How to Solve Complex Problems
Yesterday I ran into a complex problem and spent quite some time on finding a possible solution. But no chance.
Today I thought about it again and wanted to write an e-mail to a colleague in order to request some support. While writing the problem down in the e-mail, out of nothing, I suddenly saw the reason of the problem and it was crystal clear.
It’s often like that. I think these things really help to understand and solve bigger problems:
- Divide the problem into smaller pieces and approach the solution step by step.
- If you can’t see the solution, take a piece of paper (or write in a text file, whatever you prefer) and describe the problem. Don’t assume anything and describe the whole thing from ground up. This will often help to better understand the problem and you’ll probably be able to solve it yourself.