"formulate clear problem statements" (parte III)

Parte I e parte II.

"Is your problem important? The first rule of structured problem- solving is to focus its considerable power on issues that really matter.
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Mind the gap. Decades of research suggest that people work harder and are more focused when they face clear, easy-to-understand goals. More recently, psychologists have shown that mentally comparing a desired state with the current one, a process known as mental contrasting, is more likely to lead people to change than focusing only on the future or on current challenges. Recent work also suggests that people draw considerable motivation from the feeling of progress, the sense that their efforts are moving them toward the goal in question. A good problem statement accordingly contains a clear articulation of the gap that you are trying to close.
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Quantify even if you can’t measure. Being able to measure the gap between the current state and your target precisely will support an effective project.
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Remain as neutral as possible. A good problem formulation presupposes as little as practically possible concerning why the problem exists or what might be the appropriate solution. That said, few problem statements are perfectly neutral.
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Is your scope down? Finally, a good problem statement is “scoped down” to a specific manifestation of the larger issue that you care about. Our brains like to match new patterns, but we can only do so effectively when there is a short time delay between taking an action and experiencing the outcome. Well-structured problem-solving capitalizes on the natural desire for rapid feedback by breaking big problems into little ones that can be tackled quickly. You will learn more and make faster progress if you do 12 one-month projects instead of one 12-month project."