Michael “Coop” Cooper: Innovators + Influencers Do you feel like you are playing whack-a-mole, constantly putting out fires in your organization? Are others and you clear on the real reason for most problems? In this conversation, I welcome Michael “Coop” Cooper from Innovators + Influencers to share a 5-step strategy that will help you define problems so it’s clear what to do next. 1. Describe the situation There’s a lot of information in the situation that people don’t talk about. This does not have to take as long as most people think it does. 2. Draft a problem statement The problem we’re trying to solve is… Find the simplest statement possible. 3. Ask “Why is that a problem?” (REPEAT) Be aware of the thud factor and the pause. 4. Is this the real problem? Involve someone else 5. Is this problem worth solving? Will it save you time or money? Will it make your company/department more competitive/productive? Will this solution make your work or life easier in the long-run? Does this solution or solving this problem actually align with your company goals? “If I were given an hour to save the world, I’d spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute solving it.” -Albert Einstein Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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