Do you know what strategy problem you’re solving?

Strategists are curious people. We like solving problems — it’s in our DNA. But every once in awhile we either don’t fully grasp the problem we are trying to solve, or we lose sight of it during the process.

To succeed, it’s absolutely vital to fully grasp and understand what problem we are solving at the start of a project — and to keep it top-of-mind as we develop a recommended solution.

Here are a few ways to assure you’re focusing on solving the problem at hand:

1. Talk to your stakeholders

Projects that don’t start with a round of stakeholder interviews are projects that are build on shaky ground. We’ve got to speak with the key people associated with the project, there’s just no way around it. These may be your or your client’s boss and their supervisors, or it may be your peers, or the executive team. Get clear on who you need to speak with and then methodically interview them to clearly define the problem and make sure that everyone is aligned.

2. Articulate the problem

Once you have the information you need from stakeholders, write a problem statement. Make sure it’s a concise but clearly articulated statement and that it is communicated to the team. (Ideally, it will end up in your brief.)

3. Steward the problem through to solution

As strategists, it’s our job to help make sure that the team is solving the right problem. Keep them aligned by asking questions and focusing them of what it is they are attempting to solve. It’s really easy to get excited about a specific solution — but if that solution does not solve the actual problem, it’s not the right one.

I heard it once said, “Don’t fall in love with the solution, fall in the love with the problem.” That is absolutely true — let’s just make sure we know what that problem is.

Interested in learning more about digital strategy? Join me in the Big Thinkers Society, my free Facebook group for digital strategists.