantify the trade-offs between [option A] and [option B].”
- “Help me evaluate if the benefits of [solution] justify its costs.”
Application Examples:
- Project Selection: Determining which initiatives to fund
- Technology Investment: Comparing in-house vs. outsourced solutions
- Process Change: Evaluating automation vs. manual processes
- Policy Implementation: Assessing economic impact of regulatory changes
11. Hypothesis Testing
Key Data Points:
- Validates assumptions with data-driven insights
- Uses controlled experimentation
- Enables evidence-based decision making
Sample Prompts:
- “Design an experiment to test our assumption that [hypothesis].”
- “Help me create a framework to validate whether [assumed cause] really leads to [effect].”
- “What metrics should we track to determine if [proposed solution] works?”
Application Examples:
- Marketing: A/B testing campaign elements
- Product Development: User testing of features
- Operations: Piloting process improvements
- HR Initiatives: Testing effectiveness of new policies
12. Pre-Mortem Analysis
Key Data Points:
- Anticipates failure points before implementation
- Imagines a future failure and works backward
- Proactively identifies risks and mitigation strategies
Sample Prompts:
- “Conduct a pre-mortem for [upcoming project/initiative].”
- “Imagine [project] has failed—what were the most likely causes?”
- “Help me identify potential failure points for [plan] before we start.”
Application Examples:
- Project Management: Identifying risks before project kickoff
- Product Launch: Anticipating market challenges or technical issues
- Strategy Implementation: Foreseeing organizational resistance
- Event Planning: Preparing contingencies for potential problems
13. Lateral Thinking
Key Data Points:
- Solves problems through indirect, creative approaches
- Challenges conventional thinking patterns
- Generates unexpected connections and solutions
Sample Prompts:
- “Apply lateral thinking to solve [seemingly intractable problem].”
- “Help me approach [challenge] from completely unexpected angles.”
- “Generate non-obvious solutions for [issue] that break conventional thinking.”
Application Examples:
- Innovation Challenges: Finding creative approaches to longstanding problems
- Marketing: Developing unique positioning in crowded markets
- Resource Constraints: Finding unconventional ways to achieve goals with limited resources
- Conflict Resolution: Breaking deadlocks with unexpected compromises
14. TRIZ Method
Key Data Points:
- Theory of Inventive Problem Solving
- Leverages patterns from past innovations
- Uses 40 principles to resolve technical contradictions
Sample Prompts:
- “Apply relevant TRIZ principles to resolve [technical contradiction].”
- “Use the TRIZ method to improve [system/process] efficiency.”
- “Identify which TRIZ principles could solve [engineering challenge].”
Application Examples:
- Product Engineering: Resolving technical trade-offs without compromise
- Process Optimization: Eliminating contradictions in manufacturing
- Energy Efficiency: Developing novel approaches to power usage
- Materials Science: Creating new material properties that overcome limitations
15. OODA Loop
Key Data Points:
- Observe, Orient, Decide, Act
- Dynamic decision-making framework
- Enables rapid responses to changing situations
Sample Prompts:
- “Apply the OODA loop to respond to [crisis/situation].”
- “Help me develop a structured response plan using the OODA framework.”
- “How should we observe, orient, decide, and act in response to [event]?”
Application Examples:
- Crisis Management: Responding to emergencies or PR issues
- Competitive Strategy: Outmaneuvering competitors in dynamic markets
- Military/Security: Tactical decision-making under pressure
- Agile Development: Iterative product development and pivoting
16. Prototyping
Key Data Points:
- Builds rapid models to test concepts
- Enables early feedback and iteration
- Reduces risk through incremental development
Sample Prompts:
- “Design a prototype to test [concept/idea].”
- “What would a minimum viable version of [solution] look like?”
- “Help me create a low-fidelity prototype to validate [assumption].”
Application Examples:
- Product Development: Testing user experience before full development
- Service Design: Simulating customer journeys
- UX/UI Design: Creating wireframes and mockups
- Policy Implementation: Piloting programs before full rollout
17. Blue Ocean Strategy
Key Data Points:
- Creates uncontested market space
- Makes competition irrelevant through differentiation
- Focuses on untapped customer needs
Sample Prompts:
- “Apply Blue Ocean Strategy to identify new opportunities for [business/product].”
- “Help me find an uncontested market space for [offering].”
- “What value innovations could create a blue ocean for [company/industry]?”
Application Examples:
- Market Entry: Finding underserved segments
- Product Innovation: Creating entirely new categories
- Business Model Transformation: Reinventing how value is delivered
- Industry Disruption: Changing the competitive landscape
18. Root Cause Analysis
Key Data Points:
- Identifies underlying causes of recurring issues
- Often uses the “5 Whys” technique
- Targets permanent solutions rather than symptoms
Sample Prompts:
- “Conduct a root cause analysis for [recurring problem].”
- “Apply the 5 Whys technique to uncover why [issue] keeps happening.”
- “Help me identify the underlying causes of [symptom].”
Application Examples:
- Customer Service: Understanding reasons for complaints
- Manufacturing: Addressing quality issues
- Software Development: Resolving persistent bugs
- Safety Incidents: Preventing recurrence of accidents
19. Counterfactual Reasoning
Key Data Points:
- Explores “what if” historical scenarios
- Identifies critical decision points
- Helps learn from past experiences
Sample Prompts:
- “Apply counterfactual reasoning to [past event/decision].”
- “What if [alternative choice] had been made instead of [actual choice]?”
- “Help me analyze how different decisions might have changed the outcome of [situation].”
Application Examples:
- Business Strategy: Learning from past failures or successes
- Risk Management: Understanding consequence chains
- Personal Development: Reflecting on career or life decisions
- Historical Analysis: Understanding pivotal moments in organizational history
20. Six Thinking Hats
Key Data Points:
- Developed by Edward de Bono
- Six perspectives: Facts (White), Emotions (Red), Caution (Black), Benefits (Yellow), Creativity (Green), Process (Blue)
- Separates thinking modes for thorough analysis
Sample Prompts:
- “Apply the Six Thinking Hats method to evaluate [decision/idea].”
- “Help me analyze [situation] from all six perspectives.”
- “Let’s work through each thinking hat for [problem/opportunity].”
Application Examples:
- Meeting Facilitation: Ensuring comprehensive discussion
- Decision Making: Evaluating options from multiple perspectives
- Conflict Resolution: Understanding different viewpoints
- Innovation Processes: Balancing creativity with practicality