“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I knew the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.” — Einstein

I saw this quote today while working with friend Marge.

What is so apt is that it teaches, in a few words, how crucial it is to spend time on diagnosis…on discovery.

It reminds me of the scene in Hitchiker’s guide to the Galaxy where the Super Computer, charged with finding the answer to "life, the universe and everything", comes up with ‘42′. ‘Huh?!’ ‘What the…?’ asked the previously patiently waiting crowd. Well, explains the computer, that is the answer, but you have to know the question. Incidently, it transpires that finding the question will take a far more superior computer, and a far lengthier process.

Often we go into a project with a specific solution in mind. Yet I am realising more and more that spending the time initially on ‘discovery’ is the integral part of any process. It could quite possibly be the process. Reflecting, it amazes me how many times we bypass this step. Perhaps because it is such hard/time consuming work!? Yet in opting out of such a critical part of the process we run the risk of going with a ’simple’ solution that doesn’t address our needs…something far more costly in the long run.

I believe the answers are all our there. Uncovering the ‘real’ question - our assumptions, the question(s) behind the question - is how we get the answer/solution that makes sense and is relevent to the challenge at hand. The rest is in the implementation…

(Which is a really long way to explain/muse on what Einstein said in 1 sentence. But then that is why he is Einstein and I am me ;))

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 12th, 2005 at 7:58 am and is filed under knowledge & wisdom, musings, questions, science, stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.