problem-solver

name	problem-solver
description	Systematic analytical frameworks for diagnosing root causes, evaluating options, and solving complex technical or operational problems.

Problem-Solving Skill

Structured frameworks for diagnosis and solution evaluation. Read the reference file for whichever framework you select.

Framework Selection

Problem Signal	Framework	Reference
Unknown root cause, simple chain	Five Whys	references/five-whys.md
Conflicting requirements / trade-offs	TRIZ	references/triz.md
Slow throughput / capacity issue	Theory of Constraints	references/theory-of-constraints.md
Recurring / interconnected issues	Systems Thinking	references/systems-thinking.md
Multi-factor quality issue	Ishikawa / Fishbone	references/ishikawa.md
Critical incident, high stakes	Root Cause Analysis	references/root-cause-analysis.md
Comparing multiple solutions	Solution Evaluation Matrix	references/solution-matrix.md

Escalation path: Start simple (Five Whys) → escalate to Ishikawa or full RCA if multiple factors emerge → finish with Solution Matrix when comparing options.

Workflow

1. Describe symptoms — What, when, where, impact, what's NOT affected?
2. Define boundaries — Scope, recent changes, constraints, stakeholders
3. Diagnose — Pick framework from table above, read its reference, apply it
4. Generate solutions — 3-5 distinct options addressing root causes
5. Evaluate — Use Solution Matrix (read references/solution-matrix.md) to score options
6. Plan implementation — Actions, owners, timeline, risks, success metrics
7. Monitor — Track metrics, iterate if unresolved

Diagnostic Questions

1. Symptom or root cause?
2. What changed before the problem appeared?
3. Can I reproduce it reliably?
4. Are there multiple root causes?
5. What feedback loops are at play?
6. Where is the bottleneck?
7. What's the technical contradiction?

Anti-Patterns

• Jumping to solutions before diagnosis
• Treating symptoms instead of root causes
• Choosing solutions by ease alone
• Ignoring feedback loops
• Not monitoring after implementation