I’ve heard the expression “peeling the onion” twice in the past couple of weeks. One was during a Law & Order TV episode, in which there was a discussion of peeling the onion back farther to reveal a deeper underlying cause, instead of just the surface cause. The other time was when a friend was discussing some work his company had done for a client.
We start out in life being very good at “peeling the onion,” by asking why, and then why again, and then why again, until we have gone as deep as we can go in getting answers. You no doubt have seen a 7-year old doing this, asking why a light bulb is hot, and then where do the electrons come from, and so on, until you can no longer provide an answer. More often than not, adults tend to discourage children from doing “too much of this,” and the inquisitive nature of the child typically diminishes.
Hence, as adults we sometimes need reminders that a lot of situations warrant our digging deeper than we typically do. I think such a reminder is especially useful in today’s busy world, where we often feel pressured to “just finish” one task and move on to another.
So, this is a reminder for you, and for me, to consider whether there are problems in our life where we can and should peel the onion back farther. Historically I have been pretty good at doing this, being an analytical type by nature, but I seem to have slacked off in retirement.
Anyway, something for us to think about. Comments?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
John Rocheleau - Zen-Moments 07.22.08 at 5:26 pm
Well I can see that you really haven’t stopped peeling onions Bruce. Sometimes, it’s just not as obvious to us.
John
Bruce Keener 07.22.08 at 9:32 pm
Thanks John!
Bill Myers 07.22.08 at 10:00 pm
This post dovetails nicely with a prior post of yours regarding trying to solve a “non-problem.” Step one for problem-solving: determine if the problem you’re trying to solve is real. If yes, go to step two: keep “peeling back the layers of the onion” until there’s nothing left to peel and you fully understand the problem. Step three: implement an appropriate solution.
Unfortunately, some people with whom I work have substituted their own step three: curl up into the fetal position and hope the problem goes away. This is not recommended.
Bruce Keener 07.22.08 at 10:19 pm
Interesting observations, Bill, with good points.
Yes, some people just don’t get it that hope does not solve anything, or as the saying goes Hope Is Not a Method.
Bill Myers 07.23.08 at 12:51 pm
In the sales profession, we are taught to “ask another question” when the sales process gets stuck. I think the same thing applies to problem-solving. Before deciding that you’ve taken the measure of a problem, ask another question (or peel back another layer of the onion) until you run out of questions to ask.
@Bruce, you’ve said you tend to be analytical. I tend to be more intuitive. Are there tools, processes, whatever that those of us who are “analytically challenged” can use to facilitate getting to the heart of a problem?
Bruce Keener 07.23.08 at 2:02 pm
@Bill, a great question. Unfortunately, being analytical is so much a part of my life I would not know where to begin to tell one how to be that way. It’s kinda like asking me how I play guitar: I wouldn’t know where to start.
Having said that, one place you might want to bookmark is my old write-up on problem solving and decision making:
http://www.dkeener.com/keenstuff/solve.html
Also, I did a quick google for problem solving and came up with these links that look pretty helpful:
http://web.cba.neu.edu/~ewertheim/introd/cases.htm
http://www.xenodochy.org/ex/lists/tedquestions.html
What you and I could both probably benefit from is a good book on balancing right-brain and left-brain thinking. Sounds like you are more right-brained and I am more left-brained, and that we both like to have more balance on that.
While I have done some surface reading on this, I have not really delved into it. I am almost inclined to post the question on what is a good book on the subject, so maybe we can both get an answer.
Let me do that. We’ll see if it takes us anywhere.
By the way, I have tons of material laying around from my problem solving days before I retired, but so much of it is proprietary. Maybe I’ll find some of it that can be shared.
Thomas R. Hall 07.23.08 at 11:06 pm
Great post, as always, Bruce. I think not enough people use their critical thinking/problem solving skills these days.
Playing devil’s advocate is one of my favorite ways of trying to look at something from a variety of angles. Often helps me come up with potential solutions.
Do you use Mind Mapping to help you “peel the onion”?
Bruce Keener 07.24.08 at 9:12 am
Thanks much, Thomas. I am also notorious for playing the devil’s advocate role.
I find mind mapping to be a good analysis tool … a very good one in fact.