The final step in the discovery process is putting together all of the solutions that you have come across and then working on an action plan. It might be tempting to find a solution, then try it and see it if it works one solution at a time, but this can be cumbersome and will slow you down if the first three solutions that you come across don’t work.
It is more effective to be able to sit down and gather up all of the solutions that you have found, evaluate each one and then determine the order in which you will work with them. This will allow you to get fully educated on the problem and will allow for your approach to be quick and adaptive. If something doesn’t work out, rather than having to go all the way back to step two, you can just go down the list to the next solution that you learned.
Here’s what that list might look like if we continue using the dryer example:
Solution 1: Check the door switch to see if it’s working properly
Solution 2: Unplug the dryer and test the thermal fuse
Solution 3: Call the repairman and ask for his services
Solution 4: Get a new dryer
Each solution here is ordered in such a way where the easiest solution is proposed first and then each solution after that grows more complex. By using a simple, straightforward approach to gathering information, taking inventory of the solutions and then putting together an action plan, you can learn to solve problems quickly and easily.
