The 2 questions that lead to better decisions, every time

There are countless decision-making frameworks out there and an equally paralyzing amount of advice on how to make good decisions. It can be overwhelming. A lot of the advice boils down to the 2 simple questions below.

What problem are you trying to solve?

Crafting a solution without a clear definition of the problem can produce a solution that doesn’t actually solve the underlying problem.

Even if you might have a clear understanding of the problem, do others share the same understanding? Multiple people, each solving for a different problem, will probably not produce a solution that actually works.

Ask this question at the beginning of any decision-making process, and document the answer. Make sure everyone agrees with it before moving on, and frequently remind yourselves of it to avoid unproductive detours. At the end, revisit it: Does the solution actually solve the original problem?

How do you know that?

This question cuts through assumptions and beliefs that aren’t grounded in facts. It’s incredibly versatile and can even be applied to the first question above. A few examples:

• How do you know that the problem you’re trying to solve is actually a problem? And important enough to solve? Is there a way to measure it?
• How do you know that X is the root cause of the problem? What led to X?
• How do you know that an important piece of information is true? Is it an assumption or direct observation? Is it a primary or secondary source?
• How do you know that your decision was correct? Is there a way to evaluate it?

Like the 5 whys, keep asking this question until you get an answer that’s based on direct observations or first principles.

The answer to this question can also give you a good way to measure the success of the decision. Proactively measuring what you change is an important part of any decision-making process.