I have been mentoring a few folks who are solving complex business problems and I keep sharing with them to either step back or go deep down to understand the “why” ….some get it, most don’t ….
I think the best way to understand a problem is to break it down into smaller problems and then into its most fundamental assumptions and principles. This allows you to not get overwhelmed by the complexity of the problem.
This is one sure fire way to work on your career goals or pretty much anything I would say. This idea of thinking in “first principles” was first discussed by Aristotle more than 2,000 years ago and it is still relevant with quite a few famous personalities using it (Elon Musk comes to mind).
People who adopt this approach essentially reverse engineer a problem. They break a problem down into its most basic elements and then reassemble them from the ground up.
The key aspect is to separate fact from assumptions. Not surprisingly, most current solutions to problems are full of well-accepted assumptions that blind leaders from taking a different path. I think the “Path well travelled” mode is a hard one to break.
A cook, for example, understands the basic building blocks of cooking great food. By breaking down a well-known recipe into facts (cooking temperature, ingredient freshness, and spice proportion), they are left with assumptions worth challenging.
Most notably for the most creative cooks, one assumption worth testing is flavor profiles or flavors that go together. Sticking to the facts but experimenting with the assumptions can sometimes yield an intriguing new dish.
Who knew that the condensed milk Rabdi would go well with the deep fried Malpua or for that matter Gulab Jamun and Vanilla ice cream ? or raw mango and chilli powder ? Who knew that these could complement each other and create a new flavor profile? A cook or a foodie working from first principles did :)
When cooks, or anyone else for that matter, challenge the assumptions of a product, service, or process and build forward from the immutable facts, they can be said to be thinking in first principles.
First principles are the rules and causes that govern what you can and can’t do (Facts cannot be altered while assumptions can be altered).
Great leaders, decision-makers, and entrepreneurs use first principles thinking to plot a new course and create entirely new solutions to age-old problems.
Maybe you should try it ? Try breaking down your most complex problems down by facts vs assumptions and explore ..you will be surprised by the outcomes you derive … Happy weekend
#complexity #work #createimpact #thinkdifferent #entrepreneurs
