Reframing problems starts with asking better questions. But with so many perspectives to consider, how can you know which questions will have the greatest impact?

You start by getting very clear about your REAL goal. The high-level outcome that matters more than anything else.

Think about the story of Embrace Infant Warmer that I recently shared:

• Premature babies born in developing countries are at risk of dying from hypothermia.
• The typical problem frame was, “We need to get more incubators into hospitals.” But most of these babies are born in very remote, rural areas.
• The problem was reframed as, “How can we provide a way to keep more babies warm, particularly ones who don’t have access to hospitals or electricity?”

The REAL problem that needed to be solved was how to keep premature babies warm, not how to get more incubators to hospitals.

How about the story of Downtown Dog Rescue:

• More than 3 million dogs were being placed in shelters every year, and only about 1.4 million dogs were being adopted.
• The typical problem frame was, “How can we increase the number of adoptions?”
• The problem was reframed as, “Why are so many people surrendering their dogs to shelters in the first place?”

The REAL problem that needed to be solved was how to help more people be able to keep their pets, rather than have to surrender them for adoption.

Once you’ve zoomed out to understand what you’re really trying to achieve, it will be much easier to figure out which types of questions will help you zoom back in for a closer look at the key details.

What will you do today to get more clear about your most important outcomes?

Will you take more time to explore the high-level goal before getting too bogged down in the details?