About this session
Many weak decisions begin with a problem that was never properly defined. A team sees falling performance and concludes it needs training.
A customer complaint becomes evidence of a product problem. A missed deadline is attributed to one person's behavior before the wider workflow is examined.
Once an explanation becomes attached to the problem, the rest of the analysis can become an exercise in proving it.
This session starts with the fundamentals: separating symptoms from the underlying problem, defining the gap between current and desired state, setting appropriate boundaries and identifying what is known versus assumed.
Participants then learn to structure complex problems, gather decision-relevant evidence and investigate causal relationships without assuming that every problem has one simple root cause.
The learning progresses into option generation, evaluation and increasingly sophisticated decision-making. Participants define criteria, compare trade-offs, examine uncertainty and scenarios, test assumptions and consider reversibility before choosing a course of action.
Advanced application focuses on ambiguous situations where evidence is incomplete, stakeholder perspectives differ and no option is perfect. The final goal is not certainty.
It is a decision process that is clear enough to explain, challenge, implement and learn from.
What your people take away
- Define the real problem before moving prematurely into solutions
- Structure complex situations into smaller questions that can be investigated
- Distinguish facts, interpretations, assumptions, causes and contributing conditions
- Generate genuinely different options rather than comparing minor variations of one preferred solution
- Evaluate alternatives through explicit criteria, trade-offs, uncertainty and stakeholder implications
- Turn decisions into implementation, monitoring and learning rather than treating selection as the end of the process
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: 101 — Define the Problem Before You Solve ItA focused 30-minute session on three key points from 101 — Define the Problem Before You Solve It: distinguish the problem from the symptom, define current state → desired state and set the right scope.
- Distinguish the problem from the symptom
- Define current state → desired state
- Set the right scope
Covers 3 of 4 points in 101 — Define the Problem Before You Solve It.
60 minutes
Problem Analysis & Decision Making 101A practical introduction to structured problem analysis and decision-making. Participants learn to distinguish symptoms from problems, define the current-to-desired-state gap, separate evidence from assumptions and use a simple process for moving from problem to decision.
- Problem vs. symptom
- Current state vs. desired state
- Problem statements
- Scope and boundaries
- Facts vs. assumptions
- Basic cause analysis
- Problem-to-Decision Quick Canvas
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: 101 — Define the Problem Before You Solve It.
90 minutes
Build Strong Problem Analysis & Decision FoundationsProgress from the fundamentals into structured problem decomposition, evidence, causal analysis, option generation and decision criteria. Participants apply the process to a realistic business challenge and build a defensible recommendation.
- Problem definition
- Issue decomposition
- Evidence planning
- Root and contributing causes
- Causal reasoning
- Option generation
- Decision criteria
- Trade-offs
- Structured recommendation
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: 101 — Define the Problem Before You Solve It and Structure the Problem & Analyze What Is Driving It.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: 101 — Define the Problem Before You Solve It, Structure the Problem & Analyze What Is Driving It and Develop & Compare Better Options.
Full day
Problem Analysis & Decision Making LabA practical full-day progression from 101 fundamentals into increasingly sophisticated decision analysis. Participants define an ambiguous business problem, structure the analysis, test causes, generate alternatives, compare trade-offs and make a recommendation under incomplete information.
- 101 — Define the Real Problem
- Current vs. Desired State
- Problem Scope & Boundaries
- Fact / Interpretation / Assumption Review
- Issue Tree / Logic Tree Design
- Evidence Quality & Relevance
- Root & Contributing Cause Analysis
- Cause Verification
- Option Generation
- Decision Criteria
- Must-Haves vs. Preferences
- Weighted Comparison
- Scenario & Sensitivity Thinking
- Decision Challenge
- Implementation & Review
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
Also available as a 4-week or 8-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
101 — Define the Problem Before You Solve It
Every length- Distinguish the problem from the symptomThe first visible issue is not always the problem that needs solving.
- Define current state → desired stateA useful problem statement identifies a meaningful gap between what is happening and what should be happening.
- Set the right scopeA problem defined too broadly becomes impossible to analyze, while one defined too narrowly can exclude important causes before investigation begins.
- Separate facts from assumptionsStatements such as 'customers don't understand the product', 'the team lacks motivation' or 'the system is too slow' may combine observations with explanations.
Structure the Problem & Analyze What Is Driving It
90 minutes and longer- Break complexity into investigable questionsComplex problems can feel unmanageable when every factor is discussed simultaneously.
- Gather decision-relevant evidenceMore information is not automatically better information.
- Analyze causes without forcing one root causeMany business problems arise from interacting conditions rather than one hidden cause.
- Test the causal storyTwo things changing together does not automatically mean one caused the other.
Develop & Compare Better Options
3 hours and longer- Generate real alternativesDecision processes become artificial when one preferred solution is compared with two weak alternatives created only to make it look stronger.
- Define criteria before choosingCriteria can unconsciously change once people become attached to an option.
- Compare trade-offs — not just scoresWeighted matrices can help organize complex comparisons, but a total score can hide assumptions about weighting, uncertainty or unacceptable weaknesses.
- Look for consequences beyond the immediate fixA solution can improve one metric while creating a new problem elsewhere.
Advanced — Decide Under Uncertainty & Learn From Action
Full day only- Make uncertainty visibleImportant decisions are often made before every fact can be known.
- Use reversibility to shape the decisionA decision that can be tested cheaply and reversed deserves a different level of evidence from an irreversible commitment with substantial consequences.
- Challenge the decision before committingAs teams converge around a preferred option, contradictory information can become harder to raise.
- Turn the decision into a learning loopChoosing an option is not the end of decision-making.
Tools and materials
- Problem Definition Canvas
- Current → Desired State Map
- Fact / Interpretation / Assumption Canvas
- Issue Tree / Logic Tree Builder
- Evidence Requirement Map
- Cause Verification Matrix
- Option Generation Canvas
- Decision Criteria Builder
- Scenario & Sensitivity Review
- Problem Analysis & Decision Blueprint
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Problem Analysis & Decision Making
How long is Problem Analysis & Decision Making?
Problem Analysis & Decision Making runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from 101 — Define the Problem Before You Solve It: distinguish the problem from the symptom, define current state → desired state and set the right scope. A 60-minute session covers 101 — Define the Problem Before You Solve It in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Structure the Problem & Analyze What Is Driving It. A 3-hour session adds Develop & Compare Better Options. A full-day session adds Advanced — Decide Under Uncertainty & Learn From Action. It is also available as a 4-week or 8-week program.
Can Problem Analysis & Decision Making be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Problem Analysis & Decision Making?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Problem Analysis & Decision Making to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.