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Simple & Pragmatic Problem Solving
#19Chapter 3: Problem Identification Techniques• Problem IdentificationCreative ThinkingGroup Mode1-2 hours(Time-consuming)

King of the Mountain

From the book "Advanced Problem-Solving Toolbox: 115 Creative Plays" | Compiled & Edited by: Mojtaba Goudarzi, Open translation: Mehrshid Goudarzi
Executive Synopsis & Core Logic:

A competitive and gamified debating process to challenge surface definitions of the problem until the strongest and most stable definition remains on top.

Operational Parameters & Specifications

Category
Problem Identification
Dominant Thinking
Creative
Participation
Group
Estimated TimeTime-consuming
1-2 hours
Workshop
Input Format
Group ideas and opinions
Output Format
Idea generation
Key Application
Resolving strong organizational disagreements about the nature of the crisis and reaching a mature definition.
Core Differentiator:

Using the traditional game mechanics of conquering the summit to force people to defend their definition and discard loose assumptions.

Quick Field Example:

Managers' debate over the cause of company productivity decline: defending the hypothesis of motivation, processes, or management to reach the ultimate root.

Operational Benefits & Implementation Risks

Advantages & Value Creation:

High energy and attractiveness due to the playful form, breaking down individual biases, gradually deepening the definition of the problem in each round.

Risks & Potential Trade-offs:

the risk of the discussion becoming a personal dispute in the absence of a strong referee, psychological fatigue of the participants.

Real-World Organizational & Industry Scenarios

Board meetings and strategy: Determine whether the company's main problem in the market is a drop in demand or product weakness or mispricing.
Project Management and Scrum: Rooting Out Sprint Failures Among Developers and Product Managers.
Public organizations and charities: agreement on the most critical priorities requiring social intervention.

Strategic Rationale & Why to Apply

1Enhancing critical thinking: Every claim must be able to withstand the blows of the competitors' arguments.
2Evolution and Synthesis of Ideas: The final definition is usually a powerful and mature synthesis of the best points raised in the debate.
3Removal of organizational compliments: The game-like environment allows opinions to be challenged without the usual expediency.
4Building Convergence After an Argumentative Battle: When a definition repels all attacks, everyone believes it is correct.

Conceptual Framework & Book Method Description

The "King of the Mountain" technique is derived from the children's game Fatah Tepe.

One person, as the king, puts his definition of the problem on top of the mountain. The next person overrules him with a stronger argument and substitutes a more precise definition. This cycle of challenge and defense continues until the definition that no criticism can overthrow wins the field.

Step-by-Step Real-World Implementation Scenario

Scenario: Discovering the root cause of employee productivity drop in an investment holding
1
Step 1: Establishing the first definition on the top of the mountain (initial position)The HR manager declares as the initial king: "The main problem is the loss of morale and motivation of employees after remote work".
2
Step 2: The first challenge and takedown is brought in by a rivalchief operating officer with evidence, claiming: “Motivation is disabled; The main problem is the bureaucratic processes and inefficient work flow that consumes the energy of the personnel and becomes the new king.
3
Step 3: Challenging Deeper with New EvidenceProject Manager challenges the previous king: "Processes are not bad, but poor management and lack of transparency of performance indicators (KPIs) are confusing".
4
Step 4: Combination of arguments and definitive conquest of the summitOne of the senior experts provides a comprehensive definition: "The main problem is the lack of clear strategic prioritization from the top, which has led to redundant processes and loss of motivation". No one can deny this definition.
5
Step 5: Fixing the winning definition and entering the solution designThe synthesized definition is adopted as the definitive problem definition and the team goes directly to clarifying the organizational OKRs.

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Previous Play (#18)
Fishbone Diagram
Next Play (#20)
Redefining a Problem or Opportunity
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